holy moses.
So about a billion and a half things have happened since the last post and I'm finally getting a small moment to try and capture all of it!
First off, I'm back in Provo! But before I delve into how awesome it is being here, I really feel the need to share some of the things I've learned about nannying for Carol and Scott.
That job proved to be one of the biggest blessings I've ever had. Yes it was difficult on every level sometimes, but it was truly worth it.
One of the more poignant qualities I got to work on was my patience level. Seriously, you can't work with children without learning to become patient to some degree. From the bathroom accidents that could happen up to 3 times a day, to the spilled goldfish crackers all over the "just-washed" floor, I found plenty of times to grow more patient.
I grew to learn that attitude makes all the difference. Carol's optimistic perspective really forced me to analyze my own way of dealing with tragedies. I don't feel like the problems that I've had in my life compare in any way shape or form to her own problems but yet she still CHOOSES each day to be happy. Carol lives for her girls and because Chloe and Safiya are still too young to understand what happened to her, she decides daily to focus on the positives because that makes her a better mother to her daughters. She chooses to be happy because dwelling on the unchangeable past and regretting her circumstances is only going to make her future equally regrettable.
I learned how to value my blessings. When things were rough; dinner was burning, dishes everywhere, toy bins exploded, girls are fighting and thus in timeouts AND the phone is ringing, I would get so flustered and frustrated with everything. It took every once of control that I had to not lash out or cry. One day in the middle of such an event I thought to myself "Even as bad as things are right now here, Carol would give absolutely EVERYTHING to be in my position." The idea humbled me and forced me to be grateful for the fact that I could run around and pick up toys, that I could fold the laundry and do the dishes.
Carol taught me to not be judgmental. She's naturally a very accepting person anyways so this wasn't too much of a surprise for me but to illustrate my point I shall give an example. Carol had a lot of different doctors visits that I chauffeured her to and from. She would often tell me all about these doctors; their ages, children, hobbies, children's hobbies etc. From this I would start to build a picture of what these people should look like and more often than not I would be seriously taken back when I actually met them because they wouldn't look ANYTHING like what I imagined. If I didn't know anything about these people I really feel like I wouldn't have given them the time of day based solely on their appearance. Not only did this make me feel awfully guilty about my own shallowness but it illuminated my own personal pride too. Soooooo long story short, I'm working on not being judgmental because I know I personally hate that in other people.
I really felt blessed to have the chance to work for Carol this summer. There are times in my life that, when I look back on them, I realize were true miracles. I consider my summer job experience to be one of them.
Anyway, I'm back in Provo now and I'm LUVIN' it! It's been a crazy awesome week of unpacking, decorating, moving around, meeting people, getting classes worked out and of course grocery shopping :}
This semester is gonna be a blast! :)
So about a billion and a half things have happened since the last post and I'm finally getting a small moment to try and capture all of it!
First off, I'm back in Provo! But before I delve into how awesome it is being here, I really feel the need to share some of the things I've learned about nannying for Carol and Scott.
That job proved to be one of the biggest blessings I've ever had. Yes it was difficult on every level sometimes, but it was truly worth it.
One of the more poignant qualities I got to work on was my patience level. Seriously, you can't work with children without learning to become patient to some degree. From the bathroom accidents that could happen up to 3 times a day, to the spilled goldfish crackers all over the "just-washed" floor, I found plenty of times to grow more patient.
I grew to learn that attitude makes all the difference. Carol's optimistic perspective really forced me to analyze my own way of dealing with tragedies. I don't feel like the problems that I've had in my life compare in any way shape or form to her own problems but yet she still CHOOSES each day to be happy. Carol lives for her girls and because Chloe and Safiya are still too young to understand what happened to her, she decides daily to focus on the positives because that makes her a better mother to her daughters. She chooses to be happy because dwelling on the unchangeable past and regretting her circumstances is only going to make her future equally regrettable.
I learned how to value my blessings. When things were rough; dinner was burning, dishes everywhere, toy bins exploded, girls are fighting and thus in timeouts AND the phone is ringing, I would get so flustered and frustrated with everything. It took every once of control that I had to not lash out or cry. One day in the middle of such an event I thought to myself "Even as bad as things are right now here, Carol would give absolutely EVERYTHING to be in my position." The idea humbled me and forced me to be grateful for the fact that I could run around and pick up toys, that I could fold the laundry and do the dishes.
Carol taught me to not be judgmental. She's naturally a very accepting person anyways so this wasn't too much of a surprise for me but to illustrate my point I shall give an example. Carol had a lot of different doctors visits that I chauffeured her to and from. She would often tell me all about these doctors; their ages, children, hobbies, children's hobbies etc. From this I would start to build a picture of what these people should look like and more often than not I would be seriously taken back when I actually met them because they wouldn't look ANYTHING like what I imagined. If I didn't know anything about these people I really feel like I wouldn't have given them the time of day based solely on their appearance. Not only did this make me feel awfully guilty about my own shallowness but it illuminated my own personal pride too. Soooooo long story short, I'm working on not being judgmental because I know I personally hate that in other people.
I really felt blessed to have the chance to work for Carol this summer. There are times in my life that, when I look back on them, I realize were true miracles. I consider my summer job experience to be one of them.
Anyway, I'm back in Provo now and I'm LUVIN' it! It's been a crazy awesome week of unpacking, decorating, moving around, meeting people, getting classes worked out and of course grocery shopping :}
This semester is gonna be a blast! :)
Glad you're back in the saddle there in Provo! Summers are awesome, are they not?
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