Personal Growth, an Email, the Count Down and some Great Music

Personal Growth, an Email, the Count Down and some Great Music, the year ending, recap and somewhat deep look into the lives of the Carrs for Week 34 and the LAST week of 2009.

Growth
I made my bed today. In fact, I make it everyday. Well, most days it is just figuratively me, tucking the corners and fluffing the pillows, as in the time honoured saying “you made your bed, now lie in it” but today while actually straightening the comforter on the worlds highest bed, I had an “Ah-Ha” moment. It is true that we are the author of our own destiny and we should always take credit for our success and failures. Sure, we have people in our lives that contribute and somewhat steer us in one direction or another, but ultimately it is us that makes it happen. So it is up to us to take credit for our lives and all that happens in it. That part was not the “Ah-Ha” moment, I suppose on some level I have always known that, but what came to me between the top sheet and the other top sheet was the fact that every day, at every moment, we all start fresh and make our bed, and have from that moment on, a chance to lie in it, sorta speak.

When historians look back at the year that was 2009, certainly, the inauguration of Barack Obama, the death of the King of Pop or end of the “Economic Crisis” would be in there, but if someone were to author our family history book, what events would be on the pages in the chapter called 2009? Positives would include our eldest reaching double-digits in age, our good friends tying the knot, and moving in with my sister and her family. Along with the most significant positive of buying our first house, came the negative of the loss of my Aunt Mae. We lost two other people in our lives this year and although our own health over the last 12 months has been stable, the health of others in our family has been a challenge and that would all be in the book for sure. I think, if one word was singled out in this chapter, that word would be “growth”.

When I personally look back at 2009 in my life, I will always remember that it was this year that saw me grow tremendously as a person and I am giving credit for this to 3 events. First, a new role at work for 4 months that allowed me to learn new things and look at work and life from a different perspective; second, I started recording the comings and goings in my life in a weekly re-cap blog and of course third, we bought our first home. 3 things in my bed that I made and have laid in and with the help of many people have turned into my growth in the year that was 2009 and I could not be more happy.

Electronic mail
Both the girls have e-mail addresses, and do use them to send messages of love and request to both me and Nathalie. “What are we having for dinner?” and “I love you” are popular content in this little message and it is sure cute to see them trying to communicate this way. Jordyn got a netbook for Christmas, so with an email program literally in her lap, the messages have started to come more often just like this one. “hi daddy did you know that and i love you and mommy and julia and bentley and today we watched garfield it was on tv and it is funny.” My only hope is that the girls will never stop sending us these kind of messages and perhaps we are able to teach the importance of punctuation.

Week Off
The week between Christmas and New Years Eve, traditionally for us is a good time to get caught up on sleep, set-up new presents and spend some time with family and friends. Nathalie will normally take the time off, to match the time I have off and this year, she did take vacation days, although she had some work to do from home. Me, on the other hand, had some stuff to do work-wise also, so it was a busy week for sure. The girls enjoyed sleeping in and staying up late, but hiding around the corner in a couple of days is that back to school thing so, it all comes to end soon. Right back at it, and aside from the waking up early again, I think we are all looking forward to the promise of what is to come in 2010.

Count down
We almost missed the big count down this year. Oh we were awake alright, just busy playing games with friends. Getting caught up in the moment, laughing and having fun, we stopped and realized what time it was, and with 2 minutes to spare the TV is turned on in time to see the big ball drop. Thank you to our hosts for a great evening and what would have to be the best way in the world to usher in the new year. Good food, awesome music and a laugh or two with some great friends. Lets hope there is way more of that in 2010.

Music in Me
Well not me per say, but the music is in the house, loud and clear and all in the name of fun in the Carr household and I have to say I like it! The guitars and the new keyboard are being used and songs are flowing. Not necessarily in tune, but flowing just the same. My favourite moment to this point was just before we headed out on New Years Eve, the two sitters where at the keyboard playing a song, and Jordyn was right in there watching the fingering and Julia and the sitters’ little sister were just dancing and singing away, not a care in the world. Lets hope 2010 brings more singing and dancing to the Carrs just like that!

In Closing
A good friend and colleague, Michael Monty would always tell me that we do some of our best thinking before and after sleep and would remind me to keep a pad of paper beside my bed to jot down my thoughts. I have never done it until recently when, I have started to send myself an email with a couple of words that hopefully remind me what it was that I came up with in bed. I find it helpful, when writing a recap of the week, if I can refer back to my emails for content and inspiration and this week, while at the movie theater, I sent myself one that said “opening sequence”.

Actually it said “Open aequince” but it was dark, and I have big fingers and I figured it out anyway. What I was thinking about is what would the opening sequence or title part of a movie about your life look like? My movie, staring Kevin James in what critics call “the role of his lifetime” would contain great music and lots of snap shots of people laughing over a background of sunny skies and some body of water. I don’t know if it is just because I heard the song the other day in a commercial, but I keep hearing “Love Generation” by Bob Sinclair in the background, and it occurred to me that this is a good healthy new years resource for replaying what has happened in your life over the last year and we should all take a moment to become an award winning director and create our own opening sequence!

Feel the love generation,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Feel the love generation,
Ooohhh yeah-yeah,

Don’t worry about a thing,
it’s gonna be alright.

Thanks for a great year and for reading my blog!
Have a safe week, and a GREAT 2010.
Jim