I really should be in bed right now..and yet here I am writing instead.
It's christmas eve day, such a great time of year! My favorite part is just being with my whole family. I love them quite a bit.
This year is a little different..I feel a bit stretched thin, tired, worn out. January never looked so good. But in the midst of this something has made me stop & reflect. In a sense I'm kind of enjoying all the craziness. When we lived in Bolivia I don't think there was a time where things were really ever easy, or my family wasn't doing something for someone else. Always working, always giving. But then, that's just my parents, the way they are. They've ingrained this idea in my head from day 1 & it feels right & good & should be done all the time. I think the qualities your family install into your very being are so important. I'm grateful for how I was raised...my parents aren't perfect, but they're my family. They've taught me so much; added to the person I am today.
Living in a place where you don't necessarily have everything you want or even need can be so good for the soul. It's hard to be that way here in the U.S where everything seems to be available in our comfortable lives. But when you are poorer than your neighbor, you realize just how important it is to give. You DON'T need that iphone. Or expensive laptop. There's nothing wrong with those things...it just makes you think.
With the new year rolling in I want to live a little bit simpler. Give a whole lot more, investing in the lives of those people I call friends & family. Be a little bit more grateful for what I have. Ask God for a little more wisdom. I also want to take the train to place I've never been, but that's the usual ;)
