Well Hello 2018!

I am so excited about this year.

When I think of 2018, I think of sparkles and glitter and the perfect breezy day with no mosquitoes. I love every new year, but this one brought with it hopeful anticipation of good things. "Peace, even when things aren't perfect" was the mantra that marked my 2017. It was a year of seeking and learning to live in the very imperfect but beautiful now.

For our family, 2018 seems to carry with it an invitation to intentionally craft our story from the piles of supplies we already have...to see that all the things we need are already here. I've noticed that it's not my actual circumstances that prevent me from realizing my greatest wishes, it's my perception of those circumstances that block my path.

Wish #1: I want our kids to have a happy, healthy life full of adventure and discovery.

I've fallen into the trap of thinking that we can never give them all they need, to have that kind of life because we don't have enough money or we don't have enough land or we don't have enough...(fill in the blank). Do you know what they want? They want us to chase them around outside or throw the frisbee. They want us to watch them do front flips and cartwheels and cheer for the newest treasure they dug up in the yard. They want our time and attention. I can make all that happen for free and right now. I don't have to wait for a future plan to fall into place to be present for my kids.

Wish #2: I want to make a difference.

I cannot tell you how many times I've had this desire to help but didn't know who or how. I haven't had an organized list that itemized needs by person, age, and location so I felt lost. Plus when you make a difference you expect it to be a huge gesture...something that really changes the world and makes the news...Then somewhere along the way I thought..."Geez, I bet the residents at the assisted living facility would appreciate a "hello" and a Christmas wish", so we just busted up in there with some peppermints and a smile and it was the best time. They were so happy that we said "hi" and we were so happy that we got to meet them. I felt like we made a small difference in someone's life that night and for me that made all the difference in the world.

What about pushing someone's buggy to the store front, or picking up a bag of trash, or giving up a seat in a waiting room for someone else...what if everybody did that? Well...the seat thing would be kind of awkward if everyone did it, but you get what I mean... There would never be any random buggies smashing into the side of someone's brand new pickup truck, our towns would be spic and span and everyone would be standing in the waiting rooms...

Most of us won't be famed global heroes, but that doesn't make our contributions any less important. In fact, if we only want to do the big things...who's going to do the little ones?

Wish #3: I want to be happy

If I'm being honest, I would love to be happy all the time (like Patrick). I would love to be happy about my head size, shoe size and bra size...I would love to be happy about the incessant squeaking in the dryer and the toilet that always gets clogged. I would also love to be happy about the mud-boggin' truck that races through town every night at midnight, but I haven't reached that state of transcendence yet...

What if I remembered that my head size, shoe size and bra size were (mostly) the same when Patrick found me and he must have thought they were ok? What if that incessant squeaking in the dryer reminded me that some people hang their clothes to dry on their own backs because that's the only clothes they own? What if a clogged toilet screamed "You could be going in a hole in the ground!"? What if I shot the tires out on the mud-boggin' truck? Would a new perspective help me find some inner joy that might be better than just happy?

I bet it would.

I guess what I've decided about 2018 is this:

All those cans of paint colors and brushes I have just sitting around...I bet I could make one heck of a piece of art out of it if I tried.

much love and many blessings to you this year,

xoxo

~j