promises

Today is July 13th. It's not the beginning of the year... or my birthday... or an anniversary. It's just a Tuesday morning. An ordinary day. But today I was reminded that sometimes you have to make promises to yourself not just to others. I need to learn to depend on myself as much as other people depend on me. So, today, I promise to:

1. Find joy in the little things.
2. Smile more.
3. Be too blessed to be stressed – not the other way around.
4. Talk to G-d, my mom and myself more.
5. Be kinder to the ones that matter most. Patience, encouragement, empathy and respect. I need to model these things in order to teach them.
6. Be happy with who I am. My kids and my husband think I’m beautiful and that is all that should matter.
7. Hold hands with my kids whenever they want to. Some day, soon, they won’t want to anymore.
8. Don’t waste time on other people’s drama. Don’t waste time on people and things I can not change. Don’t waste time doing anything not worth doing. Laugh at the stupidity of it and move on.
9. Remember.
10. Be inspired. Find the artist inside that has not painted or drawn or written in years. She is in there, somewhere. If I can inspire someone else in the process, that's even better.
11. Forgive.
12. Do not lose track of the people in my life. Connect. Reconnect.
13. Walk. Because I can.
14. It’s OK to give in (sometimes) but do not give up, ever.
15. Be thankful. Don’t be upset that the job gets in the way of my life. Be happy that the job allows me to provide security for my family. The job is just that, it is not my life.