Rubber Boots and Wrapping Paper

The holidays are always such a fun time with my family. All the yummy food and the yummy drinks and laughs together. I think one of my fondest memories was when we were back home and we still lived in the big 2 story house right behind my Nan (on my dad’s side). Ah my Nan… I guess to get the full effect of this story you need to understand the absolutely wonderful person

that my Nan was. She was a tough lady who took no crap. She was a commanding woman with an amazing presence…. Who would do anything for those she loved because she was fiercely loyal. My best memories of my childhood consisted of walking home from the bus only to see her in the big kitchen window with her apron on and baking… usually bread. And in the morning while waiting for the school bus I would go to visit her and she would give me ice cream and she would give my older sister gum. Now if that doesn’t tell you what kind of person she was… she would do anything to make us happy; hop the youngest up on sugar and send her to school and send the young teen with gum who could possibly get detention for it, just to make us happy.

Anyway back to the holidays. Every year, everyone came to our house. So we would all be jammed into the living room with our big piles of presents but we weren’t allowed to start anything until Nan came across the yard. So, first thing we would do was call her and tell her we were up. And no matter what time it was, she would walk through that door with a big smile on her face. And with all the frenzy and excitement of opening presents we would all forget that there was always so much wrapping paper. This is when my Nan would go to work. She would go around with a garbage bag and she would pick up all the wrapping paper. And when she was done, she would put on her grey rubber boots and throw the HUGE garbage bag over her shoulder and walk out the door. I swear every year she reminded me of Santa.

Over the years, things have changed… A LOT… people have left our family and others have been added in. But no matter what, at the end of it all we ALWAYS mention Nan and her rubber boots and wrapping paper.

"I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!"

I am possibly the most impatient person you will ever meet in your life. I hate that I’ve not started my life yet, that I’m not more settled…. Or even have a plan… I’ve always wanted to be 1 or 2 or maybe even 10 steps ahead of where I am at all times. I was that kid that acted like an adult because I didn’t want to be a kid and have decisions made for me. I have 2 older sisters and this may be in part as to why I am so impatient with my life, when they have things going on I feel like I should to. I forget that they are 6 and 10 years older than me. That they have experienced what I am at this moment in time. I forget that, I think because my parents are impatient with me and my 19 years of schooling… which my mother ever so lovingly decided to point out to me the other day. So what? I am going to be making more money than both of my sisters and doing a job that makes a difference and that I love. I’m just not there yet.

A lot of us want to plan out our lives. Plan it all; where we are going to live, what kind of job we will have, when and how we will get married, when we have children and how many we are having, what kind of house we will have and how we decorate it… and the list goes on and on and on. And it’s easy to get lost in those never ending thoughts and become impatient. Impatience because it isn’t happening yet and impatience that you just can’t get there as fast as you want. But there’s one particular thing in there that we forget… to live. Life isn’t about the destination and how we are going to get there, it’s about the journey getting there and enjoying it! What’s the point in living if all we do is worry about the future and don’t focus on the present?

What brings me to this is the movie Cars (I watched it yesterday hehe). Lightening McQueen is all about the end of the race and getting there as fast as he can. He didn’t slow down to look around and take in the beauty of the world around him and to enjoy life to the fullest. So I’ve decided I’m slowing down and not worrying about the future anymore. Things are going to happen the way they are meant to. Everything happens for a reason so why sit and ponder it? Just enjoy it!