At first glance, it seems ironic that the name I chose for my new blog is Creating Real Life Simplicity. Life is busy. We have to find what works for us in real life, the best way we know how.
Busy is just waiting to find us...it comes to us in myriad ways...an invitation, a job offer, volunteer opportunities, caring for our children of all ages, looking after aging parents, cleaning the house, taking a vacation or walking the dog. It all adds up to busy.
There have been times in my life where busy was exciting. In my twenties, living and working in New York City, It was exhilarating to fit it all in....filling days with work, nights on the town and a weekend chock full of fun. It was a way of life, I was charged by the energy of it all. It was the era. I'm grateful for those days and nights and fabulous memories.
Flash forward....marriage...expecting babies... newborns... babies...toddlers...school kids..teenage kids. What a gift those life lessons have been. Priceless.
Even though our kids are bigger, I still remind myself of what matters most. I'm still creating real life simplicity.
Real Life: Our double jog stroller rolled outdoors in all kinds of weather,covering miles on wooded trails, to the pool, at the beach, in snow. Covering miles with or without a destination, meeting new people, visiting friends, exercise, fresh air, fun, time together with no distractions, singing together, talking to each other. This was living simply at it's best. Nature. Peace. Curiosity. Wonder. It wasn't the big stuff...the little things made our days big. Today I walk the dog.
Real Life:They taught me to listen to my intuition with just a moment of quiet to hear my own voice. Do what's right for us, for each child, for our family and our values. There are many different parenting styles, family values, priorities, agenda or motives. A friend with older children reminded me, as we sat at a school event, in a gymnasium filled with hundreds of parents,"Remember high school? Remember those kids who hung out in the parking lot? Those kids who cut class? Those kids who were the most competitive? The jocks? The brown nosers? They're all here...they're parents now. Nobody has it all figured out. Pay attention to what matters. Today, I remind myself that we're all still doing life the way it works best for us.
Real Life: Spend time with family. Go outside. Say hello to neighbors. Meet new friends. Learn a new game. Share. Play in dirt. Notice the beauty in nature. Laugh. Get bored enough to create something new. Sell lemonade (or string cheese when you have no lemonade. Yes, it has sold for $1.00 a stick!) We all need down time. Schedules get busy but without down time we get tired, cranky or sick. Just because everyone else fills their days with organized activities, we don't have to do it too. Today, I still need time and connection.
Real Life: Spend time with people who make you happy and boost your energy. Be open to all kinds of people. Learn from others. Stick with people who are real and honest. Some people disappoint us. There will always be people who judge. When we do the right thing, we are proud. Sometimes people aren't nice to our friends...we can stand up for them. There are people who hurt us, steal from us, lie to us, cheat in school and in life...they are not our friends. We deserve better. Spend time with people we'd like to be like....let the others go. Life is short. Today I spend time with people who matter most to me.
I've learned a lot about myself. These days, I do my best to balance things. I can hear my mom's voice, whispering to me, "There are 24 hours in a day. 8 are for sleep. 8 are for work. 8 are for play." I guess she learned a few things from my brothers and me.
