Simple Blessings

Everyone goes through good times and bad. Everyone experiences peaks and valleys in their personal life, with their marriage, with their families, etc. I may not share a lot about the valleys, but I am certainly not immune to them. There was a time, not so long ago, when I felt very, very low. I felt like the world was working against me. I felt lonely. Only very few people knew about my depression. I hide things like that well. I am happy to say that I am past that particular valley and have moved on to a lovely, peaceful peak! I had to make some hard decisions. I knew life was getting to be too much, so along with my husband, we chose to bring simplicity to our lives. With his support, I chose to leave my job. Leaving almost half of your household income is not an easy decision. In these times, it isn't even fiscally smart. However, it has brought us such peace that we very much needed. Don't get me wrong...I love teaching. I love students. I loved my classroom. But I was stretching myself too far and neglecting what matters the most, the three other people who live in my home! No matter what financial problems this may cause, I feel strong now...like we can handle anything. I feel more in control of my life. I feel more balanced. I feel changed. I now feel so much less frustrated and angry with the world. Every day still has its challenges. Like how my children trash our house daily! We didn't have this issue before because we were never home! I just feel very thankful for this time in my life. I have developed stronger relationships with the people in my life and it has opened me up to new friendships. It wouldn't be possible without the gentle support from my family. My husband always supported me about leaving my job. I was the resistant one. Without the love from my family members, I would not have had the courage to leave and to strive toward a simpler life. If you are reading this and you feel lower than low in your life right now, I strongly recommend you read this book. I did, and it helped guide me through some tough decisions and life changes. If you feel that crushing feeling like the world is just too much, just start by taking one thing off your plate. Just one. It doesn't have to be drastic, like your job. It can be something smaller. Give yourself a break. Take a deep breath. Thank God for your blessings. When you do all that, more blessings will come your way.