It was my birthday yesterday. The time when I would painstakingly plan a party, whittle my guest list down to the allowed number by my parents and worry oh so much over what I wore to said party is over. Dare I say it? I think I'm middle-aged.
I'm definitely not a twenty-something. I'm a good chunk from over-the-hill. But still, it kinda feels middle-y.
Instead of a party, I hope for extra naps, a good book (check!), eating without monitoring someone else's pie-hole, and maybe if I'm super lucky money to spend on ME (check and check). It was a nice birthday. I got what I wanted pretty much.
I got the requisite phone calls and emails from family. Dad will visit; spent time with Mom (she paid my house cleaners! woot!); brother and SIL called and we caroused; Aunt B called; Aunt A emailed - they're sick but we're doing dinner in a few days; got a card and promised gift from my Grandma; a card and VERY nice gift from my Grandpa; gift and card from my MIL, who's visiting; a great book from my other super SIL; gift on it's way from Hubby. I am very blessed.
But this year was a bit different. I joined Facebook a few months back. And I've accumulated a couple hundred 'friends'. I enjoy seeing what other people are doing now that I haven't seen or heard from in years. But it is a bit odd to receive such heartfelt birthday wishes from them when some of us haven't spoken, even on FB, in years. Don't get me wrong, I don't want them to take their wishes back. I love that they made those wishes. It just feels a bit weird.
It's kind of like your twelve year old self wishing your forty year old self Happy Birthday. Think about it. Do those two people have anything in common? I'm not sure my two selves will. Similar yes, but oh so different. I'm thinking at forty, I still won't be having a planned party. I'm sure I'll be razzed about going over-the-hill, and there will be lots of death decorations. But the twelve year old in me still wants the laser tag party. Maybe next year.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
3.29.2009
6.14.2008
'Life as a Coffee'
Stumbled across this and just had to repost.
---
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university Professor.
Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the Prof. went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups:
porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them
to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the Prof. said "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. That all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
So friend, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.
---
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university Professor.
Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the Prof. went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups:
porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them
to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the Prof. said "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. That all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."
"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
So friend, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.
1.05.2008
Well that was short lived
O decided not to sleep through the night for the past three nights. He woke up once on Wednesday, and twice on Thursday and Friday. Tonight I woke him up about 11 to feed and change him, hoping that will keep him asleep longer into the wee hours of the morning. He must be going through another growth spurt because he's been a lot hungrier, even in the daytime.
Just when I think I've got him figured out, he changes things up on me.
A friend recently asked me what the best part of being a mom was for me. I hadn't reflected on it since O was born, just hadn't had the brain power or time to do that! :) But it's been on my mind ever since. So far my favorite part of being a mom is O's recognition of me. His grins and smiles when he sees me in the morning, how his little arms are starting to hold on to me as much as I hold on to him.
I've talked with various family members over the past few years about how I didn't really know what I wanted to do as an occupation in college. I finished my major because I wanted to be done and not spend more time in school. And then how I decided while I was pregnant that being a mom was really what I had wanted for most of my life. I still think being a mom is what I most want to do. I don't however think I'm prepared for it even now. Mostly because so far being a mom makes me totally focus on my baby, and then I forget to think about what I'm doing, to think about me and how I'm changing.
I think I will eventually go back to work. In the sense that I will leave the house in the morning and get paid to do something totally unrelated to being a mom. I still have another part of me that will need that I think; a way to keep my brain and social skills sharp and current. Maybe I will eventually get my masters in accounting or finance and do that kind of work. Who knows what will happen.
For today, I'm O's mom. And it's just what I want to be. Sleep deprived and all.
Just when I think I've got him figured out, he changes things up on me.
A friend recently asked me what the best part of being a mom was for me. I hadn't reflected on it since O was born, just hadn't had the brain power or time to do that! :) But it's been on my mind ever since. So far my favorite part of being a mom is O's recognition of me. His grins and smiles when he sees me in the morning, how his little arms are starting to hold on to me as much as I hold on to him.
I've talked with various family members over the past few years about how I didn't really know what I wanted to do as an occupation in college. I finished my major because I wanted to be done and not spend more time in school. And then how I decided while I was pregnant that being a mom was really what I had wanted for most of my life. I still think being a mom is what I most want to do. I don't however think I'm prepared for it even now. Mostly because so far being a mom makes me totally focus on my baby, and then I forget to think about what I'm doing, to think about me and how I'm changing.
I think I will eventually go back to work. In the sense that I will leave the house in the morning and get paid to do something totally unrelated to being a mom. I still have another part of me that will need that I think; a way to keep my brain and social skills sharp and current. Maybe I will eventually get my masters in accounting or finance and do that kind of work. Who knows what will happen.
For today, I'm O's mom. And it's just what I want to be. Sleep deprived and all.
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