A couple of days ago, we had snow that actually stuck. They didn't cancel school, just delayed it for a couple of hours-- enough time for my youngest two children to build this snowman.
Yesterday morning, one of my older daughters intentionally got up late because her friends told her there was definitely going to be a snow day. We were supposed to get lake effect snow, they said. Somebody's grandma said she was sure it was going to snow a lot, and Grandma's never wrong. Well, Grandma was wrong yesterday. We had a lot of wind. No snow. My daughter has learned that you can't believe everything you hear. You can't count on some things.
I've been thinking a lot about guarantees. If you were guaranteed to succeed at every thing you attempted, wouldn't it be so much easier to try new things, set goals, and move toward acheiving dreams? I realize, to many things in this life, there are no guarantees. That has often kept me from trying. However, I know that if I don't try, then I'm guaranteed to fail. Trying is hoping and hoping with effort is faith. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort. Effort takes motivation. Motivation comes from desire and commitment. Sometimes it's hard to want anything. That's when I have to pray for desire.
I'm still having trouble committing to my latest class. I haven't worked on it since I completed lesson one. My focus has been other places, on other dreams. Perhaps I have too many dreams. Or, maybe I just need to keep working on that particular desire.
I'm almost done reading a book that is motivating. It's an autobiography, about a woman who had an alcholic dad, a frequently depressed mom, and a very colorul, constantly moving, poverty-stricken, painful childhood. Her parents were dreamers who didn't consistently act on their dreams. They were frequently selfish and didn't adequately take care of their children. It has made me much more appreciative of my life and my opportunities. I see so much I have taken for granted. I see too much of these parents in me. It's easy to be one of those dreamers who don't do anything. The woman and her siblings left home in their teen years and changed their lives. They didn't let circumstances or fears control them. Time to change.
6 comments:
And the name of the book?
It's called "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. I didn't include the title because I'm not sure I necessarily want to recommend it. But if it were me reading the post, I'd want to know.
I have a good reader friend who absolutely loved it, too, but I haven't read it yet.
Balance between being nice to yourself and giving everything to your children--teetering, tough stuff. I think they need to see us making good choices, sacrificing-yes, but also enjoying life, too. It is okay with us (well, used to be, haven't done it in months) to go out to eat with husband and let kids stay home together and have top ramen. Cruel? No. It sets an example of priority. Strengthening marriage priority.
Good, thought-provoking post. I really like your definition of faith--hope/desire with effort!
Yes, I agree that desire is the beginning of accomplishment. The key is to become convinced that the effort is worth it and that the goal is something we can do. Love, Dad
Oh, after finishing the book,I still don't know that I'd recommend it. I didn't like the ending very much. But it was interesting and got me thinking. Time for more fiction.
For me, reading The Glass Castle was like watching a train wreck happen. It was horrifying and so fascinating so you can't look away. One of my friends hated it and said "why would anyone want to read about this stuff." Another one of my friends liked it and said it made her feel like a great mother when she compared herself to these parents. The author did an amazing job of portraying her parents as real human beings with good and bad qualities.
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