Just Thinking

It has occurred to me that BALANCE is something that I want/desire/strive to have in my life. I was thinking about the many different ways to achieve it & have come up with one that I felt like posting about.

Almost a year ago now my sister Rachel told me about a satirical blog called "Seriously So Blessed". It is a fictional blog by a woman who sees the humor & {sometimes} ridiculous nature of the "Mormon Mommy Blog" culture. Her blogs are "profound" {questions like, is "permanent make up against the plan?" and "does online shopping on Sunday break the sabbath?"} or "WAY FUN" {blogs about cupcakes, Lake "Pal" and her adorable and fake twins Aliviyah & Tridger}. I read this blog faithfully because I am always rewarded when I do. It is funny & thought provoking {Babies wearing playcothes to church. sinful or darling?}.

The other blog I follow is Nie Nie Dialogues. It is the blog of Stephanie Nielson, a woman who I've never met & probably never will. Just a year ago (interesting timing, huh?) she and her husband were in a plane crash that took the life of the pilot & left her with burns covering 80% of her body & in a coma for 5 months. She is just 28 years old (familiar?) and is a mother to 4 little kids. Her husband was also severely injured in the crash & over the last year her blog went from being about the usual stuff you'd expect (family life, photos & whatnot) to updates posted by a family member while she (Stephanie) remained in a coma to Stephanie returning to write her own updates from a new and incredibly grateful perspective. She has a gratitude & reverence for her (and all) life that is awe inspiring.

When I read the first blog I find myself laughing at the ludicrous & all-encompassing selfishness of the "blogger". Then I stop to think about the fact that their REALLY are people who only think of how every single thing affects them & ONLY them. It causes me to think of ways I am like that in my own life. When I read the second I marvel at how Stephanie can be funny & brave and graceful at a time when simple every day things are a struggle due to her new physical limitations. I think about how grateful she is for simple & beautiful things that are only beautiful when you stop to think about them (being the one that hears day in & day out "Moo-Omm!", getting to be the one to change the baby's diaper & prepare her bottle at 2/3/4 in the morning and be rewarded with her face splitting grin.). I stop to think about the times that instead of cherishing everything that is positive (and really, isn't it ALL positive?) in my life I complain about the things that I would desperately miss if I didn't have them.

I feel like one without the other would be kind of flat. If all I ever read was "Seriously So Blessed" I'd still find it funny but would I stop to insure that I am more thoughtful & considerate of others in my daily life? Or would I see myself more & more in her posts? And (unfortunately) if all I read was the Nie Nie Dialogues I would still marvel at her strength but would I appreciate the blessing of being in a healthy body with a full range of motion? Or would I begin to think or say "Well, yeah, if I'd almost died I'd be more grateful too!" without stopping to think of how horrible & ungrateful that would be to my friends, family & my Heavenly Father?

I'm grateful for BALANCE and all the ways that life offers the lessons I get to & want to learn. Today, I am grateful the I get to BE...