Starting Now: Thursday, September 6, 2012

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Tonight I am ever so grateful for a beautiful family night together where we all enjoyed each other amidst the normal goings on of an evening...dinner, dishes, lunches, homework, Just Dance 3, bath and bed.

What made tonight different is that we ALL conversed together instead of yelling, fighting, and the egging on that often takes place between the girls, which then spurs not so great parental reactions and overall frustration for all. Even poor Molly who hides under the bed when that happens.

We all snuck in little moments with each other in various combinations at different points of the evening. It started with me folding the laundry next to the girls doing Just Dance, then all of us chatting at dinner, then Lily and Andy starting to watch the Democratic National Convention while Emmy and I made a little after dinner treat, then Andy and I in the kitchen together while I cleaned and he made lunches, then Emmy in my lap while I quizzed Lily on her spelling words for her test tomorrow, then Lily and I watching Obama together and talking about voting, then Andy, Emmy and I watching the Convention and answering Emmy's questions, "What does learning mean?" "What does education mean?" And then ending with Andy and I watching while Lily and Emmy drew pictures.

The pictures were such a tender moment. Emmy was at the desk for a bit drawing while Lily, Andy and I were watching the Convention, and then came running to Lily to give her a picture that she just drew. She said it was Lily, handed it to her, and then just lowered her head into Lily's chest, put her arms around her in a hug, and then ran back to the desk to cut some paper. Lily showed me the drawing and I just melted - both at seeing Emmy's first drawing of a person (Lily's face), and the love that passed between the two of them in the exchange. The pic is below that Lily wrote Emmy's name on (and Lily was wearing accessory glasses tonight as depicted below) next to a face that Lily drew with Emmy.

I am also thankful for a successful import of new deduction data that I generated for over 700 employees at work today - my first run by myself and I added new data to track. Woo Hoo! Technology rocks when you know how to use it:) That's for you Andy. Yes, I really said that;)

And ever so grateful that a dear, close friend asked me to do Reiki for her. So off I go to help in her healing. What a beautiful way to end a beautiful night.

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Welcome to Starting Now

Starting Now, I am starting to finish. Always prolific in my starts, I give birth to many ideas that flutter like a baby bird leaving the nest for the first time. In what feels to be the thick of my life (see "About Me"), there is no better time than now to take flight, to make my finishes as abundant as my starts. I no longer have limitless time or desire to clean up the mental and physical chaos created by starting many things and not fnishing one.

It is my hope that in starting now (for there is only now) and starting here on the page, that I will reach through the initial excitement of a thought, a project, a relationship just beginning, etc.... I will abandon my fear of yet another fallen start, sorrow heavy on my mind and in my heart to instead, give strong wings to my start, life to my lungs, and clarity to my psyche as I soar from one project to the next.

A bit lofty, I realize, but in starting this blog, I am creating accountabilty for myself to show up at the page every day. To show up is to write every day. Create. Improve every day. Learn. Hone the idea, thought, project, progress every day. Grow. And perhaps, learn from others who care to share their ideas on starts and finishes, as together, we spur a community of finishers able to relish in the life and gift - to ourselves and those we share our lives and gifts with - of what we finished, and what we start anew, again, now.

The idea is that as I embark on a start, I will track it here to its finish. Add thoughts if you like, or share your own starts, what you learn along the way, ideas for improvement and efficiency, how you enjoy the journey. For I realize that life is not simply about finishing, but the journey along the way. Yet, I am learning that to finish (something, anything, if even just for today it is folding the laundy and putting it away), boosts my confidence and becomes the catalyst for the birth and life of another start. Another contribution to our beautiful world.

My Life

Mother to Lily and Emmy, two young girls alike only in their adoring, interesting, active, sensitive, loving, creative ways; wife to Andy who has an uncanny resemblance of characteristics to the ways of our girls and who is a recovering (at least that is my wish!) non-finisher like me; caretaker of our human-like Irish red and white setter named Molly, and;

Breathe, ahhhh

Active participant in our lives filled with work, school, deadlines I struggle to meet, homework, cooking, appointments, relationships, laughter, sometimes screaming (we’re all working on that), play, bills, travel, gymnastics, walks with the dog, reading, managing technology and schedules, exercising our independence and learning to work together (and the balance of the two), trying to make healthy choices, and, did I forget anything?

Yes! In honor of my first start, breathing fully (I often forget to do this) and practicing gratitude. Thank you breath, for you give me life!