After such a great heart-to-heart with some great friends of ours before Heather came, this topic came up (about finding humor in life.) Seriously, at that point, I thought, "What is there to laugh about?!" Sad, but true. I get so deep into "issues" and challenges of our every day life that I have ceased to live and am only surviving much of the time. Cade and I are still struggling to gain control over our complete family, after we lost a daughter and then added two children from Ethiopia to our family, one who has had serious trauma in her background and tends to go in to auto play by use of manipulation, which was HER survival skill in her most impressionable years!! (Even more sad!)
However, today I didn't want to talk about manipulation but that post WILL be coming up. Thinking back on the past week with Heather made me realize that I laughed, I sang, I had very enjoyable moments. Heather really did help me out but I realized no matter how hard life is, we have to sometimes FIND humor. That means, we may have to search for it!! It brings to mind the book that Kohlie was given in the hospital that I just read the other day to my kiddos called The Jester Has Lost His Jingle. The thing I realized is that seeking for humor (in sometimes humorless things) is beneficial for a lot of reasons!!
Heather and I were picking apples in the orchard. I do have to say, it was a beautiful fall day and just lovely outside. Heather said, "Isn't this just so romantic?" She was answered by me with a very puzzled look. Then she said, "It reminds me of Anne of Green Gables. It just feels so romantic! (sigh)! Treva was getting ready to take pictures and she laughed and said, "Romantic!!"
I supposed I could see where Heather was coming from. It was an ideal setting. Ewes chewing on the green, green, grass and an orchard full of pretty fruit with the afternoon sun setting! Then, reality set in as the ewe got closer to Heather.
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| The ewe wanted to see what was in her bucket and the closeness made Heather a bit uncomfortable!! |
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| Yes, proof, I was laughing at Heather's shuffling excitedly around and even more so, it looked by the picture that the ewe was nibbling on her skirt (she wasn't!) |
2 comments:
Beautiful pictures of beautiful friends. Love the sheep and the setting. VERY Anne of Green Gables for sure.
Yes, I have also had to be very intentional about loving life. Little Miss Manipulation can get the better of me if I am not careful... but it reflects back on the rest of the family and for sure does not help Missy at all.... So I am intentional about a few things.
Do something creative every day.(Sometimes that is making a new recipe, and sometimes that is knitting or making something.)
Make music. (at the least play CD's I love if I don't make music myself or am not directing music).
Do something that I enjoy (for me that is gardening -fall/ winter gardening in my greenhouse and planting seeds. Working with flowers, writing, reading.)
Be intentional about connecting with friends. (Sometimes that is inviting someone over, or calling on the phone or inviting people to do applesauce with me, etc...)
Volunteer to do something outside the home (I volunteer to do child care at English Language school at our church, I babysit our past foster babies, and I direct children's choir. Even though these things are still with children... they aren't necessarily MY CHILDREN so I get a break from the intensity of behaviors).
It seems like a lot on paper... but spread throughout the day and the week it isn't so much. Some things only take a few minutes. Some things involve the rest of the family... but I HAVE to be intentional or I will get depressed. Plain and simple. Laughing comes easily if I am sharing my day with people (who aren't tantruming or seeing what kind of line they can string me :-)
Thanks for your comment!! I am learning better things i can do to help me keep my song and I love and find your suggestions helpful!
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