For the good things

I just read through some of my old blog posts.
Often when I write them I have a strong feeling about one or another thing.
Good or bad.
But within a few days of posting it, I often forget what I even wrote about so passionately!
Maybe because when I write I "dump" my brain and heart out through my fingers and on to the keybord.
Words and scentences pop up on the screen and form little glimpses from my life.

Words are so powerful.
To write can hurt or help, heal or damage.
You choose what you write, and hope that your message gets across the way you intended.
These days with so many ways to express ourselves, many people seem to totally lose all their tact.
Some use really rude or corse language on FB or similar sites.  Women who normally would never talk like that in real life!!  It's kind of disturbing and I think it's a really good way to make people lose respect for them.

Well.  Today is however not going to be a "how to write" class, just had to put in my 2 cents regarding that.

Today I want to remember the "being Thankful" thing.
Especially since many of my friends and family celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend over in the USA.
I think trying to be a grateful person, who is able to appreaciate what they have in their life and the gifts God has given them, will help anyone in their everyday life.
The saying "A bitter heart can not be thankful, and a thankful heart can not be bitter" is one of my favourites.
I use a lot of "sayings" in my everyday life, and our kids already know about many, and we can often laugh at me because I'm becoming quite predictable with them.
"You can only change yourself!"
"Don't expect anyone to do anything for you, do it yourself!"
"Be kind to each other, and help each other!"
"Remember to appreaciate what you have, because you never know what tomorrow brings!".
"Love each other, one day something might happen to one of you, and you'll really regret anything bad you did"
"Be responsible for your actions, don't blame others!"

The list goes on....

But, today I'm trying to be thankful.
Lately I've struggled with a lot of feelings, stress and emotions.
I have to remind myself that I quite likely am still feeling the effects of the msicarriage.
I really feel that I need TIME.  Time for me.
Time to just figure out what I feel about all sorts of stuff.
But when my emotions and hormones have been on a rollercoaster that lost its fun-factor several turns ago, I just want to get off of it and give my head a chance to stop spinning.
I'm not going to go in to details right now, and most likely I wouldn't be able to explain everything that's going on without sounding confusing or whiny or both.
To combat all the yukky stuff I'm going through, I try to focus on the good.

This morning I got a text from my cousin.  He and his wife and their kids are happy to announce the birth of a little girl.  A new baby sister to love and care for.
How wonderful, and how thankful I am that all went well for mom and baby.
This last year has been hard for many people I know.
Money and health problems are so common these days.
But when I see how people love and care for each other, it makes me happy and thankful.

Then there's my neighbour lady across the street, who in my eyes seem to live the "perfect life". Their yard is always neat, and they have 2 boys, 5 years apart, and things always seem to be in its proper place.  I get a bit of a complex living in this unfinished house, with kids running all over, toys scattred like a bomb went off.  It usually looks like no grown-ups are living in our house!!
The neighbour guy's garage is cleaner than my kitchen, while our garage is... hmmm... how do I put it??
Messy would be a nice compliment.  So let's leave it at that.

Anyway.  In a round about way I heard how this neighbour lady told someone that:
"I feel so overwhelmed with my 2 boys, and sometimes I don't know what to do, and then I look at the lady across the street coming home with her 7 kids, arms loaded with grocery bags, and she's always smiling!, I don't know how she does it!"
Hearing this brought tears to my eyes.
Often I feel so insignificant and "not enough".  There are so many things I can't do with our kids because it costs too much.
There are many things I don't have energy for, because, well, I'm just me and there are 7 of them.
I often feel like I have a bit of a complex about my life looking so "messy" and unorganized.
Our kids clothes are not matching and neat.  Our yard is all sand and construction stuff and toys.
Our house isn't finished and our cars are loud and old.

But.
When my hubby told me about what the neighbour lady said, his eyes were sparkling.
He hugged me and was so proud of me.
He said hearing those things makes him love me even more.
Our kids were so pumped too.
And even if that's just her observation about me, and she sure doesn't know the whole picture, well, I only have my observation of her, and I don't know HER whole picture either.
It's a comforting thought for us all.
We all have the little things in our lives that annoy us, and when the neighbour's grass seem greener, well, maybe ours isn't so bad after all.
I am so very thankful to have the gang I have to share my life with.
It's when you take away all the superficial layers in life, and look at what is really left, that you see the true value of what you have.
Those things can vary because our goals are different.
For me being loved for who I am is something that matters a lot.
And when all is said and done, I am.  I truly am.
And feeling so loved and appreaciated, makes it so easy to love the people around me, for who they are!
And a smile is the poor mans jewel. 
A smile is the most beautiful make-up you can wear!  It comes in a perfect size for you face, and it matches every outfit you own.

This makes me think of another saying that I really like that goes something like this:
"The smile on my face doesn't mean that my life is perfect, it means that I am thankful for what I have and that I know that God provides for me what I need every day!"
No need to worry.
Just smile and be thankful.  There are so many reasons to do that.
Even if your house isn't finished and is full of sand :)

And like our wise 13 year-old told me a while back
"Mamma, we are rich.  We really are!"
Yes honey, we really, really are...