One of the things I like most about getting up early in the morning is the fact that it gives me quiet time to think about things, without the din of the television or other distractions. That's my prayer time and my scripture reading time, but sometimes it is also my scroll through Pinterest Time or my Instagram time. I could spend quite a bit of time sitting on these two sites, scrolling through the feeds and looking at stuff. If I am not careful, I can spend far TOO much time looking at everything. They are filled with beautiful images of things I like, or find inspirational, or would like to cook, eat, make myself.
We live in a world today when we are able to share intimate glimpses into other peoples lives, small snapshots of what they wish to show us and to present to the world. It would be very easy to become envious of these glimpses that we see. What we have and who we are could very quickly and very easily become not enough. I don't think any of us is exactly immune to that way of thinking.
I actually sometimes feel afraid for the young women in the world today. There are days when I feel that if I see one more trout pout I am going to scream. We have raised a generation of women who think they have to be flawless, to look, dress and act like supermodels, and some of them are sadly raising their girls to be the same. I see all kinds of them in my feeds, mincing and posing and playing for the camera. It really disturbs me when I see these same women putting their little girls in front of the camera and then the little girls are posing, pouting, etc.
I have even had a woman, meaning well I suppose . . . contact me one time to ask if I wanted her to fix my profile photo on my food blog so that I looked better, thinner, younger. I know she meant well, but it really only ended up making me feel slightly inadequate. I got news for you folks, it isn't just skinny, young and attractive women who like to cook and who do it well! (I blame Nigella, lol.) Experience counts for something!
It would be very easy for me to look at happy families, surrounded by children and grandchildren . . . and to wish I had never been divorced. To start wondering what if? I'll be honest, I do wish that I had never gotten divorced at times. It is sometimes very hard for me to look at these images without feeling a tinge of regret . . . but I can't dwell on the what if's or if only's. I have learnt to be able to look at these things and feel happy for those who have been very lucky and kept them, without feeling sad for myself and my losses. But there are days that it does take a great deal of effort on my part. All I ever wanted to be was a good wife and a good mother and to have my baby chicks around me. To have gotten to a stage in life where that just hasn't happened is very painful at times, and sometimes these images of happy families can be really soul destroying if I let them be. It is especially difficult around the holidays. I have learnt to appreciate the family that I do have and those that do love me and I try hard to ignore the ones who don't. In the end it is really more about them than it is about me and I remind myself of that fact often, and sometimes daily.
We see beautifully presented corners of people’s homes, but what they aren’t showing us is the stack of dirty laundry in the corner, the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, or the pile of books on the floor. (I have since sorted this corner, but thought I would show it to you pre-sorting.)
My cooking photos are edited to show you only what I want you to see, cropping out things that don't belong in the picture. Most of the time I don’t share my failures with you or the things that don’t look so good. I don't think people really want to see failures. I have shown you a few, but it really takes a great effort on my part to allow myself to do that. When I share what I have cooked with you, I want it to be things that work and that taste good, or else why bother.
I guess what I am trying to say this morning is that we often talk about judging others and how wrong that is, but sometimes we need to stop judging ourselves as well. We need to stop comparing ourselves to the brightest, most beautiful crayon in the box and to recognise that we are beautiful just the way we are. We are all different and we all have different ways of doing things, different levels of financial worth, different lives we are living, different tastes, different families. We have different strengths and different weaknesses. Different talents. Each of us is beautiful and unique and pretty wonderful in our own very unique and valuable ways. I may be fatter than you and my house may not be as well put together as some. I might not have the newest furniture, or the prettiest car. I may have problems in my family.
That's all okay. That's life and
its real. I'm real, and I
matter. So do
You.
It would be very easy to waste these beautiful lives we've been given by spending them always comparing our lives to others, and never truly happily wanting and being content with what we already have and who we really are. I think its a shame that wisdom comes with age. I sure wish I had been much smarter about things when I was younger. I wish that I had enjoyed that young body when it was lean and lithe and beautiful instead of spending a lifetime thinking I was too fat, even when I wasn't. I should have done more dancing in the rain and used my good china more often.
I can tell you one thing however and that is this, in what little time I do have left I am going to dance in the rain more often and enjoy more of what I already have. I am going to eat the good chocolate and not feel guilty. The time to be happy is now. The end.
A thought to carry with you.
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*Don't wait for things to get better.
Life will always be complicated.
Learn to be happy right now,
otherwise you will run out of time.
•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。
Have a wonderful Wednesday. Don't forget along the way of your day . . .
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And I do too!
