I am not a good artist.
I am not a great housekeeper.
I am not a good correspond-er.
I am not a mother.
I am not a genius.
I am not as pretty as I used to be.
I am not a fantastic writer.
I am not a good dancer.
I am not a scientist.
I am not good at keeping potted plants alive.
I am not a morning person.
I am not a community activist.
I am not in shape.
I am not working in the job I'd like.
I am not important.
I am not a triathlete.
I am not a scriptorian.
I am not perfect.
I am not, in fact, many things that I try to be, or that thought I would be at one time, or that I wish I were. And that makes me really sad sometimes and really angry other times. The things I am not remind me of the places where I don't quite fit in and the tasks that I can't quite complete and the things I have not accomplished. It's very easy to dwell on all of these things that I am not, and very easy to let them hold me back. But there are some other things that I am not:
I am not a failure.
I am not finished learning.
I am not giving up.
While these things do not make the other things any easier, or any less sad or infuriating, they do give me some hope. They help me to remember that maybe I am not so hopeless after all.
love this post. thanks for putting things into perspective. i think you are an amazing cook and am constantly astounded by all of the things you know how to do. You are an important friend to me.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone feels this way in their lifetime. We often compare ourselves to everyone else but we should really be comparing ourself to ourself. Are we better today then yesterday. I love this quote by Pres. Hinkley, ok so I can't remember it word for word so it is not a quote, First get on your knees and pray and then get on your feet and work.
ReplyDeleteGretchen, I am just seeing this post and I want to share some of my memories of the short time we were together in MA. You ARE beautiful, both inside and out. I remember the first time I met you when you came to check on Jullian. I thought you were beautiful. You and Bryant were nice and inviting to Brian and me at a time when I was homesick and miserable. You are very smart, way smarter than me. I'm pretty sure you are a super educator. You are passionate about your church. You love cats and enjoy animals. You have great taste in clothes and stores. You have cute shoes. You love swimming. You love your family. You are super handy when it comes to repairing things. You are strong. ( you and Bryant basically moved twice in a year) I could go on and on. I just thought I would share these things about you that I so vividly remember.
ReplyDeleteYou are important to me...
ReplyDelete