Thankful Tuesday

As part of my overall wellness "makeover" i'm going to work harder to focus on looking at the positive side of things, nurture those relationships that bring me up and work on doing the same with others. I was raised with some pretty negative family members and it's been hard to change around my way of thinking. I have to work hard at it and i frequently catch myself thinking of the negative first instead of the positive, especially when i'm around them.
In an interview on "the Science of Changing Your Mind," Dr. Joe Dispenza says that our bodies respond to negative thoughts of our minds in ways such as poor digestive health, etc. It's how our body responds to these thoughts. When we think of good things, our bodies respond accordingly. So to foster those thoughts and begin the day on a positive note i'm going to jot down what i'm thankful for daily.

Thought today is cold, cloudy and snow is predicted, there is still plenty to be thankful for:

• i have a job (i know so many people who now don't)
• my mortgage payments are current
• i'm just a few payments away from paying off a large credit card bill (then on to #2)
• my car still works
• my family is healthy
• i'm healthy (for the most part)
• we have a garage at work so i don't have to worry about snow/ice on my windshield at 5 p.m.
• since my husband doesn't have a job, he'll start dinner
• since its texas, spring will come any day now
• i've managed to stay under the 3000 calorie mark since Thursday
• i'm part of a great community of supportive women bloggers! (SITS)
• my friends (old friends and new friends)

On to a great day!

What Empty Nest?

Most people’s children leave the nest when they turn 18. Some leave for college or travel the world and others just to be in their own place. I constantly read or hear about so many mothers upset about empty nest syndrome – feeling their lives now have no meaning and they have nothing to do since their children are gone. I envy those women with empty nests! My youngest will be graduating from high school this year and just like her older brother and sister – she will not be leaving to go off on her own. The same as it was for me and my two sisters – however unlike my mother who did not want us to leave and did everything to prevent it – I DO want my children to go out and spread their wings. Alas the economy among other things has kept them at home while they work and go to school. Grandma (my mom) is no help either constantly telling them they don’t need to go off into a dangerous world and should stay home until they marry, etc. as is the tradition in our culture. And while most moms would probably be thrilled to still have her “babies” at home – I am not. Having married young (19) to get out of the house and had children young (21) at the insistence of my husband, I was looking forward to some ME time and trying to improve the relationship with my husband and having some fun. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE my children but what once was a perfect house for a mom, dad and three small children is definitely not the case now that we are five adults. And to make it even worse we only have 1 ½ baths with the main bath only accessible from our bedroom! With everyone working odd hours and needing to take showers also at odd hours – needless to say it ruins the mood. And again the economy doesn't help making buying a bigger house out of the question right now. I long for the day when I can stay in my PJs all day Saturday….watch an R rated movie without feeling uncomfortable if the kids walk in during a sex scene….be spontaneous in the bedroom, living or kitchen for that matter….a whole day of uninterrupted work on any one of my many hobbies…be able to take off on a moment’s notice for a three-day fun-in-the-sun weekend. There is so much to do and see out in the world that I not only long for the day I have an empty nest but for the day I can retire from work to devote more time to experience everything. A great article in the New York Times sums it up best - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20well.html?em.