What I Learned in May
Emily over at Chatting at the Sky has made it a practice to record the things she learns each month. It’s a valuable habit, this habit of reflection, and so I’ve been joining her in it this year. If you’d like to join us as we remember, you can comment on this post with what you learned, or head over to Emily’s site and link up there.
1) Toddlers are irrational creatures …
I’ve actually known this for a long time, but now, after May 2015, I KNOW it, if you catch my drift. Katie’s will is beginning to assert itself quite regularly, but, as is true of most 13-month-olds, she rarely knows what she actually wants.
2) … but they are oh, so much fun.
It is such a delight to watch her explore her world. She loves reading and playing in water and pointing at anything and everything, and it’s fun to see her personality develop.
3) Wonder is important.
She’s fascinated by birds outside the window, by the beautiful flowers in her grandma’s garden, by her ability to scoot down the hall. Euclid and the kitties are endlessly entertaining. I’m rediscovering my sense of wonder as I spend my days with her.
4) When your muscles are unbalanced, it throws everything out of whack.
Early in the month, I started experiencing a sharp pain in my left hip towards the end of my regular runs. I went to see a physical therapist, concerned that I might be doing permanent damage. As it turns out, the muscles on that side are stronger than on my right, and so I was overusing/extending them. This resulted in strain. I have a regular set of exercises I do now that are intended to build strength in both sides. (Side note: this particular lesson begs to be used in an analogy of some sort).
5) I often procrastinate because I think the work will be worse than it actually is.
I have had the fabric to make a set of napkins for well over a year now – I bought it in a “nesting/homemaking” frenzy just before Katie was born, then washed it, folded it, and stashed it in the closet. Periodically, I would stumble across it and think I should do something with it, but it seemed like so much hassle to pull out the sewing machine and actually do it. A week and a half ago, I finally pulled it out and got to work. As it turns out, Jonathan and I were able to get them done in no time at all. I wish I’d sewn them months ago. Aren’t they lovely? (Note: We did make more than two. The rest are in the wash.)
6) It’s easy to drift into bad habits. Avoiding this requires focus, intention, and purpose.
Bad habits don’t usually happen overnight; they build slowly, one step at a time. If I want to live a life of choosing this moment, I need to be purposeful and specific, putting reminders in my day-to-day life so that I don’t default to autopilot.
That’s what I learned in May. How about you? Share in the comments, or head on over to Emily’s site to join the fun!
Those are such pretty napkins! I’ve done homemade napkins before too, and it’s so worth it – you’ll have them for decades to come! I enjoy mixing and matching amongst my sets too — summer is a fun time to mix the oranges and yellows on the table. 🙂