It's official. I am now the parent of three "adults." I use the term loosely, because turning eighteen doesn't magically make you a grown-up, but it certainly is a milestone. Today is our youngest daughter's 18th birthday. It feels surreal. Didn't we just bring her home from the hospital as a newborn? Her special day has me feeling nostalgic, flipping through scrapbooks and old photo albums. I stumbled across the snapshot on the left from the day we brought our middle daughter home from the hospital. The snow was piled high, and record flooding would follow. It was a spring to remember. The picture on the right is today. Some things change, some things remain the same. To be honest, I find it all unnerving, this process of the kids growing up and building lives of their own. I've been a mother for nearly half my life now. For twenty-five years, I've been doing the whole mom gig, and I love it. Now the dynamics are changing. Am I past the hard part? Will the rest be smooth sailing? Time will tell. I thought it would be fun to try to remember some of the things I often said to my kids as they were growing up. I suspect they got sick of hearing some of these:
I’m sure if you asked my kids, they'd come up with lots more to add to this list. They can never claim I failed to offer sage advice! Through the years, I like to think I've gained some empathy for other parents. It's the whole "been there, done that" deal. If I see a kid throwing a tantrum out in public, I think back to the epic meltdown one of mine had on the sidewalk at the street fair. As long as a parent is trying to calm them down, I sympathize. If you've ever spent much time with little ones, whether as a parent, friend, teacher or relative, you've probably lived through your fair share of public outbursts and embarrassments. Kids sometimes don't know what to do with all the emotions they're feeling. It's up to us to try to help them learn. As I sit here today, thinking back through my first twenty-five years of parenting, I consider whether I have any regrets. Of course, there will always be those parenting "fails" were we wish we'd have handled something differently, but in general, if we've approached this important job with the best of intentions and gave it our best, hopefully our list of true regrets is short. I've tried, I've sometimes failed, but they've grown into compassionate, kind young adults and my list of regrets is short. I do regret not writing more things down. You think you'll remember all the cute things they say or do. Trust me— you won't. At least that's been my experience. There are things I miss from when they were all little. I miss the pile of little tennis shoes by the back door, even though the mess used to drive me crazy. I miss someone bringing me a dandelion to proudly display in a juice glass on the window sill. Like so many things in life, it's the little things we miss when we no longer have them. Perhaps the thing I miss the most is having all five of us under one roof when I go to sleep at night. While I'm still learning what it means to be a mom, because my role continues to evolve as they grow, I hope they'll always know what a privilege it's been to be "that person" for them. The one that loves them more than life itself. I hope we've been able to teach them a few valuable life lessons. Things like:
As a parent, we try to do our best every day. Some days will go better than others. You'll forget many of the details on your long journey together. You will forget the good, the bad, and even the ugly, but there will be special moments you'll never forget. As my grandmother Onie always used to say—enjoy every single stage of life. I'm working hard to do just that. Because while I'm sad that their tiny shoes are no longer piled by the back door, sometimes their big boots and tennis shoes still pile up there. We must be doing something right if the two that no longer live here still come back to visit. Life is good. I am blessed to be the mother of three awesome kids. And now I need to go bake a birthday cake for our youngest (or go buy an ice cream cake, she's always liked those best). Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend to a child, be sure to tell them how proud you are of them today. The world will be a better place when all children feel love. Kim
1 Comment
We always need to be on the lookout for people, stories, and things that inspire us because real life can be tough. How tough will be different for every single person on this earth. But even if you feel truly blessed in many areas of your life, there are bound to be rough spots and tough days. You'll feel bombarded and lose traction in areas where you were feeling good just yesterday. An unexpected illness, a day filled with nothing but bad news, or maybe even something as simple as hours of mundane tasks that suck you dry instead of making you smile. Too much drag and you can start to lose focus on things that are important to you. If you missed last week's blog post, please take a few minutes to check it out. I talked about how delightful it is to have a place in our home that's all my own, a place where I can find the quiet and solitude I need when I want to create. I suspect most everyone craves a place where they can escape to, for just a little while, to pursue that which inspires them. Throughout this past week, I also enjoyed sharing pictures of some of my favorite items in my little home office on my Facebook