What's Your Next Adventure?

The other day, I called to to talk with my kids, when on the other end of the phone I here screaming and excitement! I hear, "Samiah Caught a Fish! Samiah Caught a Fish!" Zadyn, my nine year old son, had been helping Samiah, my four year old daughter, how to fish off of the peer at the lake. It takes a little bit for him to get it put away so that they could come chat with me, but as soon as the fish gets put in a bucket of water, Zadyn take's no time to tell me "Samiah Caught a Fish and it's the biggest [of it's kind (I don't know fish very well)] that I have ever seen!" Zadyn was so excited! He had not only taught his little sister to fish, but she caught a big one, not just some we little one, this one competes with what he catches! Zadyn is nearly a professional fisherman, he's just too young to get paid for it. He catches a ton of fish, frogs, tadpoles, crawdads and many other aquatic creatures. He is always concocting a new adventure and this day, this adventure was to teach his little sister to fish! What an exciting time that was and I was only on the other end of the phone!

My 12 year old daughter Awan has always been a climber. She was climbing into her stroller on her own when she was one, climbed to the top of her closet when she was two and continued climbing on everything else even to this day. At the park there was this tree that, when she was younger, she wanted to climb. Now my rule for my kids in climbing things is that I will not lift you into or onto it, but if you can climb into or onto it, I will be close for the catch but I will let you continue to climb. I feel that if any one of them needs my help to get into or onto it, then he or she is not physically strong enough to be in or on it. Well this tree at the park was just that for a little while for Awan. She was not developed enough to lift herself past the trunk in order to get into the branches so she was not allowed into it by any help. She grew older, taller and stronger and eventually could climb in that tree. The day that she could get into that tree was an exhilarating day! She was so excited and I was ecstatic for her! What a great new adventure for her!

We visited that same park a couple of weeks ago. Awan comes up to me and waves me to come see something. She takes me over to that same tree and steps into it with ease. She says to me "This tree is so small! I am bigger than it!" Now she wasn't literally bigger than the tree, but it was so easy for her to climb in, she basically owned that tree. That tree was no longer an adventure for her. It was a nice trip down memory lane, but no longer the adventure that it once was. She jumped out of the tree and was on to her next adventure ... how to ride a Ripstick! (Lessons on the Ripstick graciously given by her father who once broke his arm riding one! LOL)

You know, there are so many times that we fall into new adventures! Some we like and enjoy, others start out with us not liking it but then we take on the challenge and push forward learning how to get through it, we end up enjoying it. We end up stronger, wiser and better because of it! Whether we like them or not, these are the adventures of our lives and we certainly wouldn't be the person that we are today with out them. What if we started looking for our new adventures? What if we looked at the old adventure, realize that we are bigger than it and move on toward the next one, actively seeking for it instead of accidentally falling into it? What could our world look like then? You could find someone new to teach something to! (Maybe they do it even better than you!) You could find a challenge that you are unsure about, but could make life better for you and those around you and actually try it! The greatest ideas have come from people who have stepped away from the old adventure, knowing that it is now over and moved toward something new! You can do just that. You can change your world, make things better and improve the lives of those around you. You are capable, able and tough enough to try!

You are going to do amazing things!

GO FIND YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE!

Contagious

We were at Subway eating dinner. It's always a challenge getting four kids to place their orders and keep their attention focused all the way through the meats and on through the vegetables. If one of them gets theirs toasted, you've lost them and you have got to hunt them down and get them back for the vegetables. Luckily Subway restaurants are never that big! We sat down with our sandwiches and began to eat. I can usually relax a little when there is food in front of the kids, it keeps them out of trouble. LOL. As we were eating I hear Zadyn, my nine year old son, start giggling. His giggles get louder and then he is full out laughing! At this point I look over and he can't keep his eyes open, he gasps for breath in between the extended laughter. I start to smile, I look over at Awan, my twelve year old daughter and she is laughing too. She actually has no idea what Zadyn is laughing about but because he is laughing, so does she! At this point I start to giggle a bit to myself and look around as other people look over ... smiling! My dad was with us and I heard a giggle from him. My nearly 4 year old daughter looks at me pointing at Zadyn and lets out a ha ha ha. The other people in subway, even the employees are either smiling or giggling under their breath! I still don't know what he was laughing about, but does it matter? He started an epidemic, an outbreak of laughter that was so contagious the whole restaurant was affected or infected!

When we talk about the contagious, we normally talk about diseases. Colds, the flu, west nile, ebola, etc. However, there are so many more things that are so contagious that we don't normally even think about. Excitement, sadness, encouragement or abuse. Traditions, traits, passions and care can all be just as contagious.

A few weeks ago I wrote an experimental post called "Hopeless" where I expressed some troubled feelings that was having at the time. It wasn't a positive post. It was difficult to write and difficult for some to read, however, I had several people talk to me about how they felt the same way. How they had situations where they felt hopeless and it honestly felt good to them that they weren't the only one that felt this way. They connected and by their admittance, I believe that we both felt a little stronger and even encouraged by such a negative topic. Sharing your pain can be contagious too! And contagious in a good way. I'm not talking about just being negative, but truly sharing the the pain and the source of it. Negativity is just a façade to hide the true problem, the true pain. Truly and honestly sharing your pain can bring out other who are or have dealt with it before and their are strength in numbers. Your pain is not your own, someone else has gone through it and all can be helped by it!

Two of my children are adopted, from Ethiopia. When we decided to adopt we began to talk about it with friends and family as any parents do with the induction of any new family member. The word spread quickly and others began to wonder and ask questions. People in a position where adoption wasn't even considered an option because they had never thought about it, were now thinking about it and I have even helped several families as they took steps toward inviting someone new into their family.

When someone else gets excited, don't we even a little? When someone else cries, don't we even a little? When someone else gets stronger, don't we even a little?

Your life is contagious! What you choose, how you live and what you say will affect those around you! Even those that your decisions don't even directly benefit will be touched. Be passionate, get excited, share with others, care for others, start traditions that mean something and encourage those around you! As insignificant you think your life may be, you have a huge foot print. Just start laughing in a restaurant and see!

You can make a difference, you are contagious!