Embrace: (verb) To take or clasp in the arms; press to the bosom; hug.
To take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly.
To avail oneself of.
To adopt.
To take in with the eye or the mind.
Love this word. Embracing the good things in life is easy. Our babies, the people we agree with, a popular idea, and a comfortable situation are all easy to embrace. There are certainly things in the world that I feel should not be embraced; should not be accepted willingly. But if I step back and get some perspective, I notice many more things in my life that are worthy of embracing, besides just the obvious. Here are just 3 examples.
The military life. It's not easy to be away from my husband so often. It's not easy to accept the fact that if the "shit hits the fan", the man of this household will be headed towards the "shit" and away from us. It's not easy too be apart of a machine that is sometimes cringe-worthy and far from perfect. But we embrace the military life, because we believe the good outweighs the bad.
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| Great photo, not taken by me |
Living below our means. This is not something we are currently doing, but something we are working on. Right now we live within our means. We do take small vacations often. We do have relatively expensive hobbies. We've never bought or financed a new car. We bought a home that is 975 sq. feet for our family of four and have a modest mortgage payment. But we can certainly live with less. We are thinking of ways to downsize and are looking forward to embracing a more simple, efficient life.
The thirties. Letting go of the twenties was a little hard. The twenties were, for me, very self centered. I don't mean that in a bad way, I think it's like that for most people. I was discovering who I was, who I wasn't, getting an education, finding a job, getting married, moving away and then building a family. It was all about the foundation of my life, my spot in the world. I want the thirties to be about my contribution to the world. What can I do for others? How can I help? How do I live my one precious life to the fullest, making a difference and showing my children what is most important?
Sometimes the best things in life are difficult to embrace in the beginning. Looking at things from a broader point of view helps us to see what we take for granted and then we are able to embrace them. Difficult situations make us who we are and force us to grow. So, take in this imperfect life. Receive it eagerly. Accept it willingly. Clasp it in your arms and make the most of it.
The thirties. Letting go of the twenties was a little hard. The twenties were, for me, very self centered. I don't mean that in a bad way, I think it's like that for most people. I was discovering who I was, who I wasn't, getting an education, finding a job, getting married, moving away and then building a family. It was all about the foundation of my life, my spot in the world. I want the thirties to be about my contribution to the world. What can I do for others? How can I help? How do I live my one precious life to the fullest, making a difference and showing my children what is most important?
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| What says "I'm thirty" better than a cartwheel in a bikini? |
Sometimes the best things in life are difficult to embrace in the beginning. Looking at things from a broader point of view helps us to see what we take for granted and then we are able to embrace them. Difficult situations make us who we are and force us to grow. So, take in this imperfect life. Receive it eagerly. Accept it willingly. Clasp it in your arms and make the most of it.
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