My picture was recently featured on the cover of Good Housekeeping. The story was about how to be a modern day 50's wife and how to lead an effortlessly happy life, with sidebar recipes on meatloaf, martinis, and mantras to practice while smiling at yourself in the mirror. How do I look by the way? Perfectly primped, totally toned, AND wearing heels while baking banana bread---*Screeching brakes* Ok, I give up... I lied, that is not me at all, not even in the slightest bit.
I would like to get a little personal with you if you don't mind. I am *unfortunately *fortunately an idealist to the core. I have a strong ideation that we can virtually do or be whoever we want to be. Of course, there is that tangled sticky web of predisposed chemicals called DNA, our resources, our attitudes towards our resources and life in general, and that little thing called education. I truly believe we could educate ourselves to do or be whoever or whatever we want. Takes effort, of course, and the relentlessness of an Albert Einstein or Benjamin Franklin.
When I was in college, studying to be a teacher, I always had a tendency to push myself out of the confines of my comfort zone with assignments. I had to come up with a social studies lesson plan to teach to my colleagues. So what do I pick? Microeconomics. I had never once even spoke of the word, let alone could teach it. But I taught myself what I needed to know and loved it. (foreshadowing--as I ended up transferring my senior semester to another school and getting into marketing) I whooped that lesson in the booty and didn't have to use my lesson plan for reference, it just spewed from me like a golden river of knowledge (insert slightly goofy voice here, laughing).
During the past ten years of my life, I have been through an insane rollercoaster ride. I look back, with whiplash, asking myself, "What happened?" :? I am reminded today during my devotions that life is not about the destination, it's about the journey. Each and everyday I am given is up to me to enjoy to the fullest extent, come what may. So hard to do! We no longer live in a time where things come to us in black and white. Culture has changed, society has changed, people have changed; as marketers keep squeezing every last idea on how to sling products, we end up standing in the cheese aisle for a half hour trying to just decide on CHEESE... I bet June Cleaver up there didn't have to swim thru a sea of heavily processed food and remain super educated on nasty chemicals to make an honest cheese purchase. We live in a fully vivid, colorful, high definition world and it's no wonder my brain feels like a puddle of mush most days.
Time to break it down; Get back to basics in life. Time to buckle in and allow the screaming rock concert around me to continue while I put in a set of earplugs and focus. There is a rapid downward spiral occuring around me and I feel the only way to find satisfaction is to be reminded that it's the little things that will do it, and stock up on earplugs. I have 186 friends on facebook, a husband, and a slightly disfunctional family. There are many days where I feel like the lonliest person on the planet and I am exhausted from my day to day responsibilities. Then, I open up my devotion and it says, Ecclesiastes 8:15, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” (NIV). This verse made me smile in relief instantly. The gifts of life are not simply in the package itself, but in the joy that is able to be had enjoying what is inside of each day.
I know it seems impossible somedays to find enjoyment in our jobs, home life, relationships, etc. Trust me, I am right there with you, wishing there was an easy button and my house would be instantly spotless and my husband would for once be able to effectively communicate with me. I haven't found such button, but if I look at the verse again I think it's telling me that there is only the button I install myself, to find something to smile about with each moment of my day and find pleasure in the daunting tasks (maybe redefining them too ;) of day to day life.
Until next time,
xoxo
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