I should be sleeping now. It’s a morning I didn’t have to set an alarm yet my body started moving me out of sleep around 6.
I didn’t get to bed until nearly 1 a.m. and should not be awake!
However, a friend who moved to Germany years ago is moving back to the area-ish and there was a last-minute dinner and dancing plan and it almost feels like I haven’t done that since Karen moved!
I can use your name, right Karen? It’s been so fun watching her family’s German and European adventures on Facebook.
I told her last night I wish I could give my kids some international adventures like they have done. But on her side of the fence she mentioned the mom-guilt over moving around. So really, what it comes down to is we love our kids and give love and the best of our intention and we have great kids who are going to do just fine.
In other news, I am purging files. Starting yesterday. Files I’ve not contended with in some cases… for nearly 20 years.
I really need to find some sort of “You Can Shred This When…” resource. But even without a guide I did purge about 20 pounds of shredding (anyone have a shredder I can borrow?), AND I purged prolly 50 LBS of recycle worthy pages.
I can’t believe I’ve moved some of that stuff – TWICE.
I think I’ve let it go so long because that kind-of stuff requires serious deciding and when it comes time to decide to organize files I usually decide to bake something.
I went to my son’s high school open house many weeks back. In the open house for language arts (or whatever it’s called) they told us what the perfect paragraph looks like.
I would fail high school English if was in high school right now.
I guess the PERFECT paragraph has to have, like 5 or even SIX sentences.
I’m lucky if mine have two.
And mine usually start with *And* and lack in commas when conjunctions are involved because I like the race-sounding nature of my words when the comma is absent. Like I’m talking fast.
Because I probably am.
In my head.
Or if you were sitting across from me and we were drinking from cute coffee mugs.
Tomorrow is my birthday.
I’m not looking for birthday wishes or presents.
Well, maybe presents.
I love that chair. I want that chair. But do not buy me that chair for my birthday because it is expensive and that would make me feel uncomfortable. Well, only emotionally. And only for a little while. I’m sure physically, that chair would make me feel very comfortable.
I digress.
But seriously. It’s one of those things that just happen.
Like the rising and setting of the sun.
AGING.
I turn 32.
Wait. That’s funny. I could have edited that and you never would have known. But that’s what my fingers typed
32.
It made me laugh and I wonder if even though I am OK with turning 42, that my fingers are not.
42. I’m turning 42.
It’s nothing grand.
No benchmark.
But I have high hopes for this year.
42 sounds soft. And kind. I hope that is what I can be in this year, and I hope that is how life will be to my family.
The last couple of years have been tough in ways I could explain (but choose not to), and tough in ways I cannot put words.
They’ve not been the WORST either. Just very bumpy.
But life is like that. Without the lows – no highs. Right?
And not to put too much pressure on a number, but… don’t you think 42 just sounds sweet?
Non-dramatic. Comfortable. Thankful. Settled. Sure.
Somewhat conflicted.
But also… adventurous.
I’ve been paying particularly close attention to teens these days. Girls, specifically. Not that I intended to, but thanks to Instagram and Twitter things have caught my eye.
Young attitudes. Young perspectives.
Some excite me – the young ladies that are going to be hitting the world with their good hearts and determination.
Others make my heart sad… The anger. The jealousy. The pursed lips.
Meh.
I want to tell these girls to have the courage to stop filling their brain time with yearning for a cute boy to like them or being jealous over Instagram numbers or perceived popularity. Replace that time with learning and creative pursuits. Instead, be jealous of how well others are using their time chasing the dream of becoming amazing.
I don’t really mean be jealous.
But I kind-of do. Use it to learn and create and make good.
Get at it girls. Boys too. Change the world. Quit pining. Be creative with your time and resource. There’s no time to waste. And by world I mean not only the the global world, but also the world right here at home. Touching lives positively at home can just as significant as lives outside of our small towns.
It’s that whole ripple effect.
Speaking of ripple effect. I have more file purging to do.
But before I sign off – some things I am particularly proud of recently are my posts from last week about National Teen Driver Safety Week. If you didn’t catch them, please check them out here and here. If you are the parent of young kids, there is still something there for you in these posts. Driver safety starts young. Your little guys are watching you. And studies show communication between teens and their parents is the biggest factor in teen driver safety. A relationship with good communication doesn’t just suddenly start when they turn 13. The work starts years before they get behind the wheel.
