2021 is already a year for the books!!
Some might think that this year is going to trump 2020 and be so much worse. But to me, it is all about perspective and how you choose to see it.
On the 17th of January, our sweet little ray of sunshine, Rachel, entered our lives. She is what makes this year already one of my favorites!🌞
My birthing experience was not at all what I had hoped for or expected. It was even a little traumatic for me. But the joy I felt when Isaac handed me our beautiful daughter for the first time made it all 100% worth it. Even the traumatic parts!!
One of my challenges since giving birth has been nursing. I know that many new mamas can relate. What you think would be so natural and easy is actually quite difficult. It is frustrating and daunting at times. It is a lot of new learning for both mama and baby.
BUT! Because I chose to be a breastfeeding mommy, I get to spend a plethora of hours, one on one, skin to skin, with my little sweetie. That makes all the challenges worth it. I love taking that time to speak positive affirmations to my daughter, I love reading to her while nursing and I absolutely positively love to sing to her while she has this time with me.
I’ll admit that I am not a perfect mom and that sometimes I just scroll on social media or I just binge watch one of my favorite shows. Not every moment I have with my daughter is spent focusing on her. 😅 But sometimes that is okay too. The time that I do spend with her, I am forming a great bond and connection with my little angel.
Just the other day I decided I was going to make a playlist for Rachel of positive, uplifting songs that I want her to remember later on. I can use this playlist when we are hanging out or when I am singing to her while I nurse. Some of these songs include: “Just the Way You Are”, “Don’t You Worry Child”, “My Wish”, “I am a Child of God”…..
One song that I also added is titled “Love Your Life” by Hillary Weeks. As I sat listening to this song and looking down at my pretty girl, I thought about all of the reasons that I love my life. I love my wonderful husband who is the biggest support. I love that Rachel made me a mommy- one of my greatest desires! I love the wonderful family that surrounds me and fills my life with love and laughter. I love my friends who are always there for me. I love my job, working with such great teachers and with so many amazing students. I love the mission that I served and all of the precious memories I have from it. There are so many things that I love about my life, even when there are challenges and the world is falling apart all around me.
I began to think about how I’d want my daughter to love her life too. What would I have to teach her? What would I have to show her? What would I have to do to be a positive example for her? What advice would I give her?
Hillary in her song, writes a lot of great advice for loving your life:
- Listen to your heart as it whispers where you need to go
- Always look up
- Make somebody smile every chance you get
- Don’t forget you’re already enough
- Roll down the windows every now and then
- Give your dreams time
- When you look back over your shoulder, you will love your life
This made me think about what more I could personally do to love my life and be an example for Rachel. As I pondered about this, I have a couple things I want to add to Hillary’s list…
- Put down my phone and live in the moment
- Only compare myself to my previous self and not others
- Take the time to dance
- Find reasons to laugh and enjoy being alive
- Speak kindly to myself
- Speak kindly of others
- Proudly be who I am without fear of judgement or rejection
- Walk in Happiness
- Fill my hear with gratitude
These are just some of the things that I want to improve at so that I can continue to love my life and so that 2021 will be a great year. These are things I want to emulate so that Rachel will grow up learning how to love her life! Afterall, it is the small and simple things that take up the most room in the heart!
What will you do to more fully LOVE your life??
Come What May and LOVE it!! 