Monday, we meet again. However, unlike the previous Monday mornings where I've had to write more that one post to get all my crap out on the table, this morning I feel tired, but encouraged.
I know I mentioned that I'd been reading "Heaven is Here" over the weekend and I actually finished it last night. I couldn't put it down. I've never cried reading a book before, but I did several times over the weekend. Stephanie's story is so emotional and her personality and faith just drew me in from the very first paragraph. Her honesty and perseverance are so genuine, it felt as if I was reading the story of a dear friend, like she was recounting her experiences and sitting in my living room on my couch with me. I'm tempted to go into her blog archives and start reading from the beginning of her blogging adventure, three years before her accident. One quote (of many) in the Epilogue of her book stood out to me so much:
“…and more than any of the lessons of my accident, this is the one I wish I could teach everybody—that our hearts matter most. Your heart matters most, so be gentler and more patient with yourself, and their hearts matter most, too, so be kinder and more compassionate to others. It’s a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to a beautiful life.”
I'm not going to go on any rant about how society puts all this pressure on us, especially as women, to be physically beautiful, or that it is what's on the inside that counts, but I will say this: Our hearts tell our story. Our heart knows us better than anyone else in this world. Our head and our heart often have conflicting ideas, motives, or plans, but our hearts always knows what's best. There's a reason people say, "follow your heart" instead of "follow your head." Our deepest fears, our biggest dreams, the skeletons of our past, and our hopes for the future all live inside our heart. They are the strongest, but also the most fragile parts of us. They hold all of our secrets. Listening to my heart has been a priority of mine the last few weeks. It is the whole reason for starting this blog, for opening my Etsy store, and continuing to look forward to this adventure. I know that my designs are simplistic, and there are so many others out there made from more specialized skills, but I'm doing what I love. I'm learning and I'm enjoying it. My heart has lead me to action. I know this is just the beginning of something great and I just need to persevere through the rough and slow beginnings.
Stephanie talked a lot about patience. After being in a hospital's burn unit for over five months, and still after years of overcoming obstacles, I think she knows a thing or two about it. People develop patience, at least a little bit of it when they have children, but it's a skill that needs to be practiced to become permanent. Patience is one of those things that is easy to talk about, but more often than not feels impossible to act upon. We want what we want and we want it now. And fortunately, most people learn that life doesn't work that way. We must be patient and work hard for the things we want most in life. Yes, I said fortunately because I think that not being handed everything in life is beneficial. It teaches people to appreciate, to overcome, to be kind, to be consistent; important lessons in life and admirable traits to possess.
It is important to be eager, but not to the point of crazy. I want more than anything to be able to be home all day with Zoe and Ella running around the house (another little one on the way sooner than later). I'd love to be making lunch, taking a break to go on a walk or watch a movie, on my computer developing new skills and new designs, and watching email after email pop up in my Inbox telling me that I have made another sale online. Buuuuuut I know that's not going to happen NOW, so I am going to be patient and pray for that in my future.
Patience and perseverance. Let's do this.
P.S. Thank you Stephanie Nielsen for the inspiration and positive energy this Monday morning.
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