Do you think my flower bed needed weeding? Sheesh! We finally got some temperatures in the 70's last week and I decided it was time to get out there and take care of the flower beds in all their weedy glory. You can't tell from the picture, but this pile of weeds is about 5 feet long and 2 feet high. Oddly enough, it made me think of Brin of My Messy Thrilling Life and a post she did about not realizing your dreams. I know, I have the strangest thoughts, but since I can't sleep I thought I would get them down. Now I want to say up front that I think we all need dreams and aspirations! But, I also think that there is a lot of examination that needs to go on regarding our dreams. For instance, I love beautiful gardens and with 5 acres, I would love to make a great deal of the back yard into a lovely garden. The reality, unfortunately, is that with gardens comes weeds, and we can all see how diligent I am about those! My dream of beautiful gardens conveniently visualizes a garden without weeds. All dreams come with a price. I want to persue my art, what is the price? Choosing between time for that and time with my family, time to clean, time to do any number of things that I would also like to do. Being creative takes not only time but the ability to wear your heart on your sleeve and offer it up to strangers to buy. That part is hard for me, so is the time it takes away from my family. I have to constantly weigh what is important to me, and sometimes, in fact, often, my art loses. That's ok. I know my priorities. I know people who have focused on their dreams to the detriment of the joy they could have right now, today. The dream of what they want someday, overshadows the blessings they could be enjoying that are right under their noses. What a waste.I want to enjoy the good things I have today. I am living the dream of countless people in other countries who's dreams are enough food for themselves and their children, a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep in instead of hard, cold dirt, and a life and opportunity that they can persue without fear that someone is going to come harm or kill them because their belief system is different! Dreams are good, and without dreamers we would not have the inventions and many of the beautiful artworks and inspirations we have, but sometimes we need to know when the dreams no longer fit us, when it is time to adjust and move on. I hope that I am making sense. Lack of sleep sometimes makes me a little less coherent than I should be! Thanks for letting me ramble on, as for the flower beds....one down four more to go. The compost pile is going to be 50 feet tall!
God speaks to me in ways you've just described here and he uses weeds a lot with me. I posted about it recently.
ReplyDeleteThis post speaks loud and clear!!
Good job.
Susan
Good Morning Kathleen....I understand how you feel completely. I went through a similar mental housekeeping last year. I decided to "simplify"....a catch phrase I use often now. I was always over extending myself and then I wouldn't have time for family.....it led to sleepless nights, other medical problems, and a general feeling of unhappiness. After taking stock, counting my blessings, giving up my brick and mortar shop, and generally slowing down......I feel much better. It took about 6 months for everything to gel but at last I feel "normal" again. I highly recommend giving up the extras and concentrating on what really makes you happy.....even if it seems impossible, now....take baby steps towards the goal....trust me....you won't regret it. Thanks for listening to my ramble and good luck :<)
ReplyDeleteRosie
www.rosieswhimsy.wordpress.com
WOW Kathy! GREAT post! I went through something similar with my life about a year ago I had stuffed and pushed away my creative and artistic side that was my deep passion for my whole life to make a career of fitness and bodybuilding until it broke me mentally and last year I just had to give up on that competitive dream that was not healthy and focused my attentions to my real passion that I had been stuffing for so long. Now I'm fatter but so much happier LOL!! :) THANK YOU for your thoughts and putting them here, I really appreciate it.
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Michelle
What a beautiful and eloquent post! And written at 4:43 am!! Our dreams are what we make of them -- and you have certainly made a wonderful and creative life for yourself and your family. Your blog reflects this, and I am honored to have been able to share it.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Mary
Kathy -
ReplyDeleteI was up early and at the computer at the same time you were writing this wonderful post. I was working on a project to help my dear mother - because I, too, couldn't sleep. Not too unusual for me!
I have the weeds in my yard to fill a dump truck. But I also have been able to pursue my dream and calling to minister through Scripture and Song to dear folks in care centers, retirement centers and various healthcare settings. It's worth letting the weeds go. (Although I'm about to go outside and deal with them myself!) I need to simplify my life and my yard so there are no weeds in either of them.
Thanks again for sharing such good thoughts and giving my brain more 'food for thought' as I deal with my own weeds.
~Adrienne~
Somewhere I read, "I'd rather be living than writing about living". Sometimes I wonder about us bloggers... Are we living? Have a wonderful Thursday. Blessings.. Polly
ReplyDeleteVery meaningful post. It first caught my attention, because those weeds could be mine. With such a hot summer, I neglected my flower beds, and some of them were o'ertaken by weeds. (*o'ertaken* makes it sound somewhat poetic ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd what you shared makes perfect sense. I am constantly analyzing this. You worded it well.
:)
And here I thought that all the weeds lived in my yard! I too have dreams about having a beautiful yard and life but at my age I have come to realize that I can enjoy whatever stage the garden or my life is at.."to be content in all circumstances". As the saying goes "don't sweat the small stuff"!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put Kathleen. It is so easy to get caught up chasing dreams. Often times once they are caught the allure tends to fade. How wise you are to remind us to value what we already have.
ReplyDeleteRhonda
I keep saying this, but life is all about balance. I think that is what you were reflecting upon. We have to have family time, down time, service time, creative time, prayer and meditation time, etc. It is sometimes (often)hard to find the balance in our culture. If I were living in Haiti my main time would be spent just surviving! So it is nice to have the luxury of being able to worry about balance, isn't it. Oh how I wish some things were a little more black and white--I often have to stop to try to figure what the best ways are to balance my time!
ReplyDeleteWonderful thoughts Kathy. I am one of many who decided to simplfy and try to only focus on things and people in life that brought me comfort and happiness. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day living/competing/just keeping your head above water, that we forget how to center ourselves...
ReplyDeletePenny
Oh yeah the things we think we have to have we really don't at all. Good to know we can just let it go, isn't it? I too have a heart for the hurting people in other countries and wish I could do more. Our plants in our gardens get water that would keep thousands of humans alive in other places...so unfair, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWhat a cuite pie blog! I love it :)
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Rebekka
What a Wonderful and Meaningful Post, God Blesses us in so many ways and it is so good just to realize all the Blessings we have , just stop and smell the roses, or should I say, look at weeds :)
ReplyDeleteAngie
Hi Kathy...it's me again :-). Thank you for your sweet post on my blog. I feel the same about you and your blog...I love coming here!
ReplyDeletePenny
Oh yes, this is so true. The greatest dream I ever had was to have a family, so all the others will have to wait. Maybe they'll happen, maybe they won't.
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