Sharing the Not So Perfect

Well, I am far from perfect.  Although if you look on my Facebook page, you would think that life is all good.  It really is, but there are parts of my life I would like to alter.  Parts of myself that I would like to change.

I shared some not so perfect facts about myself on the following page.  We all have different sides of ourselves.  When I was asked to explore the idea of inner child, I thought about a small part of me that sometimes feels angry.  Angry about some of my past, the bad things I lived through.  Dealing with these feelings makes me a work in progress.

I am going to focus on the fact that I am trying.  That is what a work in progress is.  

A Message to my Kids

We are back into the swing of life...soccer, orthodontic appointments, work and meetings.  It has been busy and crazy.  The carefree joy of the summer is over.  We had fun this summer.  Real fun, loads of giggles.  Day trips and adventures.  I don't want them to ever lose that sense as their lives grow more and more busy and crazy.

I scrapped about it and sent them a message on a page.  I used the September kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling.

I loved the gorgeous colors on this paper.  I also loved how it looked like a patchwork, perfect for a page about my family.  I caught the photo of my kids at the Dinosaur Place this summer.

I want them to have a sense of adventure and to explore life.  To really enjoy it, while also pursuing stable careers and managing their own work and families.  You can always keep your inner child alive.

Safe Inner Child

Think about that fragile side of you.  The little girl or boy who feels vulnerable and nervous.  Do we all have that part of ourselves?  I know that I do.  She tends to watch from afar to size up the safety of a situation.  I don't mean safety in the physical sense, but more the emotional.  She has taken risks in the past and has been hurt.  Disappointed. Abandoned.  I think that is what she is afraid of the most.

Then Steve walked in.  I was in a great place in life and was taking care of myself.  I was ready for love.  Was my inner child?  I decided to push past fears and take that leap.  It was the best decision of my life.

I scrapped about it using the September kit from Inside Out Visual Journaling.  I love, love, love this kit and all its goodies.  Many of the items served as inspiration for my pages.  I love this big Sigh card.  Kinda sums up how I feel.

Not only do I feel safe and loved, accepted and cherished.  So does my inner child.

Blessings in Disguise

I truly believe in blessings in disguise, that every situation has something positive to offer.  Truth be told...I don't always react to every situation with that as my immediate thought.  But, given some processing time, I usually work hard to search for that lesson.  All lessons really are blessings, right?

This summer, I found myself in a new situation.  For over ten years, Steve and I were together each summer...on those awesome teacher vacations.  This year and a new job for Steve, it was me and the kids.  I wasn't so sure.  The kids weren't so sure.  We were going to miss our family unit.

Then the unexpected.  We created a new normal.  My inner child came out!

I decided to have fun creating this page, using a bold title and scattering lots of embellishments.  This is my favorite image from the summer.  This kids and I had a fun adventure that day and we ended up  going to Old Wethersfield for ice cream.  We walked over to the Webb Barn, where Steve and I actually got married.  I explained to them the significance of the place.  We took some photos that showed how happy we were.  

As much as we missed our family unit, we bonded and moved forward.  We created fun memories with Steve too, all of us learning to appreciate each other in a new way.  I learned to be more flexible.  To go with it and see where an adventure brought us.  I tried new things and took risks.  In some ways, I felt like a kid again too.  It was a blessing in disguise.