Day 2

The people I surround myself reflect who I am. Over the last couple of years I have found my tribe. The people who build me up. Support me. Encourage me. Inspire me. Life is better surrounded by amazing people. 

Happier living

I am participating in a Happiness Challenge. For 21 days I will think harder and be more aware of what I am doing or not doing that is affecting my happiness. Part of that will be to write on here. Check in with myself and be more intentional.

Day 1 was to track the choices I made around how I react to things. It was a hard day of travel but I consciously chose to react with laughter rather than tears when things got hard to handle.

holidays

now I prepare for chaos.

hyper kids.

visiting family.

christmas activities.

baking.

parties.

joy.

time together.

time.

I'm ready.

storm

a storm is brewing.

the clouds are getting heavy, the wind is picking up, birds struggle to move through the air.

i love storms. they provide the perfect excuse for candles, fires, wines, and movies. they force quiet to counter the noise they create. they encourage cuddles for warmth and because.... baby, it's cold outside.

tonight instead of cuddling, wine, fire, i will sit in a classroom and learn, discuss, present.

but in my heart there will be a quiet stormy night at home.

giving of thanks

usually I love this day. I spend time preparing, cooking, decorating. this year it has faded into the background. instead i have disappeared, stayed in pyjamas, and read. illness has reared it's ugly head  and consumed me. 

I am thankful for a day of rest.

I am thankful for my love.

I am thankful for my tribe.

I am thankful that hospitals exist to care for my lovely and her little lovelies.

I am thankful for fall.

I am thankful for work.

I am thankful for the embarrassment of riches that is my life.

gratitude fills in the spots that sorrow has left. it seeps in to remind me that the pain is part of the joy. it fills me with a joy that lightens.

waiting

doctors and specialists and tests. another medically focused time. hopefully this too will lead to nothing but the nagging negative nelly in the back of my brain wonders if it will be something. so we wait and wonder.

while we wait we watch the world around us crumble into states of cancer and death. children dying. children with cancer. friends losing their fight. friends starting their fight. the world is mean. 

my little carved out corner carries a lot of joy. am I really this blessed? 

so I wait and wonder.

intention

last night at a birthday party for two friends we filled out cards to ourselves. we were to say one intention for this coming year, one thing we forgive ourselves for from last year, and a theme for the coming year.

this was easy for me. I forgive myself for taking on too much last year. it was bad but i have learned from it because my intention for this year is to spend more time with friends and family. my theme word for this year is balance.

i promise to have balance this year. this starts with saying no to a bigger job and feeling really good about working half time. I will take the time as the gift it is and accept how that impacts our finances. 

and I am proud of myself for learning from last year and saying no.