Welcome to Michelle's Mutts and Marigolds very first blog post! Remember, grace is free!😂🐾
Counting the Cost
As I looked down at my legs, like most people I notice the flaws first. I have new bruises every day, some I remember getting, but most I do not. The scars! I know each of those intimately!!! Mostly from ant and mosquito bites I could not keep from scratching (I'm allergic). But as I look closer I notice a nice light golden tan (or maybe that's red dirt no. 5) and muscles I haven't seen in awhile! All of them come from intentional choices I've made recently.
You see, as with most things in life, everything comes with a cost. At some point, you have to decide what it is that defines you. I'm not talking about what you do for a living or how much money is in your bank account. Surely we have all see the Hallmark version of Scrooge in various forms over the years. I mean, what fulfills you? What brings you joy regardless of circumstance?
For me it's being with nature. All things natural (for the most part). I'm impressed by the moon, the stars, mountains, oceans, the trees, flowers, plants, and of course the animals. OK, Dogs! But also, people. Young people, the elderly, the disadvantaged. The marginalized. And learning! Of course I could not have possibly lasted 30+ years in education without it. If you know me at all, you know these things to be obvious. But let me tell you something that may not be so obvious, and took me a long a time (and some help from a therapist) to figure out. Thats MY THING! That's what brings me joy! That's what makes me uniquely me! Everything mentioned above has one very important thing in common. They all boil down to one similar quality...nurturing. I'm a nurturing person. That's who I am. I see needs (often they hurt my heart) and I want to help. I want to encourage positive change and growth. I want to help with the healing process.
So, could I have prettier, unscarred and bruise-free legs? Sure! Does that matter to me? Not. At. All. I like how strong, tan (and even dirty at times) my scarred legs have become. They are stronger now than they've been in awhile, and so am I!
I've made another intentional choice that has already come with some cost. I have to be true to who I am. Living to please and earn the respect of others is exhausting and empty. I KNOW not everyone understands why I have chosen to do what I do, and that's ok. They don't have to. They can choose to love and accept me for it, or they can criticize and judge me. I can't control the thoughts of others. However, I can control who I allow to influence my life. I will leave you with this; surround yourself with people who get you. But first you have to be willing to be yourself. Even at the risk of being a "weirdo"!
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