Getting Back Up

Dear friends and family,
OOpps!! I let the holidays take me over and have not updated my blog in FAR too long. One of my new year's resolutions is to keep up with it better.

More than that, I am going to try so hard to make this not only a place for you to see what Chad and I are up to, but to be a light of inspiration to readers. I have a goal to complete one creative project a week (unless it's a BIG project that requires more time) and document my efforts through my blog. I am completely amazed by numerous beautiful women who inspire me on a daily basis through their blogs, and who take time to reveal to the world things that keep them going. So I'm sharing a couple of my goals with everyone. Feel free to give me crap if I don't do what I say I will.

Life is beautiful!! That's for sure! There are so many times that I get discouraged- allowing myself to miss out on noticing the simple things that make life worth while. I got to ring in the new year in Vermont... on a mountain. It was wonderful!

I'm not going to go into details of the holidays yet, but I had a bit of a revelation while (attempting to) ski on New Year's Day. I had not done this since I was 9 or so, and I was nervous as anything. We didn't start on the bunny slopes. Perhaps we should have.

The first go down, I fell and fell and fell. I had trouble getting up. I cried. I complained. I was mad at the three-year-olds zipping past me. I was not enjoying it. Chad was awesome... encouraged me and helped me up. He's pretty great on the slopes, so he had to be really patient with me- instead of satisfying his "need for speed".

I didn't think I'd get the courage to go again, but I pushed past the fact that I'd already twisted my legs in so many crazy ways and fallen in every way possible... and I went for round two. This is after I took a break to let Chad go down alone so he could go fast and not stop to help me every two seconds. Every time I went... I got better and better, falling less with each trip. I was so proud of myself!

 

This is when I realized that this is just how life is! I get excited about things, although incredibly nervous... and it doesn't go the way I anticipate. I fall down, I get hurt, I cry, I think I can't go any more. Then I get back up and go again. 

I owe so much to Chad for being there for me... not just skiing, but everything. I make things miserable for him sometimes when he could very easily go the more fun way alone. But he believes in me, and he encourages me. And he reminds me that I CAN do it!

I was so happy by the end of the day. So tired! But so thrilled by the exhilaration I felt when I was able to stay up and (halfway) control myself.

Sometimes we just need to step back and see things the way they are. Life has its rough patches. I WILL fall down again. But then I'll get back up and get over it. I'll end up with a smile on my face and a feeling that I conquered something. That if I do it again, I'll be better at it.

Life throws stuff at us to challenge us, to make us better, to bring us to the bottom so we know how great the top is. God knows what he's doing when life is tough. That's where EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON comes into play.

I could easily have given up after the first time down the mountain. And I would have hated skiing forever. I would always feel unaccomplished in that area and regret the fact that I tried.

I should NEVER regret having tried something!! (you know, within reasonable limits) Next time I face a challenge, I'll see it from a new perspective. I'll remember how I felt on the slopes when I got used to it and stayed up. I'll have faith in myself and God that I can not only get through it, but I can be smiling by the end of it... with confidence.

With this new year, I challenge you to see hard times as not something to knock you over; rather view it as a contributor to the puzzle your life is. Let it happen- believe in yourself. The pieces will fall into place.

Love Sarah