Joy: Day 19

This morning, I read the blog of one of my former college roommates.  I have to admit, I was fairly intimidated by this girl when we were roommates.  I mean, who wouldn't be?  She was incredibly cute, a fabulous dancer, and extremely smart--all of which I would have loved to be, but just wasn't.  Oh, and did I mention she loved playing sports?  (Again, not me.)  Of course, all of the boys noticed her and I don't think she ever arrived at Friday night wondering what she should do with all of her extra time.  Needless to say, when I compared myself to her during those years, I seemed to find myself lacking.

As I read her blog, I found myself marvelling at what she has accomplished with her life.  She got married toward the end of college--to an extremely intelligent man.  In spite of getting horribly sick with each pregnancy, she has had 5 children and maintained a slim figure.  She lives on a farm in the midwest and is learning the ropes of raising sheep, chickens, and cows, (and maybe some other livestock), and has a successful garden.  She seems to be handling the stresses of raising a family and a farm all very well. 

As I, once again, found myself comparing my life with hers, I found that I was able to really find joy in where my friend is in life.  I was able to see past my own insufficiencies and really be excited for the things in which she is succeeding.  In the 12+ years since we have really been in contact, I have learned that feeling joy for someone else's accomplishments does not diminish my own.  Her success in life doesn't mean that I haven't been successful in my own life.  The abilities and experiences she has had don't invalidate mine.  This may seem rather elementary, but it's something that's been on my mind lately.  I find joy in knowing that I can let go of my own self-doubt and truly find joy in the abilities and talents of another.

Other items on my list of joy today:
Kallie lost her second tooth this morning!
Kallie's books on hold will no longer take up space on my hold list, since I activated her online account this morning.  She currently has 13 books on hold. (This doesn't count the 2 she got last night--one of which she has already finished.  AND the 17 still on hold under my account.)
I ran some fun errands this morning--with just me and Clayton.
Our furnace is once again in working order!
The decorative pillows I bought MONTHS ago look fantastic on my newly covered bed!