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| My dad and I at my sister's wedding. |
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
My Favorite Day
If I could choose a favorite day it would be one spent with John and our favorite things. We would get up a little earlier than usual. I'm always up early, usually by 8am, but John would sleep all day sometimes if he had the option. I'd say 9am is a great time to get up. I would go to Grandview Grill in St. Paul for breakfast. We love this place! It serves the most wonderful breakfast food. John is particular to the Cajun Benedict and I usually just get plain old eggs and toast because I love the toast. Oh simple pleasures :) After breakfast we would go to a farmer's market. The ones in Bloomington and Edina are great, but I want to try the ones in Minneapolis and St. Paul because they're big. I wouldn't care where we had lunch, maybe sushi, it's my favorite. The afternoon could include a variety of activities or just relaxing. We enjoying going for runs together, taking Comet to the dog park, walking around MOA and people watching, going to Afton State Park with Comet or just swimming in our pool. We would make supper at home and enjoy a bottle of wine together. Snuggle up and watch one of our favorite shows. And that would be one of my favorite days :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Job Search
I graduated with my undergraduate degree in December 2011 and from there I started searching for jobs. It's a difficult and frustrating process, which I thought would be easier after getting a degree. That is false at least in my experience. I applied for numerous jobs, most of which I didn't even hear back from. At first I focused on full time jobs that were in my field, then part-time jobs in my field. My frustration continued to mount because it was such an open-ended process. I would apply and most often hear nothing either way. How much time does it take to just send an email saying they chose someone else or I am not qualified or whatever the reason. It would have just been easier to know either way, so I could move onto other positions.
One job that I was incredibly excited about was in a school setting working with at-risk kids. A couple days after I applied I actually heard back, they had already filled that position, but had another position that I was even more excited about. It was working in an emergency home for teens with psychological problems. My heart was beating faster as the woman talked about it on the phone. At the end of the call she dropped the bomb. I would have to work every weeknight except for one and every weekend. Hmmm... what to do. My thought process about it was relatively simple, even though most people I've talked to said I should have decided differently or at least given it more thought. John works during the day and has nights and weekends off and my marriage is the most important relationship in my life, therefore I didn't want to take a job that put strain on my marriage and have an opposite schedule as my husband. From there I got started looking for nanny jobs. It seemed like a logical move for me because I love kids and I was getting bored sitting at home.
There is a fabulous website called Care.com and it is where I found two previous PCA (personal care attendant) positions, so I concentrated my search there. I would recommend the site to anyone who is searching for a care position. I knew I wanted full-time or close to full-time, but it didn't matter to me how many kids or what their ages. I talked with a number of families over the course of a couple weeks. Enter Leif, Melissa and Harper. Before meeting them in person I talked to Leif on the phone for a few minutes to set up a time to meet them in person. They only wanted part-time, which was the only part of the position I wasn't sure about. I remember I met them on a Tuesday night and I felt welcome right when I walked into their home. They were/are a warm, loving, kind couple and their babe is adorable. They offered me the job that night and I accepted, even though they said I could think about it :) I felt comfortable and I knew it was the right place for me. We have been building a lasting friendship ever since.
One job that I was incredibly excited about was in a school setting working with at-risk kids. A couple days after I applied I actually heard back, they had already filled that position, but had another position that I was even more excited about. It was working in an emergency home for teens with psychological problems. My heart was beating faster as the woman talked about it on the phone. At the end of the call she dropped the bomb. I would have to work every weeknight except for one and every weekend. Hmmm... what to do. My thought process about it was relatively simple, even though most people I've talked to said I should have decided differently or at least given it more thought. John works during the day and has nights and weekends off and my marriage is the most important relationship in my life, therefore I didn't want to take a job that put strain on my marriage and have an opposite schedule as my husband. From there I got started looking for nanny jobs. It seemed like a logical move for me because I love kids and I was getting bored sitting at home.
There is a fabulous website called Care.com and it is where I found two previous PCA (personal care attendant) positions, so I concentrated my search there. I would recommend the site to anyone who is searching for a care position. I knew I wanted full-time or close to full-time, but it didn't matter to me how many kids or what their ages. I talked with a number of families over the course of a couple weeks. Enter Leif, Melissa and Harper. Before meeting them in person I talked to Leif on the phone for a few minutes to set up a time to meet them in person. They only wanted part-time, which was the only part of the position I wasn't sure about. I remember I met them on a Tuesday night and I felt welcome right when I walked into their home. They were/are a warm, loving, kind couple and their babe is adorable. They offered me the job that night and I accepted, even though they said I could think about it :) I felt comfortable and I knew it was the right place for me. We have been building a lasting friendship ever since.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Insecurity & Criticism
"Insecurity is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that may be triggered by perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable in some way, or a sense of vulnerability or instability which threatens one's self-image or ego."
