In response to my previous post, I have been able to carve out this evening as Sara Time. The new IKEA catalogue arrived in the mail. I am going for a walk and taking my journal, the catalogue and my thoughts with me. I may end up at the Starbucks down the road...what a great and relaxing plan.
I do still have a bit of volunteer newsletter writing to do but it is almost complete and if not, I may finish it at lunch tomorrow.
Speaking of volunteering, besides thinking I may be crazy because my life is busy already, I just started volunteering for an organization called ChristmasFuture. (see www.christmasfuture.org). Their mandate is to eradicate poverty worldwide by persuading North Americans to just give 5% of what they normally spend at Christmas to relief and poverty projects around the world. The organization is developing this cutting edge technology which will keep donors connected to the progress and impact of their chosen project. I am helping out in a small way with their marketing & communications.
Well, should go start my Sara time.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sara Time
My life tends to be a cycle of the social butterfly & the solitary one. My soul starts yearning for quiet when life has been too busy and vice versa - when I have been alone too long, I crave the company of others.
However, right now, I thirst for solitude but, I can't escape the busyness of my social calendar and work priorites. I feel myself almost screaming for quiet. Two or three days by myself is all I need but evenings and days are filled with appointments, meetings, get-togethers until August 12. And I don't want to break any of my committments because if I give my word and make plans with people, it is important to keep it.
The problem is I never know when my soul needs its solitary time or as I affectionally call it "Sara Time". It creeps up on me and then I begin to feel resentment towards those around me which is so not fair to them.
If only I could figure myself out - despite 32 years of practise! I know I am a balance between introvert and extrovert. I enjoy being by myself and thrive being with other people too. But I never know which one I need until it is sometimes too late. However, this too shall pass, as someone famous once said...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Visiting the Family & Meeting the Parents
I have just returned from a short (too short) trip to Vancouver Island to see a few people that are near and dear to me. I am a wee bit tired but will quickly jot a few things about the trip before bed. Nicole, dear older sister that she is, mentioned I was neglecting my blog updates...oh my!
So, here is the story of my trip....
On Thursday, I flew to Vancouver and spent a most splendid evening with my sister, Wendy. She is one of the people that inspire me in life. Her gentle spirit, wise words and good conversation make me want to live closer to her.
On Friday, I ferried across to the Island to stay at mom & dad's. Nicole and her kids are spending the next few weeks there so I thought I would hit 2 birds with 1 stone and visit as much of the family as possible in just one visit. It was a lovely time and I spent a majority of it playing with my nephew and niece who are 5 and 3 respectively. So fun...the play involved swinging, running, spinning, cars, Go Fish, Memory and OuterSpace. Seriously, I want to be 3 again some days. There will be pictures to follow because they are quite adorable (okay, so I may be biased but just wait for the pictures and you will see that I am right!)
On Saturday, my family met Tim. He was on the island for cycling officiating. My family was very well behaved and the introductions went smoothly. The feedback from both sides is a thumbs up. I will be meeting Tim's family shortly so we will see how that goes. Hopefully, there is similar feedback.
On Sunday, I was able to visit my friend, the ocean...it was good to dip my feet in her waves in greeting.
After that busy weekend of meeting, greeting, hugging, relaxing and napping, I am back at my little home....must go to bed because my reality of work and normal life will come v. early in the morning.
So, here is the story of my trip....
On Thursday, I flew to Vancouver and spent a most splendid evening with my sister, Wendy. She is one of the people that inspire me in life. Her gentle spirit, wise words and good conversation make me want to live closer to her.
On Friday, I ferried across to the Island to stay at mom & dad's. Nicole and her kids are spending the next few weeks there so I thought I would hit 2 birds with 1 stone and visit as much of the family as possible in just one visit. It was a lovely time and I spent a majority of it playing with my nephew and niece who are 5 and 3 respectively. So fun...the play involved swinging, running, spinning, cars, Go Fish, Memory and OuterSpace. Seriously, I want to be 3 again some days. There will be pictures to follow because they are quite adorable (okay, so I may be biased but just wait for the pictures and you will see that I am right!)
