Slow down and enjoy the scenery!

Life seems to be speeding by at a break-neck speed! Just showing up for life isn't enough. You have to be actually present to enjoy it, learn from it, and truly live it.

Let me start with a little story. Our 12 yr. old has decided he wants to raise pigs. Not just any pigs mind you, Berkshire pigs to be exact. Now, trying to find a full blood Berkshire has been a constant hunt for about 4 months. Finally, we found one. So, this morning was the day to go look at the pig, and see if it was what he wanted.

After a busy weekend, I wanted nothing more than to sit around the house, and veg out all day! I attempted to come up with every possible excuse not to go. Much to my own frustration, there were no excuses not to go! So, we loaded into the truck to begin the 20 minute drive to where the pig was at. The trip wasn't too bad, we ended up seeing some beautiful scenery on the trip up. We looked at the pig, and it was exactly what he was looking for. The drive home was what really changed my outlook today. My husband decided to take the back roads. We cut through a gravel road, and saw some of the most beautiful sights I had seen for awhile. Old barns, old farm houses, cows and horses littering the fields, newer homes built to replace the older homesteads. It was such an eye opener this morning.

The past week has been very hectic for me. I spent the week baking cookies, making candies, and cleaning the house to get ready for our first Christmas Open House. Then came the horrific news of the school shooting in CT and the constant news, imagines and political responses to it. I cried while watching the initial reports, and my heart broke, as a parent, for all the parents. However, I refuse to continue to watch news reports, or even read all the posts on FaceBook. The problem is more news coverage, and more good intentioned people trying to save everything and everyone. They are more worried about everyone and everything else than they are about themselves. I don't mean to sound heartless, but enough is enough. I personally have a family, and home to worry about first and foremost.

Once I turned off the news, I got our home ready for our Christmas Open House, and the family, friends, and neighbors that were to be coming to our home to celebrate such a beautiful holiday. After a great evening with a house full of great people, I have began the hectic schedule of holiday parties in other locations, Christmas with our local families, and the arrival of my husbands brother and his family.

Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in stuff that we forget what's truly important. I am no different. We worry about keeping the house clean, keeping up with jobs and farms, and focusing on gifts bought at stores. What we neglect to realize is that the most important things in our lives, aren't things at all. They are the people in our lives. Our spouses, children, parents, siblings, and other extended family. Spreading cheer to those in our communities, and helping those in need.

I think we spend too much time trying save everything from trees, to animals, to limiting what's seen on television, and who's allowed to do whatever, or even punishing those who have more than we do. Rather than be envious of what's others have, why not be happy with what we do have and focus on making ourselves better?! I don't have much money or material items, but our home contains so much love for each other that we honestly have everything we need. It's not to say that we wouldn't love to have more, but why and for what purpose? It's more clutter, more head aches, and honestly why would anyone try to compete with each other?

Since the spirit of Christmas has consumed my heart even more than usual this year, I can only hope that others will find the spirit to carry through not only the season, but through out the year too.

Be grateful for those in your life, for the "stuff" you have, and don't be afraid of hard work to better yourself. Don't try to save everything, instead focus on you. What others do, is none of your business...unless it DIRECTLY effects you.
~S~