I laughed when I realized how many years it took to discover who I am.... by first zealously exploring who I am not

Monday, February 6, 2012

Presence and Investments

What a wild and crazy weekend I've had. Left on Thursday night to go to my sisters and then head to my mom's for the first estate sale at her house. I'm learning to be very diligent in logging what I am eating, which is harder when your not at home and around what you've put in place to help you eat healthy. It's also harder eating at restaurants that you don't normally eat at and figure out portion sizes, calories etc. I've become that person in the restaurant no one wants to eat with because I'm changing sizes, how they cook it, what they bring it in and honestly I think some green foods would be much more cuter if they were pink. But I also know that this is the price and cost of being healthy so if people don't like they can play words with friends or angry birds on their phone while I order. Fortunately, the people around me are so supportive that it hasn't mattered. My aunt and uncle have been helping us at my mom's and we would go eat and I would apologize for taking so long and they are so happy I'm doing it they didn't even care. I guess I'm the person that gets annoyed at people who do that not everyone else. :)

In other news the estate sale went really well. It was hard in so many ways. Watching my mom's life reduced to stuff on tables for sale, people looking through it, bargaining down the price is just so heartbreaking. But I look at all those items, her house, her things, and I know that she lived. She lived her life and enjoyed it and used all those things to help her do that. She used them to help others, to teach children, to share Christ with those who didn't know Him. In the end, now that her life is over those things will go on and be used by someone else to bring them joy and hopefully they will remember the person that owned it, maybe painted it or changed the color, or put flowers in it. Everything we touch, every person we share our lives with is changed by our presence there. My mom would purchase old, beat up things at yard sales and turn them into vintage pieces envied by all her friends. She would also see the person that no one would talk to to and hug them and invite them to share a meal, or go to church. I hope that my life has the same impact. I want to touch people in such a way that when I am gone they feel the difference of me being there. I want to know that I'm affecting people for the good. That they feel loved, cherished and treasured by me. I want to know that my kindness can turn a blue day into a pink with green polka dot kind of day. So that one day, when my kids are looking at my life sitting on tables for people to go through they can say Mom would want you to have that, to let it bring you joy. You know our things are simply representative of our presence on the earth. It's funny so many of my things are reflective of my mom. My paints and brushes, my sewing machine, fabric and scissors. My scrapbooks, papers, stamps, cards. All of a part of creating something beautiful. I'm finding all these things at her house and I see where I get it from. It makes me thankful. I'm thankful for the times we spent painting, and sewing (well she sewed, I watched) making cards, singing, always singing. The investment she made in my life that has continued to help me become a person that has something to invest in others. The gift of painting for a friend and sharing the joy of that with them. Every Saturday night when I play the piano at church or just sitting to play at home and letting the melodies drift through the house while my children sleep. All of that is a result the investment of her presence in my life. I want to challenge you... find someone to invest in. Find a friend, a neighbors kid and spend time with them. My favorite person in the world is the one I am with at that moment. Make them yours and watch the difference it makes in their life and in yours.

No comments:

Post a Comment