Thursday, April 22, 2010

Appreciating the Good

I'm learning that I need to recognize AND appreciate the good things in life...two very difficult things for me to do. I'm a perfectionists, so attaining a "good" rating is not as easy as it sounds. And, while I pride myself on praising the efforts of those around me, I don't always appreciate the things that are right under my nose...the things God provides always when I don't deserve them.

Things like my amazing husband. We have our struggles, just like every couple, but he really is the best earthly thing that has happened to me. It's not necessarily WHAT he does but HOW he is. He is calm, consistent, and considerate. (He e-mailed me to let me know that 1) the house was a little messy because he was working in the yard and didn't have time to clean up before work and 2) he would clean it up when he got home.) He is supportive, even when I'm stressed and over-worked. He is diligent and determined to do what needs to be done. He's amazing...and I'm so thankful for him.

And I need to remember that!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Benefits of Being Sick

I hate being sick, but alas, I find myself stuck in bed on a diet of cheerios, ginger ale, and the occasional frozen waffle, resigned to spending hours sleeping and watching movies. When I was in school that would have been the life! But now, it stinks, especially when you have to cancel your plans, can't go shopping (for necessities like food), and aren't able to work on other things (like laundry, cleaning, and music for the teen service coming up in a few weeks).

After most of the queasiness had past and I realized that I would feel better if I just stayed in bed and relaxed, I began to think of the benefits of being sick. First, I caught up on some much needed sleep. Second, I had time to watch a few great movies (Swing Vote being one of them...there may or may not be another post to follow-up with this). Third, I finally started a blog, which I've been meaning to do for a while now. And, finally, I had a great boost to my diet (6 pounds in 2 days)!! So, maybe this being sick thing isn't so bad...although I really can't wait to have some real food again!

I've wanted to start a blog for a while now. I'm not planning on anyone reading it...just me. And I'm not planning on spending a lot of time with it. I just know the importance of capturing the little moments in life...and, to this point, I'm not very good at it! I had a friend in college who would fill up several journals per year. I tried that...four or five times...and I have four or five mostly empty journals to show for it. (I'm a perfectionist, so hand-writing takes me a while. I'm also a horrid speller, and there are no spell-checkers for paper journals.) I though of creating an electronic journal on our laptop, but then I would have to be on my home laptop to access it. Finally, I succumbed to the idea of creating a blog. It's the perfect solution really; electronically recorded and stored, spell-checked, and accessible from anywhere. Now...all I have to do is blog...every so often...and capture the little moments in life.

I labeled my blog, "Rach's Thought Capsule." I tried to be creative, but I'm pretty sure EVERYTHING has already been taken. I think this title is appropriate though. First, only my family and very close friends call me "Rach," which makes this very personal...it's just the real me that you should already know and love. Second, as I've aged, I have realized that my memory is not what it used to be. Things I thought "I would remember forever" have faded over time. This isn't a bad thing...as the fading is usually a result of cramming in additional memories and crazy moments...but I need a place capture my thoughts and experiences so I can look back and remember them and share them with my friends and family in the future. And that's what a capsule does. So this is MY thought capsule. Here's to filling it with what makes me...me!