The Simple things
Perspective.
When we were 10 we ached to be 16. To be able to drive, hang out with friends and for me, get a job.
When we were 16 I couldn't wait to be 18. I would be in college, living on my own and being an "adult."
When we were in 20 and in college nothing seemed harder than the exams we had to pass, the paper we had to write and the job we had to find....
When we were 25 nothing seemed harder than balancing our "grown-up" job, bills, living on our own, and trying to date....
When we were 30 nothing seemed harder than having a brand new baby, learning how to do everything with a new little person, and still being ourselves.
Looking back at different stages of my life I have definitely wished for the perspective I have now. I wished that whole "if I only" adage more than once. I think this is normal and something that helps us learn from the past and work towards a better future.
Constantly re-evaluating my choices, my decisions and my actions helps me to be aware if I am living the life that I hope to live. It helps me stay in the mindset that I have chosen to live in. All the while helping me to check in with what I believe to be the right kind of person I am.
To some this may sound silly and to many complicated. The truth is I have always been an over-thinker...Someone who is always wondering this, that and the other thing. I want to make sure that my decisions, actions and choices all reflect the type of person I want to be.
So what does this all have to do with the "simple things" as mentioned in the title?
Each morning our dogs require a simple act. The act of walking...simple enough right. This act though becomes something that is a nuisance and a bother on many mornings. Sometimes it is life that gets in the way and others it is weather, timing, children. For the most part walking of the dogs is left up to Andy in the morning and then as a family we walk them in the evening. This morning I decided to take them myself (I had an errand to run and thought this would kill two birds with one stone). Got the dogs ready and out we headed...It is rare that I ever get to walk the dogs without the kiddos in tow as well so this was a treat to just walk.
On our simple walk I noted the sounds of the trees, the people running laps in the park, saying hello to our neighbors and just the simplicity that still exists in the world. Without technology and screens in one anothers faces I was able to have a real and truly simple yet AMAZING conversation with an older man I ran into.
He approached us and asked if he could pet the pups. Of course I said sure and we started to chat and walk as we were headed the same direction. He shared that his family had recently lost their German Shepard and were on the look for a new match for their family. We chatted about how dogs are a calming force. That no human is ever as casual and comfy with another human as they are with a dog. When we reached our destination has bent over and pet the pups on their heads...he then looked at me and said "you have really good dogs, obviously that means you are a good person."
We shook hands and parted ways.
On my way home I had tears in my eyes because at the moment the only I really needed to hear from anyone in the world is that I am a good person. Simple and amazing how things work.
So Perspective on life and a simple gesture made the world of difference to my day and myself.
When we were 10 we ached to be 16. To be able to drive, hang out with friends and for me, get a job.
When we were 16 I couldn't wait to be 18. I would be in college, living on my own and being an "adult."
When we were in 20 and in college nothing seemed harder than the exams we had to pass, the paper we had to write and the job we had to find....
When we were 25 nothing seemed harder than balancing our "grown-up" job, bills, living on our own, and trying to date....
When we were 30 nothing seemed harder than having a brand new baby, learning how to do everything with a new little person, and still being ourselves.
Looking back at different stages of my life I have definitely wished for the perspective I have now. I wished that whole "if I only" adage more than once. I think this is normal and something that helps us learn from the past and work towards a better future.
Constantly re-evaluating my choices, my decisions and my actions helps me to be aware if I am living the life that I hope to live. It helps me stay in the mindset that I have chosen to live in. All the while helping me to check in with what I believe to be the right kind of person I am.
To some this may sound silly and to many complicated. The truth is I have always been an over-thinker...Someone who is always wondering this, that and the other thing. I want to make sure that my decisions, actions and choices all reflect the type of person I want to be.
So what does this all have to do with the "simple things" as mentioned in the title?
Each morning our dogs require a simple act. The act of walking...simple enough right. This act though becomes something that is a nuisance and a bother on many mornings. Sometimes it is life that gets in the way and others it is weather, timing, children. For the most part walking of the dogs is left up to Andy in the morning and then as a family we walk them in the evening. This morning I decided to take them myself (I had an errand to run and thought this would kill two birds with one stone). Got the dogs ready and out we headed...It is rare that I ever get to walk the dogs without the kiddos in tow as well so this was a treat to just walk.
On our simple walk I noted the sounds of the trees, the people running laps in the park, saying hello to our neighbors and just the simplicity that still exists in the world. Without technology and screens in one anothers faces I was able to have a real and truly simple yet AMAZING conversation with an older man I ran into.
He approached us and asked if he could pet the pups. Of course I said sure and we started to chat and walk as we were headed the same direction. He shared that his family had recently lost their German Shepard and were on the look for a new match for their family. We chatted about how dogs are a calming force. That no human is ever as casual and comfy with another human as they are with a dog. When we reached our destination has bent over and pet the pups on their heads...he then looked at me and said "you have really good dogs, obviously that means you are a good person."
We shook hands and parted ways.
On my way home I had tears in my eyes because at the moment the only I really needed to hear from anyone in the world is that I am a good person. Simple and amazing how things work.
So Perspective on life and a simple gesture made the world of difference to my day and myself.
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| the pups and I out for a simple walk |
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