page. My goal was to show how easy it can be to pull together a room that can bring you joy, even when life makes you sigh. Only a few of the items in my special room were purchased specifically for it. Most were things I already had, and I repurposed. At this stage in life, I feel much like many of my favorite pieces. I started out with what I thought my purpose would be. But just like the old cabinet that currently holds center stage in my office has served many purposes, I also continue to evolve. Looking back, I can't even remember my cabinet's original color or how I came to own it. Fresh out of college and furnishing my very first solo apartment, I painted it a pale blue and used it to display pretty dishes I picked up at rummage sales and auctions. I was broke but optimistic, poised at the starting line of my future career. Later, I'd paint the cabinet a bright red, drill a few holes in the backside, and use it to display my ever-growing Christmas village collection. When my collection grew too large, my cabinet was relegated to the storage room to hold junk I no longer used but couldn't quite bear to part with yet. The cabinet still served a purpose, but I missed having its cute quirkiness out where I could see it. I decided my cabinet needed to be a focal point in my new office. I emptied out the junk, wrestled it out of the storage room, and prepped it for yet another makeover. The doors and hardware were getting sticky from multiple layers of paint, but her current shade of red didn't fit my new vision. Sandpaper helped to remove some of the excesses. Now she gleams bright white, and her new gold hardware is like pretty jewelry on a mature woman, lending a bit of shine. She holds some of my most precious pieces, including a priceless little painting from my mom, treasures made by my kids, and more. It’s interesting how the old cabinet's transformations have allowed her to serve so many useful functions. She likely began life as a cheap tool cabinet in some guy's garage. There's always a new way I can polish her up and find a use for her. Is this so very different from our own path through life? Can't we always transform and change, too, no matter how long we've been around or what we've done in our past? History doesn't have to dictate our future. If we are blessed to live a life that spans multiple decades, we inevitably evolve. Some of these transformations we enjoy, we even seek them out, while other conversions happen whether we want them to or not. A key to an inspired life is to make the most of every stage. And just like the doors on my old cabinet, things can build up and get sticky, not working as well as they used to. I mean this both metaphorically and physically! Even though it'll take work, we can banish the stickiness. I'll share how I see this playing out for me these days. I have worked at the same company for twenty-eight years and in the same industry for thirty. I purposefully avoid specifically naming where I work because that really doesn't matter for the points I'm trying to convey. I've worked hard for them, and they've treated me well. Companies change over time, just like we do. They must evolve to survive. We hear of different companies shutting down nearly every day now because they've failed to stay relevant. The skill sets businesses need out of the employees change, too. I work hard to learn and stay current in my roll. This is what they pay me to do. Change means uncertainty, and uncertainty can be disconcerting. You can either find a way to adapt and perhaps even thrive in that environment or let it upset you, bring you down. Here is the thing it took me longer than it should have to figure out: your day job doesn't have to define you. I would go so far as to warn you not to let it define you. Give it your best, excel at what they pay you to do, but give yourself permission to also create and live your very best life outside of work. This is the stage I find myself in right now, and I'm giving myself permission to pursue big dreams. Is it always easy? Honestly, no. The days are never long enough. I have an awesome family and a small circle of incredible friends. Time with them is a priority. I've also found I truly love writing and all the different things that come along with writing and publishing books and a weekly blog. I could pretend juggling it all is nothing but sunshine and roses, but if I really want to inspire you to live your best life, which is of utmost importance to me, anything less than honesty would be a disservice to you. Accomplishing things, whether it's getting healthier, repairing a tattered relationship, or writing a book is hard, but it's worth it. I don't sleep enough. This morning's brutal migraine served to remind me of this fact. I'll get a little more sleep in the week ahead. I'm late getting my third novel to my editor. My goal was to have it to him two weeks ago. I hate missing deadlines, even when they are self-imposed. I'm getting close, and I'll be head-down focused to get it sent off soon, but it'll take daily dedication. Sometimes my pretty office looks like a bomb went off in there. Juggling lots of balls at once can create a paper tornado. Progress is messy, and frustrating at times, but it's worth it. If you are working hard on something important to you, I understand it can be really hard. I commend you for committing to it in the first place and I’m here to help you stay on track. I try to share things that help me chase my dreams in the hopes it will help you do the same. Never, ever be afraid to go after that thing you've always wanted to do. Or maybe you just stumbled across something new that intrigues you. Explore it further—perhaps you'll decide it's not for you. Or maybe it will open up a whole new word for you, as writing has done for me. You never know until you try. When things get tough, it's up to you to find ways to keep yourself going. Personally, I never want to get to the end of my life and regret not trying. I may fail at some things but at least I’ll try. And since none of us know when that day will come, why not start that thing you've always wanted to do today (unless you've already started-in which case GOOD job!)