Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Retreat

Several years ago I wrote an essay about my ideal retreat. I needed to escape to a safe, therapeutic place. I described my dream counseling experience. I felt it tugging at my heart to share it with you... in pieces MUAAHHA.
So here is the first installment. I hope you can sit back with a cup of tea and retreat with me.

“Can it really only be Wednesday?” I asked myself. It was the longest week I had experienced in a long time. School was crashing down on me, the women I met with were all at hard crossroads, my job was pressuring me to fulfill a role I did not want to fill, and I had not sat down with my husband to have a real conversation in a week. I can’t believe it’s only Wednesday. I had gotten home from work, exhausted, and sat down on the couch to write. The minute I hit the couch, tears started pouring from my eyes. I felt as though I was in over my head. I felt ignored. I feared I was doomed for a life without self-exploration and care. The only thing I could think about was escaping to a place where someone would actually pour into me instead. The counselor wanted counseling. No, the counselor needed counseling. My mind began to dream about this place I could escape to. I looked in my wallet at my insurance card. “Does not cover mental health services” was written in red ink across the back. I was left alone to my dreaming once again. I took off my boots, pulled my legs up near my chest, pulled a blanket around my shoulders and began dreaming about my retreat.


Thursday, July 8, 2010

Some days...

Some days you have to bet on yourself. All chips in, no fear.

I hope you know you have the winning hand. And if you don't? Fake it.

poker.jpg

Monday, July 5, 2010

Indulge yourself!

Take today (hopefully it's a day off) to be goofy and indulgent! It feels good to act like a kid, eat candy without worrying about fitting into your bathing suit, laugh at America's Funniest Home Videos, and feel as though you can accomplish anything as long as you're given the right-a-way. Please see below for my plans... those poor party favors never saw it comin!




Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Guest!

Hey people! I'm a guest blogger today for my friend Andrea's amazing blog, http://lilkidthings.com/

You should read her blog regularly since half of America already does :) She's been my blog muse.
Check it out!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Found Fruit!

One of the perks of having an old house is finding the different "crops" that have been planted before us. Last year as I was weeding underneath the porch, I found a pumpkin! A pumpkin Charlie Brown! And yesterday as my hubbs was mowing the lawn, he found a blackberry bush on the side of house! I obviously immediately ran out with a bowl to fill it with the goodness that awaited me. After a few shrieks from briars and ants, I filled my bowl with the fruit of someone else's labor.

I started thinking about the person that planted the blackberry bush and wondered if they were able to enjoy the fruit. I also wondered how they'd feel if they were watching me shove the blackberries into my mouth by the handful without lifting a finger to work on the garden they built. I don't know why but I feel like this person, I like to call her Miss Berrybottom, would rejoice that I was enjoying the fruit. Why work so hard on something if others can't enjoy it? I need to work on that. I tend to hold my "projects" so tightly in my hand and when others do enjoy it, I might as well have hired a plane to fly over them with a banner shouting that yours truly had done the work.

What if we were silent servants? What if we labored without seeking recognition and the only reward we wanted was for others to experience joy? Life would be full of happy souls finding blackberry bushes.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Pride

Don't let your pride swallow you today. Do you have something to apologize for?

I did. And I wasn't humiliated when I asked for forgiveness. I was set free and opened a conversation that needed to happen. When the conversation deepened, so did the relationship.

Just try it. You can write it, sing it, say it, or sign it. Or mime it? Whatever you do, just say you're sorry. It'll be worth it.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Four Years!





It's been a hilarious, humbling, amazing (bet you thought I was going to use another H word) four years with this guy. Happy Anniversary...... what were we doing at this time four years ago? *Insert immature snicker here*