Moving forward into 2013

Thursday, January 3, 2013

11:48 am

I suppose you could say that this morning was our final holiday gathering for the year. My son, David's last day of vacation is today, and our grandson, Tristan is still on vacation from school, so eldest daughter, Michelle, her husband, Chad, and T-man (as I like to sometimes call him) came over for breakfast. We sat at the table and lingered over pancakes and orange juice, talking and laughing and enjoying the moments. Tristan is on the tail end of what has been a nasty flu bug, while our daughter, Beth, her husband, Tommy, and their son, Jacob are all smack in the middle of it themselves. It stinks to be sick or for loved ones to be sick. We're praying for a speedy recovery for all.

David will spend the night at his friend's place tonight because they will be up and on their way to the Orlando airport by 2:30 tomorrow morning. We are so grateful to Mahlon for driving David over. Night driving is no longer something we like doing any more than losing sleep. So, thank you, Mahlon, and thank you, Amy (his wife) for driving David over to Mickey-town.

It's been good having David home. My baby boy is not a baby or a boy anymore. He is an independent man who is capable of navigating his own life and pursuing the path God has for him. He is a good and decent young man. An intelligent man. A tenderhearted man, though he doesn't let that side show any more than he has to. I am so honored and grateful that God allowed me to be his mother. I feel that profoundly about all my children. Being their mother has been the preeminent joy and privilege of my life.

I'm beginning to feel the weight descend upon me of knowing I have to go back to work Monday. It's not that I hate my job or dislike my work. It's that I don't love it. I am not passionately invested in it. The people with whom I work are nice people. And the place and position I'm in this year is so much better than the places and positions I've been in over the past seven years. But you see . . . I. Want. More! I'm looking all the time for something else, all the while knowing that what I'm looking for, I don't think I'll find in employment postings and job opportunity pages online. I believe, truly believe the scripture is true that says, God is leading us down the best pathway for our lives. Even when we can't see the path, we need to keep putting one foot in front of the other if we want to get anywhere. So I'll keep trusting and believing that our best days are still before us.

Topic shift: I've been tracking what I eat on loseit.com and it certainly is a worthy tool for someone who wants to be more accountable. I have exceeded my daily caloric limit, but I'm still eating less than I was before I started keeping track. Progress, however small, is still progress. When I grocery shop tomorrow, I will make sure I have what I need to pack healthful, satisfying lunches and snacks for school. I believe if I make my lunches the night before, I'll be less likely to give in to morning whims like, deciding I'll just have peanut butter and jelly, or thinking chips or cheez-its would be a nice crunchy treat. I'll need to discipline myself to prepare ahead, but since discipline is something I would like to manifest more in my life, it'll be good practice.

I bought a new book for my Kindle last night. Al Roker's new release, Never Goin' Back. It's about his journey through weight loss, and what it took for him to get to the place where he is now, 140 pounds lighter than his top weight, and living a healthy lifestyle. As he said in an interview, he didn't write this as a manual of what people should do; he wrote about his personal experiences in the hope that it might help to inspire or encourage others who are on their own journeys. I'll start reading it tonight. I will likely review it here and on amazon.com when I've finished reading it.

Until next time . . .