? Three things that work for me when it would be easier to sit in front of the television and watch my favorite show include:
By the way, it's perfectly fine to sit in front of the television and watch your favorite shows- just be sure to make it a reward after you’ve actually done what needs doing first! The world around us is full of wonderful things that can inspire us in the pursuit of everything we want to do and hope to accomplish in our lifetime. Practice recognizing those things and make them a part of the environment in which you live. Fill your own cup, day in and day out, and share your own unique greatness with the world. Kim
Do you have a special place where you can go just to breathe? A place of your very own where you can unwind, relax, and rejuvenate? Where you can surround yourself with things you love, maybe things only you can appreciate? I dreamed of having a space like that for a long time. We’ve been blessed to live in the same home for over twenty-five years. As with any house, ours has its own unique quirks and problems. When we found ourselves with more kids than bedrooms, we considered moving, but in the end, we stayed put. We added on instead. Because that’s what we do around here. We find a way to make things work. I remember dreading the day when our kids would grow up and start to leave home. I hated the very thought. I imagined that when that time did come, the only redeeming factor might be a house that felt roomier. Back then I’d wonder what we’d do with all the extra space. That time has come faster than I thought it would. Everyone tells you it will, and they’re right. Two out of three of our kids have moved out. But, in reality, I’m finding the whole “extra space” thing doesn’t quite work like that. We still need the bedrooms, if not for the kids when they come home for a visit, for other guests. And it takes a while before the kids are completely out of the house. They may be gone, but much of their "stuff" remains. At least for us…for now. I’ve always dreamed of having a beautiful home office to call my own. I used to cut pictures out of magazines, spend hours watching HGTV, and even created some stunning Pinterest boards. But despite all my dreaming of the perfect office, I still had nowhere in the house where I could truly escape when I wanted to focus on my writing and other creative pursuits. After a while, the kitchen table just didn’t cut it anymore. If you find yourself in the same boat, I encourage you to look around your own home with fresh eyes. Maybe there is a closet you can repurpose. Or an attic that could serve a better purpose than storing the junk you’ll never need. For me, I eventually claimed a room in the basement. It doesn’t sound very glamorous, does it? When we first moved in years ago, that room served as nothing more than storage. Eventually, I convinced my husband to build a wall to separate the space. We’d keep the back one-third storage and convert the front two-thirds into an unofficial extra bedroom. The bedroom was rarely used. One day, inspiration struck. Since we now had a spare bedroom upstairs, what if we tossed the old bed that was downstairs and I could finally have my office? A space of my own to hold all my treasures where I could retreat to create. Was it even possible to convert the boxy little room with one tiny window and an unfortunately placed fuse box into something special? It wouldn’t have the natural light streaming in through gorgeous windows like some of the pictures I’d cut out and drooled over, but I thought it was worth a shot. I didn’t want to spend much money. Instead, I wanted to create a blank canvas (code for paint the ugly yellow walls a bright white) and then layer in many of the fun treasures I’ve collected over the years. I could make it as “girly” as I wanted and no one would care. Even though I’d long ago let go of my childhood dream of someday living in a pink house, I could have splashes of pink and bits of glam in my little downstairs office. And so the transformation began. I turned up the music, pulled out the tarps, got rid of the junk and recruited some helpers. The room felt lighter, brighter, once the fresh coat of white was up. It was almost time to let my imagination loose. But first, there were some practical issues to be addressed. One very real problem was the limited number of electrical outlets in my new office. My desk placement would be dictated based on where there was electricity. It drives me nuts when I have to be practical! I envisioned a large, L shaped desk with plenty of room for both computers and open tabletop space but I didn’t want anything heavy or too traditional. I scoured the house and screened-in porch for options.
