I always have a sense of frustration this time of year. I have a mix of anticipation as I am on holidays, hence anything could be on the agenda, therefore an unplanned day can be bursting with activity. But on the other hand I have aprehension as I feel that the unplanned days are rolling into each other and will simply slip away too fast.
So what's the solution? Ideally I plan a few outings scattered amongst days at home, so at least some days have structure, and yet I am careful not to book too much in advance in case I feel trapped having to 'be somewhere'when I rather have time at home.
Like many people in theis world, I get 'peopled out' easily. Don't get me wrong, I do like social occassions and time with friends, but a little can go a long way. I like just as much, if not more, to have time with my imediate family and time alone. It's getting the balance right that can be tricky.
There seems to be an expectation from society that we need to be constantly involved in the social scene and to be swarming with friends. The reality is that if you have one or two friends that you can be completely yourself with, then you are richly blessed. [that's my opinion anyway].
I am my true self when I am with my husband and my kids. They know me completely. They know my moods and bad habits, as well as my soft spots and what really makes me smile. They know my strengths and just as important, they know my weaknesses. In all of that they love me. They love me enough to challenge my thinking, and yet still respect my opinions. They love me enough to know when I need space, and when I need support.
Recently, I found another person that loves me the same way. She drives me nuts at times, but her love is sincere, and she knows me well. There are a handful of others that don't know me so well and yet still show me the same love, and for that I feel blessed. To be yourself in the company of others, is a freedom I highly value.
God gives us a perfect example of how to love others, and it is this true perfect love that I want to explore and model from. So my word for 2010 is LOVE.
1 comment:
Wow Gail - the contents of your blog entry were pretty much a conversation that my husband and I had at dinner tonight as we celebrated our wedding anniversary. We were saying the say thing. We can get peopled out so easily too, but love our own time but LOVE spending time with our family, where we can be ourselves and we are loved unconditionally. Unbelievable that we had this conversation only an hour or so before reading your blog entry. Happy New Year to you and your family also.
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