Day 85 - Blessings

There are only fifteen more days to my challenge so I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and write about some of my best memories.

1. Living in Germany - My dad was stationed in Germany when I was 18 months to 3 years old. I don't have any specific memories, but there are certain impressions that fill me with joy when I think about them. The little old lady who lived above us, that I called Ya-ya. I have warm thoughts about her. I think she would give me strawberries. There was also a swing that I loved. I remember ice and snow (which I have not had very much of in my life since then), and apparently I was so attached to my snow boots that I refused to wear anything else.


2. My Spring Show solo my senior year - It was a wonderful moment that I was so proud of. I felt loved, cherished, and important to all the people who had been important to me. I was able to communicate through dance all that I was feeling as a graduating senior. Excitement, sadness, hope, fear, and nostalgia. The applause and accolades at the end confirmed that the choices I had made as a growing woman were worth it and that I was respected by more people than I had ever thought possible.


3. Going to New Orleans - I still have so many fond memories of this trip. It was just my parents, my brother, and my friend. We had so much fun, and I got to experience so many new things.

4. My Wedding Day - I really did have a picture perfect wedding. Everything was fabulous, from the decorations that my family (mostly my mom) set up, to the dress, the cake, and the dancing. And we didn't even have alcohol! (at only 20 - I was underage)

5. The birth of my son - He was two weeks early and I drove all the way to Navasota to make sure all my dance team girls got to the game safely, then drove all the way to downtown Houston for the delivery. Holding him for the first time was magical.


6. The birth of my daughter - My daughter was five weeks early and I was worried about any complications she might have. Not only that, but we were supposed to move that weekend. I can't even explain the emotions that I had when I heard her cry for the first time. Amazingly, she had absolutely NO complications. She was and is a determined little girl.


7. Playing outside as a child - I was always outside when I was a kid. I would take my dolls on picnics, explore fantasy worlds, and hang out in my club under a huge oak tree.

8. Getting my first job as a librarian - I was't fully certified and I had already been through two interviews at this school. Then I had been told that I couldn't be hired because I didn't have my certification yet. When I went in for the third interview and then was told I had gotten the job, I was ecstatic. I will always be grateful to that principal for taking a chance on me.


There are so many more, but I don't have the room to write about every single happy memory that I have. The point is, I have been blessed in so many ways. Often, we get bogged down in the negativity and focus on the bad things that surround us. I will often find myself festering over an argument or put-down instead of focusing on the compliments and postive relationships that I have recieved. We as humans are very strange. I can remember almost every time someone has hurt my feelings, but I have a harder time recalling when someone has uplifted me. Crazy. By looking at these wonderful memories, it helps to remind me that I have a pretty fantastic life and allows me to more easily shut out the negativity that not only surrounds me, but is also in my head.