The Windows

Monday will mark two full years of the weekly blog posts. It’s exciting to think about my consistency—even when we had a lot going on, I still managed to post weekly for two solid years. Then I have thoughts of disappointment because there are so many more things I want to write about or work on that I haven’t made time for. But I’m choosing to take this time of reflection to be proud of myself, what I have accomplished thus far, and my so-called “wins” instead. Which brings me to life lately at our house.

For the past three weeks, our windows have been getting replaced. It has seemed like a long and tedious process with, at times, no end in sight. Those thoughts were usually on the days that involved the inability to have quiet time for the kids because of the construction noise. However, after reading a passage from my daily devotional and a quote from the book, A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel, I looked at the window construction with a different perspective. I will paint this picture for you. The sunlight was gleaming through the new windows without any obstruction from window treatments. Uplifting music played while I made breakfast and Ella painted a little wooden birdhouse. I looked up at the perfect time to see a yellow butterfly flutter around the yard. I smiled to myself at the juxtaposition. Fresh white framed windows in my line of sight in the kitchen and unfinished, construction zone pieces out my periphery. Such beauty amid the chaos. Then it occurred to me—that my windows are the perfect metaphor for our lives. Hear me out… Everyone’s life has some stress, struggle, or inconvenience. We all deal with pain, loss, or ugliness in some regard at some point in our lives. And no matter how we work on ourselves, or how much time it takes, we are all a work in progress. Like my windows, ugly and beautiful all in one depending on the direction of your view, clearly still a work in progress.

I read an Instagram post the other day that said, “I like to pretend I already died and asked God to send me back to earth so I can swim in lakes again and see mountains and get my heart broken and love my friends and cry so hard in my bathroom and go grocery shopping 1,000 more times. Then I promised I would never forget the miracle of being here.” We have the ability in our day-to-day lives to choose what we focus on. Will you focus on the butterfly in the yard or the unframed construction zone?

As you contemplate focusing more on the positive—and look for those butterflies, I sincerely thank you for your continued support. You opening this blog every week and taking a few minutes to read what I write isn’t something I take lightly or for granted.

Thank you and as always, happy reading.