What is REALLY Important?

Like any normal person I have gone through the many "phases" of life when it comes to the all encompassing question of "What is really important? What really matters to you?" I wanted to be popular in school (I was a total nerd and a black-goth in a two-bit, one horse town), I wanted to go to the best university and get a job with the FBI (had a full ride scholarship to UT Austin - culture shock sent me back back north to UNT in Denton where I joined the Army after graduating), I wanted to party and be wild and crazy (I had my daughter at 22 and quickly learned that growing up is hard), I wanted a good career, a big house in a nice neighborhood, and a normal life (became a real estate accountant, met a wonderful guy with two daughters, got a house in the suburbs, and have realized that "normal" is a made up thing). This is only to illustrate that as we continue through life, the things that are important to us change as well - however, for me some things have not changed.

I wanted a stable and comfortable home, the security that I could take care of my family, and the ability to teach my children about responsibility, discipline, hard work, and how to find pleasure in the simple things life has to offer. I also wanted to teach them the skills that they would need to be successful in life on their own - things that I noticed very early on, were not as "common knowledge" as I thought they should be. How to cook, clean, and do laundry, how to grow their own food, and the importance of commitment and responsibility.

None of these are easy concepts to learn, but if they are introduced at a young age, they become more of a way of life rather than a intimidating expectation. Because I want them to focus on their school and not "stress" over having to get all their chores done, I have derived a way that there is only 1 daily chore and then 1 rotating chore that shouldn't take more than 10 minutes of their time - I will discuss this in a later post on chores, responsibility, and discipline. We have a small garden where I can teach them about plant cycles, bugs, and about really enjoying the fruits of your labor. The small flock of hens and the two rabbits enable me to educate them on cleanliness and responsibility while caring for something that is completely dependent on you for food and water. Of course, getting the eggs and giving the bunnies treats is just a fun perk that comes with the package.

So what is really important to me? Its being able to spend time with my family and to enjoy being healthy (in my own way) and watching my daughters grow and learn. This is what really makes me happy. I have finally found the Magic in my world and my desire is to share that Touch of Magic with others.