I Want Only The Best

Too often in life, we are after "things" we can get our hands on versus the intangible objects out there. Some people come to this realization early in life. Others of us, don't get it until later. Some don't get it until it's too late. And, unfortunately, some never get it at all.

For those who do get it, often it is brought to our attention through crisis and we have that moment that propels us into the "okay...I get what is important now" mindset. Why does it take crisis?

My personal belief is we don't multitask very well in this busy world we live in of kid's sporting events, PTA meetings, gymnastics, girl scouts, work meetings, conference calls, you name it... . We are so busy trying to get it all done we are missing out on the complete package that has been offered to us as a life.

Our youngest's kindergarten teacher read part of an article to parents last week (mentioned briefly in a previous post) and it hasn't left my mind, so I'm elaborating. It talkes about "Choosing the Best".

It mentions we all think of "the best school, the best teacher, the best clothing, the best car, the best house and the best looks are the key to having the best life." And this is where we choose to invest ourselves. What happens is these material things only leave us wanting more and doing what we have to do to achieve them. In order to do that, precious time with family gets compromised.

The best life can not be defined by the items in our lives. At least my definition of what I want as a best life can not be defined this way. The journey we take as a family and the things we choose to teach our kids is what makes it the best for me. How do you handle adversity? How do you handle change? How do you handle growth? Taught these tools early in life, I believe, can make a world of difference. I wish everyone had the opportunity to take a step back and ask, "Am I doing everything I can do have the best life for me and my family?" Like I said, some wait until it's too late. Others just give up thinking it would be too hard to change this late in the game.

I lost my mother when I was 15. Being that she was diagnosed with cancer years before, I spent years kind of "bring myself up". As a result, I spent a lot of my adult life paying the price of not knowing how to cope with hardships. The scary thing is I thought I was doing fine! Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, as they say.

God has taken away the things that I used as a crutch to deal with various aspects of my life and has been generous enough to let me start with a fresh slate and a renewed heart. I feel like in some ways I'm getting a "do-over". In return, I plan on passing it down to my kids.

The journey I'm now on will make mine and my families destination a much sweeter one. I'm so proud of my family and thankful for what I have right in front of me today.

Here's to your journey. Are you brave enough to take it on or will you duck your head and turn the other way? There is always room for improvement, big or small. I choose to face it head-on and be the best I can be. I owe it to my family, but most of all - I owe it to me.