A Quick Look

You may or may not have been wondering what life is looking like for me right now. But, for all the curious minds I would like to provide a rough outline for what my average week looks like.

I am currently a full-time employee at a grocery store, about ten minutes drive from my house (or a fifteen minute bus ride which is my typical style of travel). My forty hour work week is delegated in shift work, which means I rarely if ever have the same schedule twice. My shifts can start as early as 7am or as late as 1:45pm and last approximately eight hours with a half hour lunch break (so technically 8.5 hours). Our store is open from 8am - 10pm every day unless otherwise stated, and early morning shifts are my preference as part of the day is still available.
My chief job role is as a cashier, and as an introvert this can either make for some great stories, awkward moments, or very draining days. Depending on when I get off work, I either socialize with family and help prepare dinner, or just head straight for bed. I generally work weekends and with a constantly shifting schedule, time to visit with friends or hangout in group settings is often cut to a minimum. So finding a community to plug into has been rather difficult, though I'm launching a quest to see that changed.
Thankfully my co-workers are pretty awesome, and I'm learning more each day of how to better interact with the customers who I serve.

While my parents were out of town for six weeks my brother and I took care of the house. We both work full-time, though thankfully he has a steady schedule. Those six weeks gave me a healthy dose of respect for anyone who holds a full-time job and still manages to find time for family, friends, and leisure. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how married couples and families manage to stay sane....maybe they don't have shift work. By the end of those six weeks, I was very happy to hand the house back over to my parents!

Yeah, life is busy. Some days are exciting and full of stories and other days are just about putting one foot in front of the other. I sometimes feel like I live at my workplace, and that black (our basic uniform component) is about the only colour/shade I wear now. I'm sorely feeling the need for a community of friends with whom to share life. I find myself desiring to be around people who speak in accents and come from multiple countries (can you tell I grew up on the mission field?), and it makes me miss the YWAM community I was a part of last year.

And that is my life in a rather large nutshell. Now you have an idea of what takes place in my day. If you would like to let me know what is going on in your life feel free to contact me! I'd love to chat with you sometime. :)

Blessings!

Simple Joys

Have you ever had those days where one little thing makes the whole difference? For example, sharing a cup of tea/coffee with a friend, going for a walk whether along the beach on in the mountains, snuggling under a blanket, watching a favourite movie, or just simply receiving a hug when you need it most. There are so many choices that we make throughout the day, and sometimes the smallest ones are the ones that change our day for the better or for the worse.

I know I've already written about this topic a bit in my last post, but finding joy in something simple amid what could otherwise be a very chaotic life has been a big lesson for me lately.You see, I'm a perfectionist in the sense that when a certain number of things don't turn out the way I hoped they would, life sucks and thus my day is ruined. I didn't ever care for how my mind seemed to work in this way, so over the last few weeks I've been challenging myself to keep a looser hold on perfection and a slightly tighter hold on the simple joys a day can bring.

That may have sounded a little confusing so let me try and provide some examples from the last few weeks. Examples...examples...where to start. Ah, yes! Last week, after my work day was finished, I was returning home and stopped to check the mailbox before going inside. There was some of the usual junk mail, business stuff for my parents, and then to my delight I found an envelope addressed to me! Okay so this sounds incredibly old fashioned and slightly cheesy but I really love getting letters in the mail (no subtle hints here). This letter happened to be from a dear friend of mine in Australia, and what she wrote really made my day. It was only a letter, yet after a long work day it warmed my heart.
On another day, one of my co-workers bought me chocolate. And then there are the evenings that I've worked late and returned to find that my brother had made dinner for me. Or when you find that the library or a thrift store has a book that you've been wanting to read for ages. It might just be meeting with a friend and having a chance to talk over a cup of tea. Even last night, I got to go to the theatre with my brother and a friend. All of these things and so many more, are so simple and yet they can bring so much joy with them.

I still struggle with perfection when it comes to everything turning out the way I want it too. It may be something I struggle with for the rest of my life. But I don't want the struggle to obstruct my view of all the little things that can make the day turn into something awesome. If you can't tell by how often I repeat myself, I like the simple joys that life offers. :)