"Criticism is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something or someone in an intelligible (or articulate) way."
With those definitions in mind I'll give you a little glimpse into what happened last night. I was wearing an outfit that I like and when my husband came home he basically told me he didn't like it and that I wear outfits like it too often. Here's an idea of the outfit, tunic, long sweater, leggings, high socks, scarf. In other words, coverage from head to toe. Now, I have to add a note here because my husband is a wonderful man and I don't want him painted in a different light than that. No he's not perfect, but he's mine and I'm so thankful for that. He is kind, hard-working and generous. Most of all he's honest about anything and everything, including what I wear. He had good reasons for commenting on my clothes which I'll get into. When I hear criticism of any kind I have a few different defense mechanisms. I can't honestly say that I'm good at taking criticism, I'm actually very poor at it Similarly I'm not good at taking compliments either. I tend to shut-down emotionally and have a tough time conversing about it, get defensive and argue about the critique or make excuses for why the other person might feel that way. Last night I went through all of them, first arguing with him, second shutting down and third brushing off his compliments.
After arguing he went to take a shower. We have learned that if we're arguing it's better for me to have some time and space to think because I can get mean when I feel attacked. My brain automatically goes into a mode that tells me if he hurt me I can hurt him back. (Not proud of this.) I truly started to think why his critique hurt so much while he was in the basement. I came up with three reasons it was painful. #1: He's my husband and I want him to think I look good. #2: I like the outfit. #3: I'm insecure in myself.
When he came up I apologized for getting so angry and started to explain myself. He apologized as well and I know tried his best to understand my logic and to explain his own. He said he didn't like the outfit because it covered everything up. Not in modesty, but I only would've needed a little more fabric and a head covering to look like a nun. He tried to explain to me that it's was almost like I was wearing a burlap sack, which gave no definition to my body. Clearly he's not good at sugar-coating, but he probably doesn't because critiques that are sugar-coated go over my head. This is where it gets difficult for me because the reason I feel good in that outfit is because it covers every imperfection I think I have. It doesn't show my stomach, my thighs, my upper arms... the list could go on. I feel if I hide myself I can feel safe and I do when my clothes are flowing. In all honesty I might not feel like I look that good in that outfit, but I feel safe and that's important to me. When we have discussions that are hard I get the worst stress headaches ever right above my eyes, those tend to trigger my emotional shut-down. At this point I'm not good at much except for crying.
When I'm crying John will sit with me and then he usually wants to try and fix the issue. Last night he helped me pick out clothes he would like and then had to give me a pep talk because they made my "perceived" imperfections visible. I did my best to brush of his compliments because that's what I do. He stayed patient with me until I accepted them and understood what he saw in me. Our night ended up being great as we went on a date to Sam's Club :)
To tie this into the definitions above. Criticisms are not necessarily meant to harm or hurt. They are meant to give an educated or instruct or help (at least in this case). John's intentions were not to hurt me, but to help me. He wants me to be confident in myself and my body. Even though his intentions were positive his critique played right into my insecurity, which lead to the difficult situation. In this situation, however painful I know there are lessons I need to learn. There are take-away messages that will certainly help me in the future if I take them to heart.
- Keep in mind intentions when I receive criticism. They might only be meant to help. If they are meant to hurt ignore them.
- Understand that my insecurity doesn't have to determine how I process critiques or compliments.
- Be grateful for people who want to help me become a better person.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Something I Wish I Was Better At
I believe there are and will always be traits/quirks about myself that I could improve. As a human I will never be perfect. John always tells me there is beauty in imperfection, which of course I appreciate :) The best way I can live is to acknowledge that I will never be perfect and continue to improve myself to be the best I can be. For this post I chose two different aspects of my life that I wish I was better at...
1. I wish I was better at expressing my feelings. I have gotten better since I got married, but I am still pretty bad at it. Growing up we weren't encouraged to be outwardly emotional, so I became (at least thought I did) excellent at bottling everything up. I assumed I had to look like I had it all together, for my siblings, my parents, my friends, the town. Not surprisingly, all the emotions I bottled up exploded and that's when I fell into depression. At that point though I still didn't know how to express myself and continued to hide what I was feeling. John was the first person to encourage me to tell him what I was feeling. When he asked me how I was doing, he wouldn't take the response "fine" because he knew that was my cop-out. He seems to always know when I'm feeling sad or mad or overwhelmed and continues to ask me what's up until I let him in. With that said I still struggle immensely with sharing my feelings with my family, especially my dad. I was just talking to John the other day about how I wish I could tell my dad about how sorry I am for what I put them through when I was depressed. I think I hesitate because I feel it would put both my dad and me in an awkward position. I cherish the relationship we have now even if it isn't what I truly wish we had, so I would hate to jeopardize that. I hope one day that I have the courage to be vulnerable with my dad.
