Friday, December 23, 2016

A Quiet Morning

Sunrise this morning
Sometimes I make comments about how I'm up at the crack of dawn and I am busy, busy, busy. But you know what? I was up at the crack of dawn today and didn't immediately start on my to-do list. I just laid in bed and enjoyed the quiet of the house.

I slowly woke up with the rising sun and let my thoughts form. Of course, I mentally went through what I want to accomplish today, but I spent more time thinking about my life.

As you well know, I've been pretty intense about the whole process of moving and buying and selling houses for several months now, and things will continue to be intense because that's just the nature of the process. But during this whole undertaking, I've had a warm house to live in with all of the amenities. I realize that this is not the case for many in the world and many right here in our own country. Especially when nature gets involved, there's not much you can do except recover. Case in point, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They had horrible flooding at the same time we started our house change, and as I sit here in my new house, many of them still don't have a place to live. A few are still in tents. Some are in sheds, and others are cramming their large family into one room. The list goes on. They are dealing with house issues on an entirely different and more serious level than I can ever imagine.

We all know that no matter what challenges our lives present, there is always someone who has more to deal with than we do. I don't always like that argument because it suggests that your particular circumstance isn't difficult because someone else's is worse. But sometimes, that's a good thing to remember. I've been telling myself all along that the stress during the last few months is a good thing and how lucky we are to be able to make this change. But I hadn't heard it until I took a moment to be truly quiet this morning.

I hope each of you gets a chance during this busy time of year to be quiet and hear what you already know. I know for me, it's been a great way to start the day.


12 comments:

  1. This was a nice and thoughtful post. I am very blessed and I know it, but sometimes a reminder helps.

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    1. For me, it's really easy to get caught up in the busyness of every day and forget to take time to reflect. And I really need to practice slowing down more, because I can work myself up into a pretty good frenzy sometimes. And that's not good for anyone.

      Here's wishing you calm and happy holidays, Anne.

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  2. I love quiet mornings. How nice that you had the chance to enjoy one! I think there is a balance between recognizing that others may have more difficult life experiences and recognizing that it's okay to feel stressed about our lives even if they aren't in catastrophe mode. I guess that's a long way of saying that I agree with you. :)

    Have a wonderful Christmas!

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    1. For years when I used the argument that others had it worse and I shouldn't feel bad, it didn't really help me because then I just felt guilty because I still felt bad. It actually just made everything worse. Then my sister told me that what I was going through was stressful also, and it was okay to experience some of the reactions I was feeling. That helped a lot. As with most things in life, it's all a balance.

      Happy Holidays, Kris to you and your family.

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  3. thank you for thinking of the people of Louisiana. Luckily we didn't get hit hard as Baton Rouge did. Most of my mornings are quiet and I enjoy them. Continued good luck with the house moving/selling process. Have a Merry Christmas

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    1. Thanks for your well wishes and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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  4. Yes, there's always someone facing worse troubles, but, our own troubles are more personal and immediate, therefore, quite stressful to us. We just need to acknowledge that it is not quite as bad as it could be and look for the blessings. I'm glad you were able to have a quiet morning and some contemplation.

    Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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    1. I think that you said the key point, "our own troubles are more personal and immediate..." And you do a good job of putting them in perspective with you daily gratitudes.

      Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, also, Bless.

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  5. That's a good thing to remember. I also like to remember by looking at the stars how insignificant I am in the vastness of space and time. This understanding gives me a lot of peace and makes my troubles seem teensy and mostly irrelevant.

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    1. We can learn a whole lot paying attention to the nature around us and in the sky. I think that's often when troubles start--when we forget to do that.

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  6. Merry Christmas, to you and your family, live and learn! May the new year bring a swift close to the burdens you have right now.
    Blessings,
    Lili Mounce

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    1. The Christmas Season and the beginning of the new year brings hope to all of us, doesn't it? Best wishes, Lili, to you and your family for the coming year and Merry Christmas!

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