On My Thoughts Monday – A Wholesome Slice of Life

Whats up, pleased Monday! How was your weekend? We stuffed ours with a TKD belt take a look at, soccer, and basketball, but in addition squeezed in a household film night time and a pair hours of catching up with David’s brother and my nephew who have been in Charlotte for a basketball event. Yesterday the climate was good so the ladies performed outdoors with a good friend all afternoon after church, giving David and I a while to get in an extended stroll and speak via the packing checklist.

We head to Wyoming on Wednesday (feels like a Magic Treehouse ebook title- ha) and are finalizing what we have to pack. Presently they’re experiencing a winter storm and whereas we’re psyched to get to see some actual snow, I’m intrigued to see how we are going to do on our first day snowboarding when the excessive is predicted to be 14 levels. We plan to be bundled, however brr!

We’re actually enthusiastic about this journey. Whereas we visited Wyoming in the summertime, neither David nor I’ve ever skied there, so having a very new vacation spot lined up has us fairly giddy.

Final night time we additionally booked flights for a return crusing journey to the British Virgin Islands with The Moorings in spring. Contemplating our final crusing journey was David’s favourite trip ever, all of us are wanting ahead to returning. Apparently Kaitlyn hid a coronary heart formed rock at The Baths and intends to unearth it upon her return. That must be fascinating…

All this hubbub provides me butterflies in my abdomen, however the anticipation and pleasure is combined with different feelings, which has stunned me a bit. I’m additionally feeling a stab of grief, some nostalgia, and somewhat worry.

See, it’s gearing as much as be an thrilling yr; one thing we’ve labored in direction of and anticipated for a very long time. Household journey has at all times been a prime aim for us and it began actually ramping up in 2019. We visited Deer Valley, the British Virgin Islands, Disney World, and Jellystone. I’m unsure if I ever shared overtly about this, however we had talked about shopping for a catamaran for much more household adventuring. 2020 was set as much as be a giant yr. And, effectively, it was, however not the way in which we pictured.

The pandemic hit, my Grandma Betty handed away, my dad handed away, and the entire world, each my world and the true world got here to a grinding halt. There are one million feelings to deal with from that point, however for me personally I used to be scuffling with grief and loss on a big scale. I’m unsure I even realized it or let myself really feel all of it on the time.

Like most individuals, we fumbled via the following yr or two asking ourselves questions alongside the way in which about our priorities, objectives, and intentions. We began placing phrases into motion, making adjustments in our investments and nice tuning our habits. And now, three years later, issues seem like coming collectively once more.

It’s thrilling. Extra adventures with the household! The power to share it right here with you! And but, together with the enjoyment and anticipation, I’m additionally processing different feelings which might be rising up of residual grief and worry. How can we actually plan something? What if all of it falls aside once more? I’m not pushing these emotions down, however as I work via them I’m attempting to teach myself as I’d a good friend.

Like Brene Brown shared in The Energy of Vulnerability, worry is the nice restrictive power, because it stops most individuals from ever stepping a couple of foot outdoors their consolation zone in direction of realizing their true needs. As a result of worry and criticism will at all times be there in some kind, one of the best plan of action is at all times to indicate up anyway and transfer ahead.

So I’m encouraging myself to step ahead into the unknowns and embrace the journey of all of it. I’m encouraging myself to indicate up as my truest self and transfer away from my skill to morph into what I feel individuals need me to be. I’m embracing that I’m that individual that talks to the sky after I wish to fill my dad in on life, like I promised him I’d.

Life is messy and sophisticated and barely are any of us feeling only one emotion, particularly as soon as we now have somewhat life expertise behind us. However that’s the fantastic thing about all of it, isn’t it? To take the combination of feelings, set our priorities, and step bravely within the path of residing the life we wish to stay.

So whereas on the skin, it’s simply us taking a household ski journey, it feels extra momentous to me. It’s my first step into a brand new chapter and I plan on doing my finest to step into it open armed with joyful anticipation. I can’t wait to share all of it with you.