2. I wish I was better at balancing my time. I stink at it and I have always known it. Recently I've been starting to see the toll being busy has on me and my marriage. As we have begun discussing starting a family I'm really starting to realize how much time I spend on others and how much less time I'll have for John and I when there's a baby in the picture. Now by no means do I mean that I wish I only spent time on myself. I love spending time with others and serving others, but I think I need to start finding a healthy balance. As the summer approaches there will be activities that will be coming to a close, so my plan is to be continually be aware of where I commit my time and remember that time spent not doing anything can be productive.
1. I wish I was better at expressing my feelings. I have gotten better since I got married, but I am still pretty bad at it. Growing up we weren't encouraged to be outwardly emotional, so I became (at least thought I did) excellent at bottling everything up. I assumed I had to look like I had it all together, for my siblings, my parents, my friends, the town. Not surprisingly, all the emotions I bottled up exploded and that's when I fell into depression. At that point though I still didn't know how to express myself and continued to hide what I was feeling. John was the first person to encourage me to tell him what I was feeling. When he asked me how I was doing, he wouldn't take the response "fine" because he knew that was my cop-out. He seems to always know when I'm feeling sad or mad or overwhelmed and continues to ask me what's up until I let him in. With that said I still struggle immensely with sharing my feelings with my family, especially my dad. I was just talking to John the other day about how I wish I could tell my dad about how sorry I am for what I put them through when I was depressed. I think I hesitate because I feel it would put both my dad and me in an awkward position. I cherish the relationship we have now even if it isn't what I truly wish we had, so I would hate to jeopardize that. I hope one day that I have the courage to be vulnerable with my dad.
2. I wish I was better at balancing my time. I stink at it and I have always known it. Recently I've been starting to see the toll being busy has on me and my marriage. As we have begun discussing starting a family I'm really starting to realize how much time I spend on others and how much less time I'll have for John and I when there's a baby in the picture. Now by no means do I mean that I wish I only spent time on myself. I love spending time with others and serving others, but I think I need to start finding a healthy balance. As the summer approaches there will be activities that will be coming to a close, so my plan is to be continually be aware of where I commit my time and remember that time spent not doing anything can be productive.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Something I Wish I Could Forget/Something I Regret
I have encountered numerous discussions about this topic and I always come to the same conclusion. The issue is organizing my thoughts. Every life story, including my own, is powerful. Circumstances or actions that people consider regretful are often learning experiences, which form those stories. All 24 years of my life have affected who I am today. Of course there are times I wish I had made different decisions or that there was an alternative outcome at the end of my actions, but those changes would likely alter the person that I am today and I am not okay with that. Hindsight is 20/20 though. Looking back I have more information, more experience, more wisdom, so different actions/thoughts make sense.
In high school I suffered with severe depression and the spring of my senior year I attempted to take my own life (blog post for another time). I spent two days in intensive care and two days in a mental health unit. I encountered various people including other patients, therapists, doctors, nurses, etc. The first boy I met upon entering the mental unit was a cutter (self-injury) and both his forearms were covered in scabs. Individuals from 14 to 84 years old were in the unit. I begged my parents not to leave me there. It was one of the few times I saw my dad have watery eyes. My time there seemed so trivial. My boyfriend at the time called me at the hospital to end our relationship. We made rice krispie bars and colored.. I remember trying to tell my psychiatrist what he wanted to hear so I'd be able to go home. Looking back I believe I honestly had no idea what I was doing, even though at the time I thought I had everything under control. I was stuck in this all-consuming, drowning, draining mental illness.
With that, I make the assumption some people would want to change that difficult part of their life, at least they wouldn't attempt to take their own life. I know my family would prefer it was not part of their memory and I wish that I hadn't put them through it. I know it was a difficult experience for my siblings. For me though it was the start of recovery. I know it was a cry for help and I'm so incredibly thankful that it was unsuccessful. It was the start of understanding the importance of expressing my feelings instead of bottling them up. Without this experience I wouldn't be able to communicate with my husband as well as I do, which would put a strain on our marriage. I appreciate life so much more because of this experience and it also put a soft spot in my heart for teenagers experiencing similar issues. I have had the privilege of working with a handful of students who have similar stories as my own. This was also the start of understanding that perfection is not an attribute a human can achieve. I started to let go of getting perfect grades, being the perfect daughter and "fixing" others. I stress this was only a starting point. I'm still working on letting go.
