Its been a little while since my last post, and though things are going well....I was having a hard time posting. Sometimes I get tired of my own voice...wondering if I lecture too much or hop up on that soapbox I carry around with me (insert sarcastic smile here). So this time, no lectures....just thoughts...maybe a little disconnected - but near and dear to my heart.
I met a friend out last night for some girl chat. It was great to see her, I don't get to enough. We were talking about giving back, being socially responsible, raising your kiddos to be that way, you know....just trying your best in life. I confided in her that I felt like I wasn't doing enough. That most of the time I was still wrapped up in my own day to day occurrences... So she asked me, "When will it be enough?" And I have to confess, I don't know. Do you ever feel like you are doing enough? Should you ever feel like you are doing enough? I've been mulling it over and over again in my mind. I'm one of those people that like a definite, concrete answer. If someone tells me, "Do this and it will be enough"....I'm all over it. Its the gray, the in-between, the figure-it-out-for-yourself answers that really throw me for a loop. I was the girl in school that needed to know how MANY paragraphs we had to write. What do you mean a couple? Is that 2 or 4? Yes....that girl.
Now I could dismiss it and tell myself that you'll never know the answer....but in my life, when I'm meant to reflect on something - it will come up again and again. Its usually the tenth time or so that I'll see the connection and think, "Hmmmm - probably NOT a coincidence...I should probably get back to thinking about this."
So this morning I'm in a fitness class that I regularly take and the instructor starts the class by saying "If you pray, please keep one of the spin instructors in your prayers. He and his wife left today for Haiti. They will be gone for five weeks and their daughters will not be traveling with them." My eyes welled up with tears....those people, I thought, are doing enough. What wonderful people, right? Maybe that could be an answer for me? Yet later as I was grabbing coffee on my way out, I heard other mothers talking about how they thought it was unfortunate that the couple would leave their own children for five weeks. At first it shocked me that it could be viewed that way...but now I think that I was meant to hear that as well.
When I mulled over that thought process, I realized how personal and dear a decision it is on how much of our time to donate to others or helping others. No one can tell you what will work for you. Each of us will find that answer based on your past, your belief system, how you were raised, your levels of gratitude and reflection, your views on the world and frankly, your personality. You can't copy someone else's plan because it may not work for you. Each of us are meant to make that decision for ourselves.
I don't think it matters how you choose to give back or why...but that you do. Its humbling, its teaches you about yourself and who you want to be and gives you one moment where you realize that we aren't that much different. The rich, the poor,the haves, the have-nots....we're all out there searching. I'm still not in a good place with my answer to when it will be enough, but I'm guessing that a question this important probably won't have an answer within 24 hours. Its likely one of those questions I will reflect on, waffle on and battle my whole life. I'm ok with that. After all, its the journey....not the destination, right? =)
In the meantime, its comforting to hear quotes such as this and wonder how many others have asked themselves the exact same question. A timeless one, perhaps....Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
In love and kindness,
Email Elizabeth & Heather
I battle this question every day myself. Great post! We are always doing enough if it feels right at the moment. XOXO
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