Tree of Life

As I listened to the sweet melody of Wyatt breathing as he took his nap this afternoon I paged through a catalog that arrived in today's mail. On the very last page there was a "Living Tree" framed wall art piece. It featured an unfortunately unattractive sepia photo of the tree of life, but it was the inspirational passage below it that really struck me:

"Life is not a race--but indeed a journey. Be honest. Work hard. Be choosy. Say 'thank you,' 'I love you,' and 'great job' to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you've been given, it is not accidental--search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be. Laugh often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them. Some of the best things really are free. Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul. Take time for yourself--plan for longevity. Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know. Live for today, enjoy the moment."

It is now later that same afternoon and I have officially been a stay-at-home mom for approximately four hours. I went to inform my boss today that I wouldn't be returning to work in three weeks as originally planned. I don't find it coincidental that a mere few hours after I made this very tough decision that I would come across such an uplifting and hopeful passage. While I feel good about my decision, it was an incredibly hard one to come to, one that I had agonized over for quite some time. My main struggle with the decision was allowing myself to be fully reliant on someone else. All my life, since I have been away from home, my motto has been "I am woman, hear me roar!" Independent, to say the least. Unyielding, in never allowing myself to rely on another person because when you're self-sufficient, if something comes up and lands you in a bind, you only have yourself to blame. It was a giant leap of faith and a tall glass--okay, let's just call it a pilsner--of pride to swallow, but here I am, now a stay-at-home mom. If you want my rationale, read the quote above. It's what it's all about and I really couldn't have worded it better myself.