A SNAPSHOT OF MY HEART

My daughter-in-law sent this photo to our family group message a couple of weeks ago. I love this picture for sooooo many reasons...

I'm doing something I love - reading - with people I love - my grands. In the background are reminders of even more people I love - artwork by three of my kids, the piano where so many of my children made music through the years. You can't see the person taking the picture, my beautiful daughter-in-law, or the people chatting behind me in the kitchen...more people I love.

This picture feels like a little snapshot of my heart.

If you were to ask yourself, "What makes Camille tick?" - or - "What motivates Camille?" - or - "What brings Camille joy?" - well, this picture goes a long way toward answering those questions.

I heard someone say of me recently that the reason I went back to school, got a degree, and took on a full-time job was because I needed the validation that a degree and work could give me in order to feel like I had done something of value with my life. Nothing...nothing...could be further from the truth.

(I may come back and revisit the whole how and why of my nursing journey here in a future post, but for now, let's just say: I went to nursing school because God, and I now work full-time, as opposed to part-time, because healthcare benefits.)

If you've read more than a couple of posts here at the blog (thank you for reading!), you know that I have good days and bad days. Sunny days and days of shadow. Doesn't everyone?

Yesterday was a good day for me. I got a phone call from my granddaughter Lizzy, shopped for birthday and Christmas presents for the grands, and closed out the day spending time with my son Thomas. Thank you, Tom, for the wild ride and good conversation, but thank you mostly just for being you.

Today, I spent time with church family, watched a recorded lecture on the topic of Highly Sensitive People (suddenly I feel soooooo much less like a freak in this world), and wrote letters to friends.

In three short days (they will actually be long days, because work is wild right now), my house will begin to fill with the activity, chatter, and chaos of kids and grandkids gathering for the holidays.

My heart tank is full...and getting fuller.

Today, I am thankful for the good days.