Memorial Day

Tomorrow is Memorial day. We’ve had an exhausting weekend with some hardships and some celebrations. I’m happy my husband is home. He is currently asleep with our two year old and my 4 year old is fast asleep in his bed. I’m sitting here eating a mozzarella and tomato salad (weird pregnant craving) at almost 10 pm reflecting over the weekend and thinking about tomorrow. At the same time, I’m responding to emails, texting with my sister, structuring my downline and strategizing the next opportunities to share this amazing little business I got going on. What a blessing it is. Thinking about how I got here and how this all came to be. Freedom. I have so many freedoms that I have taken for granted for so long. It feels good to sit in silence tonight and be intentionally grateful. I’m so grateful where God has placed me in my life. I was born into this wonderful country and can do whatever I want whenever I want. I do not feel suppressed as a woman; I feel empowered. I can have a small business and help my husband with his small business. We have flexibility to be with our children. I can go back to school whenever I want and I did. I mean, who in the world gets two bachelor’s degrees? I do. Why? Because I wanted to and we worked to pay for it. I lived in the corporate world for a while and made great money. No pay inequality issues here – probably because I asked for it and negotiated. How did I know how to do that? I read a book in college that talked about how a huge percentage of women accepted the pay they were offered; they didn’t negotiate or ask for more. I believed it and even though I was scared, I always asked for more money and guess what? I got it! In addition, I can worship whoever I want, whenever I want. And in case you don’t know it yet, I worship Jesus Christ. If you don’t know him, you may want to get to know him (actually I promise you will want to know him). Currently, I’m reading this book my pastor wrote called The Forgotten Jesus and it’s about seeing Jesus through a Jewish lens and the Jewish culture. It’s freaking fascinating. Even more importantly, I can’t quit thinking about how thankful I am for people who fight for this country and for all of my freedoms, and I want to recognize tomorrow for what it is. I have never been thankful for my freedom; I’ve taken it for granted. I’ve never been patriotic. I never really knew anyone who served. Some people in my family did, but I don’t know them or they never talked about it. I was taught to never register to vote. Reason? So I wouldn’t have to do jury duty. I am also under the impression that if you serve in the military, the government owns you. That sounded scary. You know what is really scary, being born into a country or culture where women cannot be heard, where women are raped and abused, or even the most horrifying to me, women who are born into or forced into sex trafficking. Why do I think about this? I guess at the ripe old age of 35, I’m finally learning just how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude.