Growing pains

A couple days ago, I got up early and went to make myself some tea before heading off to babysit for my godchild. I boiled the tea water, and proceeded to pour it into a glass. But instead of going into the glass, the water was poured all over my hand. Immediately, it didn't hurt too much. But then the burning sensation hit me...hard. I struggled to remain conscious from the pain that second degree burns evidently inflict.

Now, 5 days and a few hundred advil later, I have dark brown/purple, hard, scabbed skin on my fingers, with some bright pink new soft & sensitive skin starting to poke through.

It's all like a metaphor for life. I feel like we have to endure the pain to ever really grow anew...like a phoenix. Its painful. It can suck a lot of the time. You have to be careful, and really care for yourself. You have to value your skin...respect the old stuff that encases the new.

And we all know this. It's cliche. I find it ironic that we all know these things, but never really know it until we go through something difficult...and not until you want to see it.

This one goes out to the one I love

Family. You know who you are. I love you all very much.

Around this time of year, I always get to thinking...why the hell do I spend so much time with people that I hardly know, and so little time with the people I know, love and respect.

In today's world, I believe we are born into a special unit, and can build out from there. We get to choose so much, including our extended families. And I am so thankful that I have such a supportive, intelligent, and all around rockin extended family.

From Paris to NYC to Malaysia to Egypt and even including the Wisco north woods...you all have helped me in ways you will never know. And I am so thankful that you are in my life, and that I am in yours.

Happy Holidays!

A shift in perspective

I came home for a mix of family & professional reasons. And I'm sure glad I did. Sometimes you don't even know some of the reasons why until after the fact. One more reason to add to the "I know coming home was the right thing" is that I'm going to be an aunt, come July 2008. I'll be the cool aunt, of course! But an aunt none the less.

And this new bundle of joy that my sister carries with her daily has suddenly began to affect my priorities and my ideal lifestyle and ultimately my job search...how can someone you've never met - better yet, something just forming - suddenly mean so much to you?