One response in particular came from a friend of mine whom I think you should all get to know. With her permission, I am using her real name (big shocker for me!) because she is brilliant. Her name is Elise Lowes and has been a huge help for me in getting this blog up and running. Remember when I had that other template, the one with the blue and the boats and me touching the sea on the coast of Scotland? Well, I almost destroyed it farting around with embedded codes and such, but Elise came to my rescue and spent painstaking hours into the morning fixing it for me. Thanks, friend! She is also quite the photographer. Check out her site, and let her know if you have any photography needs!
The reason I bring up dear Elise to you is because she wrote me an email that I am choosing to share with you. For some reason I just feel like it is something great. Something that might encourage you, too...
Hey pretty lady!! Surfed your blog today; I like the new additions of music!! And I was just thinking, and reading and especially after your last blog, one line really struck me: "Do you ever feel like people just want too much from you? I feel like that a lot."
And then reading backwards through your blogs it strikes me that the expectations and demands you are feeling are internal. Obviously not always because yes having a job and having family (and um, you know, LIFE...) means that expectations exist. If I'm being Captain Obvious, sorry?
But reading your blog, it just really seems as if you internalize these expectations. The stress-mess may sometimes come from the knowledge that you are disappointing yourself for not meeting these expectations that you perceive others to have.
You've probably heard all this before. And I totally didn't want to send you an email to be like "Dude, this is how you are, change!!" because I know that is not how it works. And I don't have all my shit together by any stretch of the imagination. But I want to encourage you to not despair. Cry when you need to, make lists when necessary, decide hard things when you have to, relax when you can, don't lie to yourself, and go listen to the sunscreen song because it's cool and has a really good rhythm and is... cool. I think I said that already.
And I know I should say 'have faith in God' but really, that I think you have, but have faith in yourself too. Remember, you are human. Superheroes (much as we'd love for them to be prancing around in that deliciously tight spandex a la spiderman....) don't really exist. And if you're like me, you can only deal with one issue at a time. That's not a bad thing.
I think you are awesome for being who you are, and for being honest and open in a public forum like a bloggity blog.
That's enough verbal diarrhea from me. LOVE YOU HEAPS SISTER!!! Can't wait till the next random meet up!! Or tech support, I'm good at that tooooooooo. ^_~
Eeeeeeeeeelise.
She hits the nail on the head, hey? I would like to be clear in saying that I value and cherish each piece of wisdom you guys share with me, and I am not trying to elevate Elise by publishing this, but I really appreciate her humour mixed in with rawness, gentleness, and faith. I love how real it is. I love how she isn't afraid to tell me the truth.
"Let us be our sister's keeper"
Thanks everybody. I know I had a freak-out on Sunday night, but things are ssssllllooowwwlllyyy coming around. 2 more nights 'till the big move, and then you will get a thorough blog and photo tour of the beginning, construction, and end.
"I have heard there are troubles of more
than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some
come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat.
I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are
going to have troubles with me!"
