latest mantra: i can do hard things

i attended a workshop this last weekend and listen to a man talk about how he was able to forgive a 17 year old kid who got drunk and crashed into his car killing his wife and two of his children. that is hard.

i read the book, 'sarah's key' where a 10 year old girl loses her family during world war 2 and carries the resulting grief for the rest of her life. that is hard.

a woman in one of my yoga classes lost her son unexpectedly two weeks ago. she tearfully told me how he died in her arms. that is hard.

my life is not hard. but sometimes it feels that way. and because we know i love to rant...here are some things that i think are hard:

my sister lindy is leaving. not just utah but the country. for 18 months. no possibility for phone calls seeking boy advice. no girls' weekends where we watch movies, eat ice cream and swap clothes. no car rides with enthusiastic singing. no notes left behind. this will be hard.

my knee. blah blah blah everyone is sick of me whining about my knee. trust me...i am too. but having a hurt knee SUCKS. it creeps into everything. it causes me to be more cautious, losing the exhilaration that movement brings into life. it messes with my yoga practice. pain in child's pose!? you have got to be kidding. this is hard.

babies growing up. my sweet little nephew left el salvador a toddler and is now a little boy. i held him the day after he was born when he looked a wee bit like a turtle. now he is a clever talkative 'cowboy/superman/buzz lightyear'. my gorgeous little niece walked for the first time yesterday. she isn't even a year old. she constantly will stare you down her gorgeous blue eyes. she's independent, curious and will push the limits within moments of setting her down. only every now and then is she sleepy enough or morose enough for you to hold her and she'll relax down onto your shoulder. babies growing up is hard.

moving away from flower mound, texas is hard.

friends moving across the country is hard.

cutting back on sugar is hard.

trying to build relationships with boys men is hard. really hard.

even accepting a boy's hand to help you down after climbing rocks is hard.

building confidence in yourself is hard.

again, i know my life isn't that hard. but it's nice to get it all out every now and then :) feel free to call me and let if all out if necessary.

remember...we can do hard things.

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