Day 3 of the #7DaysofDiscomfort Challenge was Appreciate. I say “was” because, again, I am a day behind. But I am determined to catch up today! So, here goes!
When I look back on my childhood, so many things come to mind for which I am endlessly grateful. The weird thing is, so much of what makes me proud of my family and where I come from is not my story to tell. It’s all a part of me, of course, but I don’t really “own the rights” to chunks of some of the storylines I find to be the most inspiring or transformational.
So, I spent a good amount of time writing out specifically what I admire about each of my immediate family members, and then I realized that the people who might be made most uncomfortable by that would be them, not me. 😂
And that kind of gave me insight into something about my family—we value humility rather highly. (It’s no wonder my Shine post was quite vague yesterday.)
I thought this post was going to be easy to write, but I’m about 30 minutes into drafting it and just said out loud, “Gosh, this is hard.” I so badly want to thank them but also don’t want to make them uncomfortable in my pursuit of overcoming my own discomfort.
Here I am again, overthinking where to draw lines.
Where does my discomfort end and theirs begin?
Where does my story end and theirs begin?
But life isn’t black and white.
Our stories are intertwined because we grew together, both parents and children. We are all an interwoven part of one another’s stories of growth.
So, though there is so much more I could say, I will just say this:
Every time I dare to believe something is possible, I think of my dad.
Every time I overcome something I didn’t think I had the strength to make it through, I think of my mom.
Every time I trust my intuition and take a leap of faith, I think of my eldest sister.
Every time I find the humor in even the most challenging situations, I think of my second-eldest sister.
Every time I let go of fear and take action, I think of my brother.
I love all of you. Thank you for shaping me into the person I am and continue to become. Thank you for building me up.
And, as always, thank you for keeping me humble. 😂❤️