urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:earlylight finding my new normal finding my new normal 2008-12-25T03:27:37Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:earlylight:1580322 2008-12-25T02:43:52Z 2008-12-25T03:27:37Z It's been a struggle of a Christmas season. A struggle to keep my Christmas spirit. The tree's fallen twice, three ornaments have broken. I've wrapped the same present three times now because the paper got wet, along with a bunch more. My grand plans for Christmas Eve (making creepy crawlies in Drake's new toy he'd open tonight) ended poorly when I didn't read well enough and didn't have the light bulb we needed to make it work. I solved that by letting him open a second present, but I still felt like I failed as a mom. And those are just the surface things. It's been a struggle period.<br /><br />So while trying to put a positive spin on Christmas, there are some things I am very grateful for. I am very grateful for the happy tears a dear friend shed, and how my heart about burst out of my chest with joy while viewing her Christmas tree.... the one with lots of presents underneath. <br /><br />I am also very grateful for the post made to me by a stranger, telling how her Christmas spirit was enhanced by a surprise package from Santa's little helper. Her post fed my soul, brought tears to my eyes, and made me feel <i>good.</i> They aren't kidding when they say giving is better than receiving.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to these two girls, an old friend and hopefully a new one.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all of you - my dear friends. You make every day special. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:earlylight:1215263 2007-03-12T19:48:17Z 2007-07-26T19:52:09Z I took advantage of that lovely mass privacy editing tool to lock my entire journal in one fell swoop. I chose to lock them all because of those few sucky people that exist out there that you absolutely don't want reading an iota of your life. Know the kind I mean? The <i>really</i> sucky ones.<br /><br />But now I'm faced with this blank journal staring back at me. Eight years of journalling here and what does a potential new friend see? Blankness. (And a lot of pretty leaves that I still contend are not pot leaves, but that's neither here nor there.) I personally go to potential new friend's pages seeing if I like the flavor of their writing, if they post interesting things, if they are someone I think I would enjoy having in my life. I really expect the same in return, but life and circumstance have shut my journal down except to the chosen few. (hear the "ahhhh" music? lol) And while I don't regret having the privacy, I do regret taking away some of the potential for new friends.<br /><br />So if you've come here wondering what sort of person I am ... am I an interesting person ... does my flavor of writing appeal to you? Don't run away because of the blankness. Prove your lack of suckiness and leave me a comment.