More insignificant occurrences in my life do cause me to look back and say that I wish they had happened differently, but then I have to ask myself at what cost? I forgot a friend's birthday last year, I kissed more boys than I wish I had in high school and forgot a few friends on my wedding invite list. Sure not my shining moments, but they made me appreciate my friends, my family and my husband. They make me understand the importance of saying I'm sorry. They make me appreciate God's promises and God's plan for my life. I know He's looking out for me.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10
Lastly... if we forgot our mistakes and our accomplishments wouldn't we just be shells of people? Wouldn't we continually repeat the same mistakes?
In high school I suffered with severe depression and the spring of my senior year I attempted to take my own life (blog post for another time). I spent two days in intensive care and two days in a mental health unit. I encountered various people including other patients, therapists, doctors, nurses, etc. The first boy I met upon entering the mental unit was a cutter (self-injury) and both his forearms were covered in scabs. Individuals from 14 to 84 years old were in the unit. I begged my parents not to leave me there. It was one of the few times I saw my dad have watery eyes. My time there seemed so trivial. My boyfriend at the time called me at the hospital to end our relationship. We made rice krispie bars and colored.. I remember trying to tell my psychiatrist what he wanted to hear so I'd be able to go home. Looking back I believe I honestly had no idea what I was doing, even though at the time I thought I had everything under control. I was stuck in this all-consuming, drowning, draining mental illness.
With that, I make the assumption some people would want to change that difficult part of their life, at least they wouldn't attempt to take their own life. I know my family would prefer it was not part of their memory and I wish that I hadn't put them through it. I know it was a difficult experience for my siblings. For me though it was the start of recovery. I know it was a cry for help and I'm so incredibly thankful that it was unsuccessful. It was the start of understanding the importance of expressing my feelings instead of bottling them up. Without this experience I wouldn't be able to communicate with my husband as well as I do, which would put a strain on our marriage. I appreciate life so much more because of this experience and it also put a soft spot in my heart for teenagers experiencing similar issues. I have had the privilege of working with a handful of students who have similar stories as my own. This was also the start of understanding that perfection is not an attribute a human can achieve. I started to let go of getting perfect grades, being the perfect daughter and "fixing" others. I stress this was only a starting point. I'm still working on letting go.
More insignificant occurrences in my life do cause me to look back and say that I wish they had happened differently, but then I have to ask myself at what cost? I forgot a friend's birthday last year, I kissed more boys than I wish I had in high school and forgot a few friends on my wedding invite list. Sure not my shining moments, but they made me appreciate my friends, my family and my husband. They make me understand the importance of saying I'm sorry. They make me appreciate God's promises and God's plan for my life. I know He's looking out for me.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10
Lastly... if we forgot our mistakes and our accomplishments wouldn't we just be shells of people? Wouldn't we continually repeat the same mistakes?
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Biggest Insecurity
The word insecure had four different definitions according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online...
Although my insecurities do not necessarily prevent me from enjoying certain situations they do push me towards facets of my life where I know I can succeed. I would readily admit that this is one of my defense mechanisms to prevent insecurity. Because I use it as a way to protect myself I often keep myself within my comfort zone even in uncomfortable situations.
With that said I also want to acknowledge that I believe people are strong and courageous and at times I know I fight against my insecurities. My husband switched hockey teams two years ago and I had to make new friends with the wives/girlfriends. I honestly know I hoped they would all sit together and just ignore I was there, but I actually surprised myself by introducing myself. I actually made some dear friends out of the experience. It also makes hockey more enjoyable :)
I believe being aware and reflecting on my insecurities helps me to keep myself in check. If I am straying away from a certain situation or person because it/they cause me anxiety I can admit that to myself and make a decision on how to respond. I know there are times when I feel that keeping my distance is best, but there are also instances where I have to give myself a little push to fight my insecurity and in the end, be stronger.
- not confident or sure: uncertain
- not adequately guarded or sustained: unsafe
- not firmly fastened or fixed: shaky
- not highly stable or well-adjusted: deficient in assurance
Although my insecurities do not necessarily prevent me from enjoying certain situations they do push me towards facets of my life where I know I can succeed. I would readily admit that this is one of my defense mechanisms to prevent insecurity. Because I use it as a way to protect myself I often keep myself within my comfort zone even in uncomfortable situations.
With that said I also want to acknowledge that I believe people are strong and courageous and at times I know I fight against my insecurities. My husband switched hockey teams two years ago and I had to make new friends with the wives/girlfriends. I honestly know I hoped they would all sit together and just ignore I was there, but I actually surprised myself by introducing myself. I actually made some dear friends out of the experience. It also makes hockey more enjoyable :)
I believe being aware and reflecting on my insecurities helps me to keep myself in check. If I am straying away from a certain situation or person because it/they cause me anxiety I can admit that to myself and make a decision on how to respond. I know there are times when I feel that keeping my distance is best, but there are also instances where I have to give myself a little push to fight my insecurity and in the end, be stronger.
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