RSS - PostsTom and I have been so busy since our trip over Christmas, I feel like we are living in some kind of time warp. As in, “Was that January that just blazed by? Oh wait, that was March.” Between our move into our new home, two deaths in the family (Gradma Bubbi in New York and Uncle Bill in North Carolina), multiple hours of studying for exams (Tom is pursuing Microsoft certifications for .net), and an out-of-town wedding (Congratulations, Megan and Peter Lathrop!!)…well, let’s just say the mundane parts of life like being pregnant, dealing with piles of boxes, mowing the lawn, and getting the car and house repaired have fallen by the wayside. Every time I see the midwife, I think, “I have to start keeping a journal of this pregnancy! It’s almost over!” Indeed, with just over 10 weeks to go (IF I make it all the way to my due date!), it has truly flown past. If I didn’t have some discomfort sleeping now, I probably would hardly notice the pregnancy at all, that’s how busy I’ve been. *sigh* A little reprieve, please?
Tom was scheduled to go out of town this past weekend to play for a worship conference at a high-security women’s prison in Gatesville, TX. Thankfully, the trip was cancelled at the last minute. I was glad to have him home, and he needed the break. Nobody can go nonstop forever. We all need rest.
All this busyness has led me to think about something I was told in college. A wise mentor said to me, “You will never have a better time than right now to seek God, to pursue your dreams, or to accomplish whatever is in your heart. Don’t think that things will get easier or that you will have more time. That just isn’t true. There is always something waiting to take up your time, no matter if you are a student or working, single or married, with or without kids. Make the most of today, or you will have to wait until you retire to “do something” with your life.”
In 10 weeks or less, we will start a new chapter in our family’s story: life with two children. I pray that I can make the very most of every day, and not just survive, but truly love life and make a difference in the lives of my kids and husband daily. I have to be careful not to give way to fear when I think about the postpartum period, since the last time around was very difficult and lonely for me. I pray that this time will be better, but even if it isn’t, I pray I will have the grace and strength to deal with each new challenge.
God is, and has been, so good to us. Many are out of work, while Tom has a reliable job. I may have had a rough postpartum experience with Jocelyn, but there are many who cannot concieve, or who have a child with special needs. We may not have a perfect life, but compared to 95% of the world’s population, we are rich, incredibly healthy, and ridiculously blessed. In fact, through the eyes of someone in a third-world nation, we have too much! Clean drinking water, highways without holes that can eat your car, Internet access, voting rights, electric lights, no fear of war on our own soil, supermarkets crammed with fresh food, indoor plumbing…I could go on and on about the benefits we Americans enjoy that others can only dream about. Why am I feeling sorry for myself when, halfway around the world, many women spend 5 to 6 hours a day hauling parasite-infested water over miles of dangerous wilderness? (Google ZAO water if you are interested in knowing more about this particular issue. It’s a real eye-opener.) I know I’m up on my soapbox now, but I’m just preaching to myself. There is NOTHING in my life worth complaining about. There! I said it! There’s noting limiting my ability to be happy except little old ME.
So, with this blog, I give myself, and everyone else, permission to stop whining and just BE. Be content with your lot in life. Make the best of wherever you are, knowing that tomorrow could change everything! Stop navel-gazing and worrying what people think of you, and start thinking about them instead. What a breath of fresh air our country would have if everyone laid down their vanity, complaining, and personal black rain clouds and just had a reality check that, hey, life is actually pretty good! And yes, I think, even though things might be somewhat imperfect, they could be a lot worse, and I think I am going to survive. THAT is a sentiment I want to spread around!