What about that cool old door my mom and I had literally rescued from a dumpster outside a vintage-style store a few years earlier? The owners had been happy to have us take it. It barely fit in my mini-van, and we didn’t know what we’d do with it at the time, but I’ve learned to pick up treasures when you get the chance. You’ll figure out how to put them to use later. The door became the mainstay of my eclectic new desk with the addition of four adjustable table legs from Menards and a heavy piece of beveled glass. The glass originally came atop another treasure Mom and I had picked up even earlier. The $5 coffee table it came on ended up out on the curb on clean-up week, but the glass transformed our door into a desktop. With the addition of an old kitchen table to complete the L shape, I had my desk. The room continued to take shape. Old pieces, originally meant for other purposes have come together to give me a special place I call my own. When I want it bright, my pretty little “splurge” on the ceiling makes things sparkle. When I want to escape into my own mind, turning off all the lights except for the single one on my desk leaves me in a little cocoon of darkness. It works for me. If you haven’t carved out a nook of your own, somewhere in your home, I encourage you to consider it. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be as fancy or as spartan as you want. The important thing is for it to reflect your likes, your tastes. Unless you live alone, you likely have to find a way to blend your style with the styles of those you live with so everyone feels at home. But your own little corner can reflect your unique style. I know I love having my own nook. If you’re curious how my little basement office turned out, check back here next week when I’ll share more pictures and offer up examples of how I try to feed my own creativity and chase after my own dreams. If you follow my page on Facebook, I plan to post pictures of some of my favorite items from my office throughout this coming week so check those out, too. The older I get, the more I appreciate the importance of surrounding ourselves with people and things that make us smile. Sometimes it's the history of how things come to be a part of our lives that give us joy. Spice up your own little corner of the world with things that make your soul sing. It’s how I like to live. Kim When was the last time you noticed a pretty sunset? Gorgeous sunrises and spectacular sunsets serve as bookends to each day. Sometimes the colors are soft and muted. Other times the sky glows with a vivid beauty even the most talented painter would be challenged to recreate. Clouds will occasionally obscure our view, but we know the beauty is there, behind the cloak. It doesn't matter if it's a bitterly cold winter day or a hot, stormy summer evening. Regardless of the season, sunsets are here to remind us of the splendor of life. My favorite colors are pink and aqua. Last night's sunset glowed with those particular, cotton candy hues. Thank goodness the beauty of the evening sky stopped my daughter in her tracks. I'd have missed it if not for her. No matter what your favorite color is, you'll find it in a sunset. If not tonight, maybe tomorrow. Be patient and keep an eye on the sky. And enjoy the wait. Sunsets can signal when it's time to enjoy some of those extra special moments in life:
Sunsets, like so many beautiful things surrounding us, are often missed or taken for granted. We forget to appreciate their awesomeness. Maybe that's why some are grand enough to take our breath away—it makes them harder to ignore.
My daily commute covers very flat terrain. There's nothing to obstruct the beauty, except occasionally my own mind. I forget to look. To really see the beauty in the skies. Sunsets are fleeting. Some slip quietly away, unnoticed. Others are charged with heat lightning, sparking off on the horizon. Is there anything more awe-inspiring than mile-high thunderheads at dusk, glowing bright-white against a turbulent navy, shot through with streaks of lightning? Perhaps the one thing that can top a summer thunderhead is the rare northern lights, glowing and undulating in icy air as darkness falls. Sunsets are a reminder that endings can be beautiful and not something to be feared. They are part of the constant rhythm to our days. ***Beauty, rest, stars, rejuvenation, energy, light, opportunity, beauty, rest and on and on*** Sunsets are absolutely free to everyone blessed with sight and a line of vision to the sky. My post today contains fewer words and more photographs. Photos I've captured in my everyday life when I've felt inspired to save the glory at dusk. Similar to the painter, my words cannot do justice to the artistry of nature. What if we measured our lives in sunsets instead of years? What if we strive to feel peace at every sunset? Friends, keep your eyes on the horizon when the sun dips low and enjoy the transient display. Kim |
Kimberly Diede AuthorHello everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Kimberly Diede and I'm a fiction author and family girl. When time permits, I am happiest with a great cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. I love to alternate between reading and writing. Winters here can be long, dark and cold. Summers are unpredictable, lovely and always too short. Every season of the year, as in every season of life, is a gift. Let's celebrate it together! Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|