*Please note that if you were involved in one of these stories, I am not writing about you and am not attacking in anyway. This is simply about me growing up and figuring out who I am.
I am in love with the Sweet Valley Twins Book series, and they are selling one at the book fair. The book is $1.99. I can't decide if I am going to spend my hard-earned allowance on this book, and while discussing it with a friend, she says something like, "It's only $2. What's the big deal?" Boy do I feel dumb. A few days later I try to convince a different friend to spend her money on the book by saying, "It's only $2--what's the big deal? You should get it." She replies, "Yeah, but it's my $2, and I'm saving it for something else." Why didn't I say that?
Fast-forward 18 years:
I am eating with some beautiful and talented friends and we are discussing Valentine's Day. They are throwing out complicated (to me) Valentine's cards ideas. The conversation is roughly as follows:
me: Are you doing that for her teacher? (I never thought about doing a special Valentine for the teacher.)
friend(s): No, I (we) make our Valentines.
me: You don't just buy the ones from WalMart for $2?
friend(s): No, they come home and I throw all those away.
me: Yeah, I LOVE that!!!
friend(s): (something about making them cute and personal.)
me: Yeah, Madison put some silly bands in hers and Logan got Star Wars cards that change pictures. They love 'em, and we did them all last night while we watched a movie. It took 30 minutes.
I'm not fancy or complicated and I hate stressing over things (like planning birthday parties). I'm not gonna' lie. . . sometimes I feel guilty about this personality flaw. But I feel like I'm finally coming to terms with who I am. And I'm okay if other people know I'd rather buy already made cards at WalMart than spend my time making some. We are all awesome in different ways, and that isn't one of my ways of being awesome. I think I'd even be ok telling someone that I didn't want to spend $2 on a book. Being 30 is wonderful. A more normal face (which, by the way, Joe says must mean I am confident if I can put that crazy picture out for the public to see. lol, that's one way to look at it. :)
5 comments:
You are SO awesome Jen! I too would love to make Valentine Cards for all my children's classmates...it would be pretty sweet and I have done it once or twice, but the truth is, I just don't do it anymore. It sure is nice to know that I am not the only mother who buys store bought cards for my children. BJ
I'm with you! I buy the $2 cards at Wal-Mart. I think my kids would have to start a month a head of time if they wanted to make a homemade one for every friend and it would take a lot of nagging on my part. I don't really want to do that!
p.s. I love seeing the pictures of Ammon and hearing his stories. Riley does the same thing when we tell him no. He thinks it's great and that if we say no, it must have been something really worthwhile.
Did you ever check out my quote at the top of my Blog?
It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection.-some hindi book
Every year I try and be more and more molly and quit worrying that I am doing things wrong. Your way is always the right way for you Jen. Whats hard is figuring out the things that we do that are because of outside influence that arn't necessarly good. A surpring number popped up once I started looking. I love YOU the way you are.
:) I am pretty bad at stressful birthday parties, and am so anti-commercial that Valentines hold no romance for me. Thanks for the reminder that I can participate at whatever level I want to.
I think you not being "fancy" or "complicated" IS one of your ways of being awesome!!!
I loved Sweet Valley Twins too!
Post a Comment