It has been a rough week here; a rough summer. We’ve been reeling for weeks from the tragic death of a best friend and Mr. Family Trip’s immense workload. Then, to top it off, this week the cat got fleas (first-time ever) and a routine oil change went bad and left our family car unusable. (Which also hurt that pocketbook we’ve been working hard to get back under control.) Do you ever feel like you’ve been given just a little more than you can handle and the only way to get out of the crush of life’s responsibilities is to sell it all and go live in a yurt in the woods? … Um, yeah, us either.
But in reality, we can’t let things overwhelm us. We have to remember the good we have, the blessings we’ve got. That’s a total cliche. But it turns out it works. Hitting the yoga mat, meditating quietly at home, praying, listing out items of gratitude, walking in nature (without the phone!)..these are real things we can do to refocus.
Sometimes, too, just a stupidly funny video helps.
Our Family Friday Five Roundup includes:
- How animals eat their food. We haven’t watched any other videos by them, so can’t vouch for their overall work, but this one is a simple humor that works. It has us cracking up every time we watch it.
2. 57 Books That Make You Think. Books are a powerful way we can change the world and raise families that love more. This list is fantastic. How many have you read?
3. Life Lived Ordinary. This article hit at the right time. A reminder that life is lived in the middle and it is beautiful and terrible all at once. Shannan Martin writes:
A life rooted to our ordinary place, intentionally present and actively engaged, even on the most boring of days? It matters. Deeply. This is our solution, pals. When the world feels sideways, this is our horizon line.
4. Minimalism: Is Online Shopping Feeding Our Compulsions? We’d emphatically say ‘yes,’ especially as we continue to look at budget tips around here, but everyone must make their own decision.
5. Back to blogging This is really an article on finding balance, unleashing creativity, and what makes you YOU. That struggle that we all feel to do more yet simultaneously slow down?
Sure, I needed to set boundaries, and really give this balance thing another shot, but was it really a problem-problem? And just as quickly as I had tried to talk my way around that thought I remembered a quote from one of my favorite authors Shauna Niequist. “The very thing that makes you YOU, that makes you great is also the thing that left unchecked will ruin you.”
We hope that you have the opportunity to take a breather with your families this weekend. That you get to hug and laugh and relax this holiday. We’ll be on the road (follow along on Instagram) but we’ll meet you back here next week.