A Choir Concert and a Reality Check - Issue #35
I finally ordered some curtains for our room and they arrived this last week. I love them, and they add a nice warmth to the room when the sun shines through. I am looking at them right now, enjoying the sound of crickets and other singing insects through the open windows. It is one of the best sounds in the world, I think.
Last night, Jonathon and I sang an entire concert's worth of Christmas music with the Choir of Hope. It was a beautiful concert full of beautiful music. For those following on Facebook, I'll try to post a link to a video of the concert once it becomes available.
It was a somewhat difficult night for me, as I was dealing with a health flare while on stage. I have a lot of chronic health issues, sadly, and this one is my least favorite. And it is a problem I have been free of for probably a year. So, having it pop up out of the blue and right before a two-hour performance, no less, was disconcerting, frightening and inconvenient. I wrote a Facebook post about it this morning, and I believe I have pin-pointed the cause. It was a new multi-vitamin. Yes. Really. My body is excessively complicated and there are days when I wish I could just trade it in for a less-finicky iteration.
Why do I share these things? Well, it recently came to my attention that a good many people looking at my life from afar, have come to the conclusion that I am a golden girl. I am talented: I sing, I write, I sew, I cook, I play instruments. It would seem there is nothing I can't do. (There are a good many things I cannot do, just so ya know.)
And thus, my life must be enviable.
It is true that I have been blessed immeasurably in so many ways. Every day, I pinch myself because I can't believe I get to live in this beautiful slice of countryside. I love my wonderful husband, my sweet dogs, my writing, my singing, my cooking and everything else. But life is also not easy for me. Most days. Nearly every day.
It is true that God has given me a lot of talent. And I hope that I always use it in a way that brings Him glory, but that doesn't mean that my life is perfect and without problems.
I try to be as positive and cheerful in all of my descriptions of our life, even when I feel quite terrible. But at the same time, I do not want those looking on to begin to compare their lives to mine and feel...dissatisfied. Because we all have our particular hardships to bear, me no less or more than anyone else.
I don't mean to put on an act, and in fact, I don't believe I am putting on an act. Smiling is a good thing to do, whether you feel good or not. But smiling a lot comes at the risk of people thinking you have it all together and that your life is perfect. It is not, but there is still a lot to smile about.
Well...I am not sure that made any sense whatsoever. Even authors sometimes struggle to find the right words.
The bottom line is that I have a good life with a lot of problems. Much like all of you.
I am really grateful I got through the entire concert without having to leave the stage. I am really grateful for views like the one below that I get to look at every day.
Now this concert is behind me, I can refocus on 27! I didn't get much new material written last week due to all the extra rehearsals and my health issues, but I did write some. But I plan to double down and get a lot written in the next couple weeks. Stand by for more updates!
Until next time, folks...