My Sister has Balls...!

Over the weekend my sister and I got into a long conversation about acceptance and understanding of the people we love.  What was really interesting about this conversation though was how she views herself amidst our family dynamic.  Somehow it can be really easy to see those around us, but we miss the boat when it comes to seeing ourselves clearly.  I wonder why that is?  I mean, we spend way more time with our own thoughts and following our own path than we do with others.  Even the saying “You can’t really know a man unless you’ve walked a mile in his shoes” leads us to believe that we should be experts on our own lives, but in fact it couldn’t be farther from the truth in some cases.  

I spend a lot of time thinking about my own shortcomings.  Not so say that I spend a lot of time feeling sad, or putting myself down, but in reflecting on how my actions affect those around me.  I guess depending on how you look at it, it can be both a blessing and a curse.  The way I see it though, if there is room for growth, I want to be the first to know about it!  Much like the rest of the world…  I have about a million and one things that I can be better at, so the biggest challenge is always deciding what is most important to the most important people in my world and how does that impact my own personal goals and feelings.  Don’t get me wrong… I am not out to change myself so that everyone around me has an easier go of it, but yet to be the best version of myself to make me feel good about what I am giving to the world each and every day.  

I found a poem when I was in middle school that I loved so much I put it on a piece of paper and tucked it away in my jewelry box.  I come across it every now and again still and am always amazed at how it continues to be extremely relevant to my life.  I may have been a chunky, dorky 13 year old kid, but at least I had a little bit of sense!  Here is a link to the poem as I remember it for you to enjoy.  The Man in the Glass.

Anyhow, back to my sister…   We were musing over our youngest brother and his spur of the moment two week trip to Europe.  Somehow my sister had decided for herself that she is the least daring of us three kids.  And fair enough, she is seeing it through her own eyes with her own experiences, but the reality of the bigger picture is that she is the biggest risk taker of us all.  When I explained this to her and laid out the reasoning behind my feelings she had an Ah Ha moment, and in true fashion for my sister (those of you who know her will understand what I mean) she said “Wow, I’ve got balls!  I never knew that about myself.  You should blog about that…. It can be called, My Sister has Balls!”  Well, here we are…   ha ha

I think it is important to take the time to get to know ourselves.  If we can’t come to terms with ourselves, with our own minds and what makes us tick then we can’t begin to understand and relate to the people around us.  When something causes you stress or frustration in your daily routine, or as you interact with friends, family, co-workers, etc. try to figure out what might be at the root of your feelings.  Often times I even surprise myself when I do this as our minds are not always as rational as we want them to be.  On a regular basis I have to challenge myself.  If you were a fly on the wall inside of my head you’d hear me asking myself over and over again…  Is it me?  Am I reading too much into this?  And lately, as I am adjusting to a new work environment and a new team, You’ll hear me saying “It’s ok to not get it right the first time around…   It’s ok to not know the answers…” 

Thanks to my sister for her fabulous blog topic (and title…  I think?)  On a fun note I think the time is right for me to announce that I am going to be an Auntie!!  (I have lots of fabulous nieces and nephews, but this is her first baby)  Yeah!  

 
Picture of me, my brother and sister making our "game faces" while sucking at bowling!  (well, I was sucking at it at least...)