A couple weeks ago I read about Jenny Oaks Baker in the Mormon Times.She is Elder Oaks, 6th child, and a world famous musician. She is very talented and has accomplished a great deal. I knew a little about her. I knew she was about my age and married. After I read the article, I found out that she has 4 kids (her 2 yr. old son is not pictured above.) all about my kids' ages. I immediately compared my life to hers and felt like the biggest LOOSER; with a capital L.
I know I'm not suppose to compare, but I did.
I'm lucky to get dressed, start the dishes, and start a load of clothes. That's all I can accomplish, nothing else. Jenny has a loooooonnnnng list of accomplishments, and 4 kids. 4.
Still in shock.
Before reading and learning more about Jenny, I thought I could get away with staying in my pj's. I was happy not accomplishing much, because I thought since I have 4 kids, this is all I can do. After I read about her though, I was unhappy.
I thought I could wait until I got to heaven to accomplish my long list of dreams for myself and family.
I thought, thought, thought, and thought about this article. I'm not Jenny, nor do I want her life. But, I would like to improve myself, instead of waiting until I get to heaven. Why not experience a slice of heaven here and now?
Here are some things I would like to do, just with a little step here and there. I don't have to do all these things this month or even this year. But I can begin, instead of waiting:
- Bring music into the home a little more. Look into getting a piano for the family. Fix my clarinet, learn to play a song or two again. ( My secret wish: Playing in an orchestra, I did a little in high school, LOVED IT. Hated Marching Band: Hated Memorizing songs, marching around in uncomfortable uniform, keeping in step, with everyone laughing at you, Terrible experience, worst thing ever to do to a teenager. I think my parents thought it would help get me into college.)
- Improve my design skills, learn new trends, take a class if needed
- Read more books. Begin gathering, collecting great movie stories. (My secret wish: Making movies, If I ever went back to school, it would be to learn how to make movies. I love movies, and want to make movies, crazy I know. But it's true.)
- Learn the art of home organization, home functionality and decor. (My secret wish: getting rid of my kids for a whole month to fix my home the way I would like. I paint a room or hang a hook, but never get around to finishing a room the way I would like. Too many interruptions all the time.)
- Get up a 1/2 hour earlier in the am before the kids get up.
4 comments:
Oh her? Ya, she's a droid. A robotically engineered human-like android specifically designed to make normal women feel like crap. There's lots of them secretly running around in the world and 99% of them are members of the church :) Like the adorable marathon-runner-mother of 5 (under 8)-perfectly dressed- gap model children-bakes all of her own bread-chick in my ward. Total droid.
Oh I read that article, too, and it was amazing! But I took it out on my kids. When I read that her kids practice their instruments for FOUR HOURS a day, I started making my kids practice longer, and when they want to quit I say, "Hey, I COULD be making you practice for FOUR HOURS! Now give me 5 more minutes!!"
LOVE the comments! I'm right there with you Katie! I'd like to improve something about my daily life--where do I begin? The list is so long, I don't think I have the time or energy to compile it! I think I'll go brush my teeth and get out of my sweats for the day.
I was just "introduced" to her a few weeks ago at Time Out For Women. I had never heard of her before. She is amazing! Absolutely amazing! Her music is so inspiring that I came home and bought some of her songs from i-tunes that very night. I think it can be really hard to come into contact with someone like that. How can I possibly compare? Well, I can't. But I can do my best to find out every day what the Lord wants me to do, and then to do it. That's not so bad, right?! And yes, I have a SUPER long list of things I want to accomplish too.
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