Be Yourself...Happiness Will Follow!

I picked up this T-shirt today...and loved the message. Our lives are filled with following rules, obeying the law, behaving the way society "thinks" we should...that comes with the territory. My thoughts ventured towards the people we know and love, family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and so on; and how we can damage them with just a look, or words we say without much thought to the harm they can cause. Rules are important, no doubt, to maintain some sort of order and keep the world from becoming chaotic.

Accepting, however, that we are an imperfect being, capable of making not so good choices sometimes...is crucial to our emotional well-being. We can set standards and high expectations on those around us, but when they aren't met, it sets us up for disappointment. We feel it, then we send those negative energies to everyone else...especially to the ones who supposedly "disappointed" us. The old cliché that refers to "keeping up with the Jones" is exactly what I'm talking about. We give our kids everything, dress them in the best clothes, send them to the best schools, sign them up for all sorts of clubs and activities...but leave out two essential ingredients; "love and individuality".

I never had a lot of money to give my kids "everything"...but I most certainly loved them...and I encouraged their unique ways of thinking...even if off the beaten path. Love above all, keeps them in my life...I celebrate their independence and sometimes unusual perspective on things. Open-minded and free-spirited has taken them through the ups and downs in their lives.

Amazingly, we have all survived, and will continue to forge our way through this sometimes "controlled" life we live. Thank goodness we can take advantage of those "not-so-controlled" moments, and go with it...taking every moment in and savoring it's experience; no matter how simple or how complicated it may be.

I am so grateful that my kids can take society and all its expectations, with humility and understanding...yet still manage to press on to the beat of their own drum. They take all the mishaps in life, cope, deal, and move on. I love that about them. I am a proud Mama!