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Archives For November 30, 1999

H.E.L.P.

November 1, 2012

If there’s one thing I learned while working over a decade in health insurance, it’s that you can never use enough random acronyms. So H.E.L.P. today is not a cry for assistance, but rather a declaration about Honoring Every Little Piece of one’s self.

When’s the last time you took the time to slow down and look at the person staring back at you in the mirror?

As a mom, I am constantly second guessing everything I do…every…single…second.

Did I wake up early enough to help my kids get ready or did I fall into the pattern of yelling at them to hurry up? Did I kiss my husband goodbye or choose to rattle off a laundry list of activities we need to get done instead? Did I put my best foot forward at work and feel like I contributed to the company’s goals or did I mentally wander off and struggle to remain focused? Did I call my parents to remind them how much I love them? Did I tell my friends how much they mean to me? Did I forget to schedule doctor appointments AGAIN?

I am willing to bet that everyone who reads this post can relate to the feeling of being pulled in many directions.

I can also guarantee I’m not the only one who feels a sense of guilt anytime I slow down and concentrate on only myself.

Yet this time of self-absorbency is so needed.

When you fail to recognize and cherish what you individually bring to the world, it is easy to be soaked up by the needs of others. It is not a purely selfish motive to concentrate on yourself; it is an essential practice to be the best you can be for those whom rely on you.

This idea to Honor Every Little Piece of yourself and recognize what it is that makes you YOU is not new, nor is it easy.

I made my list yesterday. I challenge you to start yours today. It may take minutes. It may take days. Trust me…you’ll be happy you did it.

My H.E.L.P. List (who I am)…

believer  animal lover  fitness enthusiast  caregiver  my dog’s best friend  leader  follower  role model  emotional  life of the party  someone who rarely parties  unbiased  loud  sleep lover  imperfect  yearning to learn  second-guesser  afraid  fearless  writer  challenge seeker easily annoyed  faithful  reliable  random  beautiful  plain  determined  hopeful  struggling goal setter  grateful  confident  strong  weak  predictable  devoted  fueled by others  dreamer

Created by Heidi Woodard

In Awareness, Brain dump, Inspiration, Reflection, Stress release , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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How dare my son grows up without permission

October 25, 2012

I started a tradition when my boys were very young. We would pack lunches on the weekend and walk a trail together at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue.

This trail led us through a canopy of trees, across railroad tracks, and ended along the riverside where we would spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic and random conversation. Once we were done eating and solving worldly issues, we would retrace our steps before collapsing exhausted back into our car and heading home.

Over the next several years, the trail was the only thing that stayed the same. The two boys matured and welcomed a little sister to the mix. The car became a minivan. The mom became less stressed (well, technically, the mom shifted her stress to a whole new batch of stuff).

Life was good.

But as the famous book Love you forever by Robert Munsch so eloquantly describes, “That little boy grew. And he grew and he grew and he grew.”

And in my oldest’s son’s case, that little boy grew monster feet and an even bigger attitude.

After listening to nonstop complaining about his heat-induced headache, how he didn’t like the bugs, and how he couldn’t suffer one more step, I looked at my oldest and threatened that this would be the last time he made the trek with us. His response hit me like a ton of bricks…

“Good!”

He is stubborn like his father and thinks he’s right all the time like me.

So what’s a mom to do but allow him to be him? To change with the seasons and float wherever the wind takes him?

I still have two more children who generally think the Earth revolves around me. They enjoy doing activities with me and with each other.

So why is it so hard to swallow the fact that I can no longer force HIM to enjoy what I do? He is becoming his own man before my very eyes and I am both proud and mournful.

He said to all of us that day, “I would rather be different than like everyone else.”

And I knew exactly what he meant.

I just wanted HIM to be like ME for a little while longer.

Is that too much to ask?

IS GETTING ME A DAMN KLEENEX TOO MUCH TO ASK?!

Created by Heidi Woodard

In Awareness, Family, Kids, Love, Memories, Reflection , , , , , , , , ,
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I heart the heartland

October 6, 2012

I want to travel and see parts of the country (dare I say, world?) as I continue to grow. I sometimes beat myself up for having not expanded my horizons when I was young and able to move more freely.

And while I realize reading about faraway places isn’t nearly as fulfilling as living and breathing them in, some of the blogs I follow have given me glimpses into parts of the world I have never visited. I love reading certain blogs not only for their narrative, but also for their ability to expose me to the unknown.

This made me wonder if anyone who happens to stumble upon (or, best case scenario, follow?) my blog enjoys it partially because my world is so different from theirs.

It’s Husker football game night and our fam is camped in front of the TV shouting at the screen with the false belief we can influence the game. As the University of Nebraska-Lincoln fight song boasts, “There is no place like Nebraska.” This makes me laugh as I imagine parts of Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas aren’t that foreign from our state.

I didn’t have an ocean to walk alongside today. No (literal) mountains to climb. Not a single traffic jam to stew in.

Instead, I got to run and clear my mind. At the risk of furthering the stereotype that we have nothing but farmland here, I took some pictures of…you guessed it…

Fall horizon. I beg for the tolerable temps to remain as long as possible.

I live within a city that borders along countryside. My favorite part of the run is looking out to a lifestyle I’ve never lived.

Not sure why these images remind me of a song about Tennessee, but I’ll leave this for you to enjoy as well.

Don’t we all want to stop living with doubt?

Leave a comment about where you’re from. I’d love to learn more about your little part of the world.

Created by Heidi Woodard

In Awareness, Belonging, Family, Inspiration, Reflection, Running , , , , , ,
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