11 July 2007

I found Woman to Woman yesterday to be very valuable. I'd heard a lot of the tips mentioned, but some of them were worded such that I saw room for improvement, or different ways to accomplish the same goals. I have already selected a few of your suggestions and put them to use. Thank you!

As I read everyone's responses, the thought occurred to me that selflessness is really a BIG key to happy relationships... and I don't just mean in marriage, but also parenting, in friendships, even with business relations. We live in a world where there is a FINE line between selfishness and certitude. We have been taught to fear getting left behind, or forgotten, and so we assert ourselves and we focus on "me". It is when we lose sight of our connections that we REALLY get left behind, or forgotten.

As a mother, I have fallen into patterns where I try and try to fill my cup and just don't seem to get what I am after. My husband and my children suffer when I begin focusing too much on my needs. And those needs are never quite fulfilled because it's not just about me right now. I am part of a whole, a family, and only when we stay connected do I feel fulfilled. It's all about balance and moderation, but also priorities.

Thank you again for all your wise words and experiences!

6 comments:

Kasie @ ~The Art of Life~ said...

That is so very true. I love what you said about being "part of a whole, a family, and only when we stay connected do I feel fulfilled." Families are under attack today because everyone is so scattered and disjointed. Your post is a beautiful reminder to always make sure that family is the number 1 priority.

someone else said...

It was a good day yesterday.

Unknown said...

Well put! Balance is the key. I very strongly feel that women should not give their everything for their family, leaving nothing for themselves. It IS about balance and in that end, everyone wins.

Meta said...

thanks for sharing your thoughts. it is hard to NOT focus on the un-met needs in your life.

for me it is about finding happiness in the simple things.....a happy mom is a happy home.

Michelle said...

You're right. I actually didn't think about it the way you just described. We do have to have a balance to succeed. It's not easy, but doable. Thank you for sharing more of your thoughts. I enjoy reading and learning. :)

TJ said...

i was going to post something on it, but i never got to it.
i had a friend that actually cheated on her husband. she was the one the drove us to the airport when we left Germany, and so i asked her how she got to the point where she could do that. it went back to not having good communication regarding something incredibly important (she had miscarried and they never really talked about it) and an already busy family life and they just stopped talking about the things that they needed to, and didn't make an effort to fill the others cups. they weren't connected. it gave me a little perspective. how important it is to stay connected. she said to me that she thought matt and i were lucky because we did so much together, like going to church and just other stuff that we did. i don't think i will ever forget that conversation.