life is a funny thing. sometimes we set goals, picture how things will play out and then wham. nothing turns out how we planned. that’s exactly how 2014 went for us. will and i had sat down on the last day of 2013 for a very private dinner and chatted really long and hard about our personal and family goals for 2014. nothing. i repeat, not a single damn thing went as planned or hoped. but that’s okay. 2014 may have been one of our hardest years yet, but also one where i know we grew the most. this year instead of lengthy chats about specific goals we are choosing to continue our life path of simplification. simply put. less stuff (stuff in every form, material, emotional, etc) and more gratitude. we are on a path as a family to simplify our lives and in a perfectly simple way it feels just so right and so, so good.
with the new year also came our sweet baby boy liam’s 8th birthday. he’s been so excited for this birthday because turning eight really signifies growing up in his eyes. it’s the beginning of learning to accept the realities and consequences of your own actions and decisions. and for some silly reason he just couldn’t wait for that. and he couldn’t have been more excited to have all of his family home (a perk having your birthday on a holiday) to celebrate him and witness his choice to be baptized.
i rarely touch on faith or religion. because i truly feel it is such a personal thing. and quite honestly i don’t really feel it can always be explained. but heres just a smidgen about where i am with it and how i got here.
i grew up attending a japanese methodist church, went to a weekly youth group at a presbyterian church until i got baptized into the lds church at 19, fell in love with buddha when i was teaching and heavily into my yoga practice, and can’t get enough of the dali llama. there have been times in my life that i have been rigid about religion and other times where it took the back burner. what i’ve come to realize and be completely at peace with is that what may work for some may not work so well for others. faith is so beyond incredibly personal on a level that absolutely no one but yourself can understand. and it’s something that i’m not sure anyone can be doing wrong, or for that matter perfectly right. as a parent, at the end of the day my only hope is that my children know that they are unconditionally loved now matter what, that they will be outstanding humans who bring quality and value to society. who are kind to strangers, are willing to serve any and all in need and just maybe will know and love god. because he’s my jam, and i couldn’t do it without my daily chats him. oh and jesus too.
*that probably could have used it’s own separate post…but meh. happy new year friends xo
