A lot Going on: Abridged

Last week, I moved in to the upper level of the house of a friend. Right now, despite the fact that the electricity suddenly shut off and I am roasting just a little, I am pretty pleased with that.

Last week, several months of planning came together when two friends were married at 11 o'clock in the morning on a rainy day. It's said that rain is good luck, and that rain was heavy. I love that kind of weather. Tim officiated, but I didn't get to hear most of what he said; I was in my element, running around, and making sure everything went smoothly. At reception, I really let loose on the dance floor. Despite the fact that I was the wedding coordinator, I was allowed, because I was also a friend. And I think I needed that dancing because when I went out there, I really let loose. I let all the stress and the fatigue and the business of the week out, and it felt really good.

Last week, I started something new. I decided not to weigh myself for 6 months. Weighing in is a trivial matter for a lot of people. But I take it to heart. I let the scale say things that it shouldn't have power to say. After reading a great article called "Why the Scale Lies," several weeks of sleep deprivation, about two months of a lop-sided fitness regimen of cardio, cardio, cardio, I decided it was a time for a (healthy) change. I had previously had a habit of not weighing myself, but I was afraid to go back to it for fear "I might gain weight." This time, I'm aiming for health and not a tiny number. I'm including (a moderate amount of) cardio, strength training, yoga, plenty of water, rather healthy eating (I've already discovered that pizza makes me feel horribly unhealthy, but I "can't go without" a few treats, like chocolate), and I'm aiming for 8 hours of sleep a night. Today is my sixth day, and already I feel fantastic. Healthy, energized, fit. Yesterday, I had planned on hitting the gym. But I realized I really needed a nap much more than I needed a workout, so I slept. It felt really good to make a choice that I new was benefitting my body (and consequently, a fuller life) like that.

Last week, I realized that I will probably end up substitute teaching again. Embracing this is really an exercise in humility for me, but already I have seen how this could really work out for my family (when I say that, I mean Tim and I, but I also mean family as a whole. Friends, relatives, aquaintances.) It allows me to be available at the store, to watch a friend's grandchild who just happens to need childcare very soon, to cook, to keep up the house that everyone else who is living in is way to busy to be able to keep up, to offer my time to those who really need it.
Ah, humility. It is not something I have a good grasp on, but I am learning a lot along the way.