What makes you uniquely you?
This one is a doozie! I am not sure where to start, but I know the first word that comes to mind is "honest." Now, this is both a negative and a positive thing. You see honesty is good, but I've learned (the hard way) that delivery and timing are key. So while someone may appreciate a candid individual, I'm sure they appreciate them much more when they have focused on the words they are relaying their message with as much as the message itself. I've gotten better, but there is still a ways to go on this one.
Here are some of the pros:
- Christian - I am not ashamed of the fact that I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, but in no way did this automatically baptize me into the Christian world. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was younger and grew up trying to learn more about Him. I will say that my collegiate years did a lot for me in the way of shaping how I individually dealt with and approached the subject of faith. The convictions I have regarding my faith resulted from hours and hours of devotional time and incessant praying. I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be, but I now feel grounded in my beliefs.
- Wife/Mother - I think this goes without saying, but I thought one boy had changed me more than I ever could/would. Then this little 6 pound 12 ounce bundle of love came along and threw my world for a loop. Let's just say that without these two I wouldn't be a portion of the woman I am today.
- Family - Phillip and I both come from close families. We were blessed to be raised with not only our nuclear family, but our grandparents were never far. During the summers we would get to go to work with my parents. We would deliver plants to all the florist in North and South Carolina. My granddaddy worked with my dad for a while. So every day we'd either get to ride with one of them. We had to unload trucks full of plants from Florida. We had to keep the house clean. We did a lot of stuff when we were little, but from what I can remember we had fun learning how to work. My dad and I were talking recently and he said that if there was one thing my sisters and I should be able to say of him and they way we were raised around their business, it is that we walked away with true work ethic...and we did. We knew that greenhouses were hot and humid, but if we wanted money before we could drive and go get a job we had to work there. We plan on raising Emory the same way. I would love to give him everything he has ever wanted, but that's not healthy nor is it realistic. We want him to work for it. Something tells me that he'll thank us for it later.
- Hospitable/Caring - I've always been fairly good about doing what I can to help other people. My goal lately is to not focus so much on the size of my house or how nicely it's decorated. Instead, I want to be a good steward of what the Lord has given us. I want to open my home to friends and family ANYTIME. Previously, I would have apologized had my house not been spotless. Not now. Here's my story: I'm a mom of a 5 month old, I have 2 dogs, a lack of sleep, and a 30 year old husband who, despite his best efforts, keeps getting lost on the way to the hamper. Will you see a fur ball? Maybe. Will I look gorgeous? Probably not. Will Phillip's uniforms ever all be corralled properly? Not likely. I realized I had hang ups with all of these things. Why? I learned a lot from Phillip's grandma when she was alive. One of those things is that the time you can spend with friends and family is time you can't get back. Those fur balls will be there later, my guests (if they truly love me) won't mind if I don't have my hair fixed and I'm running around in yoga pants, and Phillip's uniforms can all be wrangled in once I've seen that my guests are cared for and had a nice visit. In fact, I'm starting a Bible study for ladies this Thursday. This is a big step for me because I am 99.9% sure that there is no way my house will look presentable. I don't care. It's about the fellowship and growth in Christ, not my presentation.
- OCD - I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. I think Emory is going to break me of this. My house is already driving me nuts and he's not even mobile. I'm too tired to relentlessly check outlets and light switches. I am so thankful for help folding towels that I don't even care if they are not stacked properly in the closet.
- Stressed/Worried - I think this goes without saying for any woman, but almost anything that could trouble a person troubles me. I wish it weren't the case, but it is. Heavens help me when Emory is a teenager. I'm gonna bubble wrap the child. I've learned recently that when those worried and stressors come up to take that as a sign from the Lord and pray for peace. Sometimes I have to pray about a specific thing several times a day, but the momentary peace is completely worth it.
- Cynical - I think this has yielded the sarcasm in me, but it's true. I am such a pessimist. I always expect the worst from a person. I trust NO ONE. Perhaps that's why I'm fairly self-sufficient, but it doesn't lend itself to healthy relationships.
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