Through It All and Other Cliches

There once was a girl who grew up in Australia
Her childhood was uneventful but as her adult years increased, she went through
Rough patches and smooth, up to mountain tops and sometimes down to the pits.
Oh, she learned to be thankful for all of life's experiences and she
Understood that the only thing we can 'control' is our response, actions and attitude.
Grinning and sometimes gritting her teeth, she held on to the
Hope that "things can only get better".

I read the above and I know that it seems full of cliches. 
The truth is that cliches are facts that have been proven over and over.

And here I am, almost 11 weeks since leaving our last place
Living in a beautiful area and
Learning a new way of life.

Learning is a mixed bag. Sometimes it feels so hard and I feel too old to be doing something new again. I wish I could be at the destination rather than having to go through all this stuff again. I am envious of people who seem to soar through life, having everything they want, having security: financial, work and in their family/friends/relationships. I am making new friends here and having a lot of fun with them but I also wish I had 'old' friends here who know where I've come from and who accept me as I am.  Since there is a lot to learn in my new job, I've also deferred my Uni studies for a semester. It's funny, in a not so humorous way, that even though I've taught in a variety of schools and have for many years, no school runs the same way and I can not take for granted that things are the same - because they are not. More to learn! 

I read this on a colleague/friend's Facebook page recently: "One day it just clicks. You realise what's important and what isn't. You learn to care less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself. You realise how far you've come and you remember when you thought things were such a mess that they'd never recover. And then you smile. You smile because you are truly proud of yourself and the person you've fought to become." I do know what's important and I have come a long way but as one of my new friends said to me recently, I need to learn to let go about what others think of me. I am still not sure how to do that but I will persevere and keep learning and keep growing.

Over ten years ago, I started a tradition called, "Smash an Easter bunny". At the time I was going through a stressful time and I thought it would be fun to smash an Easter bunny and eat the chocolate afterwards. I like doing it and have done it almost every year since. I did it again today. Don't worry, I didn't eat it all - plenty of chocolate still in the fridge and if you come visit, you can have some too. 

Well, it's school holidays here now so I have 2 weeks to explore the neighbourhood and catch up on things that are waiting to be done. Andy has joined the local AFL (Aussie Rules Football) club and they had a carnival on this weekend which went well. I have visits lined up to go to the dentist as I need a root filling. Three years ago, a dentist told me that I might need it and then she decided against it so now, I am paying for that decision. One of my new friends and I are also planning to go swimming over the holidays which I am looking forward to and I have a bit of school work to do so - no time to get bored. 

The song/hymn "Through It All" has been on my mind a lot lately and as I hum it, I am reminded that we all have a story to tell, we all have been through times we'd prefer to forget, avoid or not ever go through again and we've all experienced times when we've been happy and content. I've cried lots over the years - especially the last eight or so years and I've yearned to soar above it all and make a positive difference. I've moved many miles and many times and every move has taught me new things and given me new friends and a ton of reasons to be thankful and smile. 

Through it all, I've learned what, or more importantly, who is important. I will keep on learning and keep on growing and maybe one day, it will be easier. 


Through It All

Verse 1
I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,

there's been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Chorus
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

Verse 2
I've been to lots of places,
I've seen a lot of faces,
there's been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

Chorus

Verse 3
I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know God could solve them,
I'd never know what faith in God could do