Wal-Mart Hero

Only 18 days into the new year, and I have found my hero/inspiration for the next several months. At Wal-Mart (of all places).

If you have ever been shopping with me, or you’ve seen me shopping, or maybe you just read my blog about holiday shopping, you get the vibe that I don’t shop leisurely. It’s not fun for me.

Especially in Wal-Mart, where I swear those lights and crowds induce some kind of mild anxiety attack (quite possibly so that people like me grab as much as they can as fast as they can and race out the door). Oh, Wal-Mart… after a nine-hour work day... Throw on a side of After-Christmas-NO-MONEY-LEFT Checkbook status.

AND…  the icing on the cake… I had to “stop by” Wal-Mart twice last week after school. I sacrificed my sanity TWICE in one week to save… maybe eight bucks? Imagine my mental state.

Anyway, the man that made me recognize I was acting like Drama Queen of the Year was standing outside of the store near the red light. I’m sure if you had to make a similar shopping trip in the last week, you saw the man, too.

The first day I saw him as I was leaving, doing my deep-breathing exercises. He was holding a sign that read “HOMELESS. Will work for food.” And of course the light stopped me directly in front of him, so I read it (rather awkwardly) like 1,000 times.

Wow. Here I am, as lucky as can be—so blessed with a loving family, awesome friends, a great job, you know...a house… the list goes on. And I’m having a fit because I had to wait five minutes in line to buy dog food. Really?!?! How selfish could I be? Then the sense of guilt ran over me because I had absolutely nothing to give him (and here I am still staring at his sign). No cash, no food, no job opportunities.

Second trip to Wal-Mart, and I’m mentally preparing myself for the man standing by the red light. Sure enough, he was there. This time, though, he had company. I watched as a man, I assume was a kind stranger, carried a bag of fast food and a hot coffee to him.

Wow, again. This generous man, who is now my Wal-Mart hero, walked right through the intersection to offer him a meal.

 I’m not sure if the homeless man took the food or if they talked for long, but I know I continue to be amazed at how much love and generosity there is around us. Not every act of kindness is so bold or obvious, but each one is still important. Recognizing these acts, rather big or small, has been a blessing for me as they remind me of God’s love… and in this case, it reminded me not to sweat the small stuff.

Even in Wal-Mart.

In Stitches … Literally

One week in to the new year, and I’m keeping true to my resolutions thus far. I’ve exercised 5 of 7 days and lost a few of the holiday pounds I managed to pack on (Knowing my darling husband has lost almost 8 lbs. in a week makes me extremely jealous; men and their ability to lose weight so quickly is irritating). The honey bun cake I made for supper club wasn’t the best idea I’ve had. I scarfed down four slices in 24 hours, but I digress…

The family thing was harder to do this week. Here I go, making excuses, but the first week back to school after a break is so draining. I saw my dad several times at the gym, and Jamie and I took a nice walk yesterday in the beautiful winter sunshine. Today I’m planning to drop by to visit my grandparents for a little while. So, this is definitely a work in progress.

My acts of kindness to note this week I observed at school. I know all of my teaching buddies sympathize with the chaos of the first week back after Christmas. And with report card grades due next week, I thought last week would never end. Despite the heavy workload, I made it through with the help of some pretty awesome co-workers. From other teachers helping me with assessments to carrying library books for me to bringing me a Diet Mountain Dew (much needed by the end of the week), I realized, again, how lucky I am to work with thoughtful people everyday.

Speaking of working… I spent yesterday afternoon working on a cover for a friend’s Kindle Fire. I found several patterns online for free and one in a book, but I wasn’t crazy about any of them in their entirety. So, I decided to merge the ideas together and make my own. For a beginner sewer, I’m now thinking this wasn’t the best path to take—Next time, I’ll just follow the directions because I am either the world’s worst measurer or the fabric shrunk significantly as I sewed. Ugh. After two attempts and four hours of sewing (and probably a few choice words here and there), I finally had something that looked halfway decent. 

My plans for today are to get a few household chores completed and then start a new sewing project. Not sure what’s next… I’m browsing for ideas. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Another Trip Around the Sun

Happy birthday to my blog and Happy 2012 to you! I started blogging last year at New Year’s as a way to keep up with my resolutions, sort of like an accountability journal. Looking back, this was a great idea. Although my resolutions slipped out of sight, as do most, I realized how much I love to write, however simple it may be—and hopefully some of you enjoyed the postings along the way.

I know I say things like this all the time, but I honestly am flabbergasted by how fast time goes by (I’ve been told that’s a sign of getting older). After 365 days, 31 blog posts, over 1,000 pageviews (thanks guys!), and lots of laughs along the way … it’s time to rethink my resolutions and revise my writing.

My favorite thing about the past year’s blog is recognizing the kindness and caring hearts of people around me. I’ll continue writing about that because it makes my heart smile to think about the goodness in the world. Enter cheesy smile here.

As for 2012 resolutions…  My first is to make family more of a priority. I know I’ve been a little slack in making an effort to spend time with my family. Especially now that I have some amazing baby faces, thanks to my in-laws, family needs to be a definite focus. I need to be more pro-active so I can be FUN Aunt Erin for all of my nephews (the count is up to 5, in case you’re wondering) and Cousin, Niece, Granddaughter, Sister-in-Law, etc. Erin for everyone else.

Secondly, I know I’ve got to do a better job of making healthy choices. Ugh- I’m not getting any younger, and I need to take care of myself. This includes food and beverage selection and physical activity (notice, I did NOT say diet or exercise; that’d be a total cliché. Insert sly face here). *As I’m writing after a long day of family dinners and two weeks of “holiday” eating, I am not even sure if my school pants will zip tomorrow. And add a pouting face here.

And last, but not least, I am learning to sew. Yep, me- extremely impatient and uncoordinated and frequently spatially challenged. My dad bought a sewing machine for me for Christmas, and I’ve already sewn a half-apron and three fleece hats (two for my twin nephews… cute picture attached). It’s a work in progress, but I’m learning as I go.

This last trip around the sun was full of laughs and love, challenges and triumphs. As always, I’m sad to say goodbye to a year, especially a year with such amazing memories and opportunities for growth. But, with hope and faith, I am excited about the new possibilities ahead in 2012.  I hope you’ll continue to read along the journey.