On Saturday, my family met Tim. He was on the island for cycling officiating. My family was very well behaved and the introductions went smoothly. The feedback from both sides is a thumbs up. I will be meeting Tim's family shortly so we will see how that goes. Hopefully, there is similar feedback.
On Sunday, I was able to visit my friend, the ocean...it was good to dip my feet in her waves in greeting.
After that busy weekend of meeting, greeting, hugging, relaxing and napping, I am back at my little home....must go to bed because my reality of work and normal life will come v. early in the morning.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Stampede
Stampede is in full swing in Calgary...basically, it is a big costume party where everyone wears the same costume...they are cowboys/girls. The 2 week event is so cheesy that you have to just laugh, sing, dance and drink along with everyone else. If you take Stampede too seriously, you will never enjoy the fun of it all. And the people watching - to die for...what a hoot!Last week, the girls and I went to a corporate Stampede party...each year, we sweet-talk our way onto the invite list of this particular party....free drinks, food, music and beautiful people - always a fun time! Having friends you can "play" with even in your 30's is so important.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Life is just good!
My life is good...in fact, my life is truly great!
- My job - I love it and was given a raise last week, completely out of the blue.
- Good friends - I spend the weekend celebrating life at a Stampede party, BBQ and a Sunday morning brunch.
- A great friend - I talked with Amy who is living in Istanbul - I love the fact that we can still talk about the big things in life even when we are 9158 kms apart.
- I have met someone who makes me laugh and smile even when he is not near me!
- My Family - In 11 days, I get to hug, squeeze, see and laugh with those I love most dearly.
- I have my health.
- My little home - it feels like a hug at the end of the day when I walk in.
- Cousins & what-not - In 5 days, I will celebrate my cousin's 30th b-day with a hoe-down, shindig - good fun! And hopefully within the week, my other cousin and wife will have a baby in their home which will bring even greater celebration.
This blog is not meant to be a brag essay but a sharing of a realization that God as my Father wants me to be joyful. I can feel happy and blessed because his gifts to me. Sometimes there is a perception that God is just sitting in heaven plotting on how he can wreak havoc in our lives but that is a wrong view of God. He is not waiting to ruin our lives so we can be miserable. Yes, life is not always easy... I know there will be times ahead that life will not seem as carefree as it is right now but why worry about that time? Wouldn't worrying steal the joy from today and really add nothing to tomorrow? I think Jesus actually said something along those lines once! I only hope that when life is tough and it is harder to see the blessings that I will choose joy amidst the trials.
- My job - I love it and was given a raise last week, completely out of the blue.
- Good friends - I spend the weekend celebrating life at a Stampede party, BBQ and a Sunday morning brunch.
- A great friend - I talked with Amy who is living in Istanbul - I love the fact that we can still talk about the big things in life even when we are 9158 kms apart.
- I have met someone who makes me laugh and smile even when he is not near me!
- My Family - In 11 days, I get to hug, squeeze, see and laugh with those I love most dearly.
- I have my health.
- My little home - it feels like a hug at the end of the day when I walk in.
- Cousins & what-not - In 5 days, I will celebrate my cousin's 30th b-day with a hoe-down, shindig - good fun! And hopefully within the week, my other cousin and wife will have a baby in their home which will bring even greater celebration.
This blog is not meant to be a brag essay but a sharing of a realization that God as my Father wants me to be joyful. I can feel happy and blessed because his gifts to me. Sometimes there is a perception that God is just sitting in heaven plotting on how he can wreak havoc in our lives but that is a wrong view of God. He is not waiting to ruin our lives so we can be miserable. Yes, life is not always easy... I know there will be times ahead that life will not seem as carefree as it is right now but why worry about that time? Wouldn't worrying steal the joy from today and really add nothing to tomorrow? I think Jesus actually said something along those lines once! I only hope that when life is tough and it is harder to see the blessings that I will choose joy amidst the trials.
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Audacity of Hope
Earlier this year, I saw Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope". Although I haven't read the book yet, the title struck me as incredibly powerful and bold.
In life, we always have a choice when we are faced with situations. I often find my choices lean toward fear, doubt and worry due my loss of control and lack of trust in God.
