Recently I was having my sacred coffee (I say sacred because I treasure this grown up time I scratch in) with my friends and we were talking about "things". I admit that there are times that I look at friends that I know, or people I know, and I am jealous of the "things" that they have. I would love a cottage, a new car, an RV, but all of those things come with a price, and it is a price that at this time in my life I am unwilling to pay. We all make sacrifices, and we need to decide if our sacrifice is worth the cost. It is at this point that you may ask yourself what is this idiot woman (that's me) talking about. I am a stay at home mother. My husband makes an o.k. wage, not great, not terrible. It is a sacrifice for me to stay home and not re-join the workforce. By staying home I am sacrificing "things". We have an older van, my house will never be featured in Home and Garden Magazine unless it is one of the "before" pictures. We have no plan for retirement, at this stage the best that we can hope for is that one of our four children will become wealthy and care for us in our old age, or we should get used to the taste of cat food. We choose this sacrifice. For us it is the right decision. Any money that we could be putting towards our retirement (or bills) goes toward the kids. We take nice holidays, not extravagant, but memorable. I would like to think that when my children are adults that they will look back with fondness at their childhood (I have a few years to find out if this theory ever comes to fruition). At no time will my children ever get a wistful look on their little faces and utter "Man am I glad that Mom and Dad invested in those RSVPs instead of taking us to 6 Flags Great Escape Lodge." For other people the risk involved in staying at home and not having financial security is too great, and so they sacrifice. The good and the bad of it all is only in your perception.
The point that I am making is that my happiness or lack there of is dependent upon myself and my choices. Every decision that has brought me to this point in my life has been made by me. There have been horrid things along the way that have rocked my carefully crafted world, but I chose how to react to those terrible things. I did not choose to loose my beautiful son at the age of 9, but I chose to live and to honour him. I chose to focus on the beauty of the world that he left for us, instead of dwelling upon the unfairness and darkness of it all.
I choose to count my blessings. I choose to see the world as a beautiful place that I have the privilege of being apart of. I have an amazingly wonderful husband who I am blessed to celebrate 20 years of marriage with this August. I have 5 beautiful children who I love unconditionally and with an open heart. I have the most amazing, wonderful group of ladies that I am most blessed to call my friends. I am making my world a better place for myself and for others. I choose to count my blessings.
Lovely. You have your priorities right and really, ain't life grand?
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Another Blessing Counter
Thank You Liz.
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