I'm a morning person, so every day, I get up before the sunrise and watch the sunrise. There is a reason why my Instagram feed is filled with photos of the orange and red and yellow found in the sky. It's my fuel, and it's how I keep going.
It wasn't surprising that this morning when I got up, that I would find messages of "Happy Birthday" and the like. But to me, July 14 is just another day.
I'm not sure if I can express my views in a satisfactory way to others, but I'm going to try. We'll see how many others feel the same way I do.
I'm a mother, but it's about balance.
My two teenage children. My daughter was trying to explain to her brother how to smile. (Photo taken April 13, 2020, during a family walk during lockdown.)
Let's start by saying that I'm a mother of two teenagers. My oldest is in his first year at university (a freshman at college). My youngest is in Year 11 (a sophomore in high school). And as a mother, must have my daily routine centers around keeping the house running smoothly—well, kind-of smoothly. I cooked dinner. I do the grocery shopping. I make sure the bills get paid. And when needed, I drive my kids to their various activities. (I'm looking for to the oldest getting off his ass and actually getting his driver's license. At this rate, his younger sister will get there before he does.)
I'm not saying that I'm indispensable to my family, because I know somebody else could easily do the job that I do to keep the house running. But for me, like many mothers around the world, the family is a big part of our lives. And for me, like many mothers around the world, I wouldn't change it for anything.
It is a matter of balance and finding that balance can be hard at times.
I remember seeing a video some time ago of Jada Pinkett Smith talking to her daughter Willow about how important it is to look after yourself, so you can look after everyone else. The messages were about the importance of self-care. And she is right that you have to look after yourself and take the time to fuel your passions, discovering who you are, so you can share part of that self with the ones you love.
My form of self-care
Photo taken February 21, 2021
For me, the moment of centering is in the hours of the sunrise. I watch the red on the horizon blend into the navy, admiring how the transitions move through orange and yellow—and for that brief moment, the worries of the world don't seem to matter. It's life that matters.
The birds chirp out their morning songs and occasionally take flight over the field behind my back fence. The neighborhood cats sit in the corner of the yard, eying up those birds. "What such a lovely breakfast…" And the sky continues to lighten.
Standing at my lounge window, taking the moment to watch the last evening star blink out of existence, I am humbled, because I remember that today is just another day to live.
July 14 might be the anniversary of my birth, but it is just another day. It is another day that I got up before the sunrise and I watched the sky change hues. And it's another day that I settled myself in my office chair and started writing and editing — something that I enjoy.
When I tell people it's just another day, the immediate assumption is that I'm upset or angry or… that maybe something is wrong. But that couldn't be further from the truth. It's just another day where I could do the same thing that I love.
Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes. I appreciate them. But if you're willing to give it a go, I'd like you all to do something for me.
Find that moment in your day that allows you to slow down, even for a minute, and just marvel at the life around you. Allow that moment to fuel your passion for something that you love. Then, when you're ready, share that passion with the world.
It's just another day, but make every day worth living for.