In 1 Corinthians 13, there are three other choices to life: faith, hope and love. When you compared both the negative and positive choices, they are actually opposites:
- faith / doubt
- hope / worry
- love / fear
When I think about it, doubt, worry and fear do not draw you to God but actually prevent you from fully living the blessings of life. That is why I liked the word "audacity" because it flies in the face of negativity. The definition of audacity is "boldness or daring, esp. with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions."
I want the audacity to hope in the face of life's uncertainties and challenges. Hope is what makes us human. I would rather live with disappointment than to never choose hope.
In life, we always have a choice when we are faced with situations. I often find my choices lean toward fear, doubt and worry due my loss of control and lack of trust in God.
In 1 Corinthians 13, there are three other choices to life: faith, hope and love. When you compared both the negative and positive choices, they are actually opposites:
- faith / doubt
- hope / worry
- love / fear
When I think about it, doubt, worry and fear do not draw you to God but actually prevent you from fully living the blessings of life. That is why I liked the word "audacity" because it flies in the face of negativity. The definition of audacity is "boldness or daring, esp. with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions."
I want the audacity to hope in the face of life's uncertainties and challenges. Hope is what makes us human. I would rather live with disappointment than to never choose hope.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Being asked for ID
During my life, I have always looked younger than my actual age. In my twenties, it bothered me because I wanted to be taken seriously in my career. However, in my thirties as I begin to notice more wrinkles and gray hairs, I actually want to look younger than my age. Despite the Garnier Nutrisse #30 to color my hair or Clinique cream to smooth the wrinkles, I was wondering if my youthful looks were beginning to fade. In fact, just the other day, I was "bemoaning" to a friend that I hadn't been asked for ID since I was 29. But today, when I bought a bottle of wine for a dinner party and I was asked for ID. This request filled me with great joy!
However, the situation begs the question - why, for our first 30 years of life, do we want to look older than we are and after 30, we want to hang on to our youthful looks? It seems society is a great hurry to grow up but not in a hurry to grow old. When I look at teens now, they seem so much older than when I was their age. Even 9 or 10 year old girls are dressing more grown-up than ever before. Yet, some women in their 30's and 40's are dressing like teen-agers and showing a desperation of staying young. Since our society celebrates youth and marginalizes the elderly, I understand why people want to stay young. There is age-ism on both ends of the spectrum...either we are too young or too old.
The ironic thing is that I love being in my 30's. I am confident about who I am despite other people's opinions. I am entering the best years of my life (so far) and I wouldn't go back in time even if you paid me. I need to worry less about looking older and just concentrate on living a full life with joy.
The whole Dove campaign for real beauty actually inspires me (http://www.dove.ca/beauty/). If you haven't taken a look at the conversation they started about female beauty and age, you should take a look at their website.
To end the blog off, here are some quotes on aging:
I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel. - Elizabeth Arden
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. - Henry David Thoreau
Live your life and forget your age. - Norman Vincent Peale
Wrinkles merely indicate where the smiles have been. - unknown
It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts. - Adlai Stevenson
However, the situation begs the question - why, for our first 30 years of life, do we want to look older than we are and after 30, we want to hang on to our youthful looks? It seems society is a great hurry to grow up but not in a hurry to grow old. When I look at teens now, they seem so much older than when I was their age. Even 9 or 10 year old girls are dressing more grown-up than ever before. Yet, some women in their 30's and 40's are dressing like teen-agers and showing a desperation of staying young. Since our society celebrates youth and marginalizes the elderly, I understand why people want to stay young. There is age-ism on both ends of the spectrum...either we are too young or too old.
The ironic thing is that I love being in my 30's. I am confident about who I am despite other people's opinions. I am entering the best years of my life (so far) and I wouldn't go back in time even if you paid me. I need to worry less about looking older and just concentrate on living a full life with joy.
The whole Dove campaign for real beauty actually inspires me (http://www.dove.ca/beauty/). If you haven't taken a look at the conversation they started about female beauty and age, you should take a look at their website.
To end the blog off, here are some quotes on aging:
I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel. - Elizabeth Arden
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm. - Henry David Thoreau
Live your life and forget your age. - Norman Vincent Peale
Wrinkles merely indicate where the smiles have been. - unknown
It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts. - Adlai Stevenson
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