Personal

I am a personal person. I really like personal things. I like giving little bits of myself to other people, and I love when other people give parts of themselves to me. I love things that are homemade. This takes on a lot of forms. I appreciate that extra bit of heart in a lot of ways. I love depth in conversation. I like to talk about ideas and experiences. I have a hard time getting through without referencing a study or something really interesting from NPR or the Wall Street Journal. I love it when people listen to me, when they remember those things going on in my life, when they get excited with me over accomplishments or upcoming events and trips. I love it when they tell me about their ups and downs and great ideas. And compliments… who doesn’t love those? I don’t often forget a very sincere compliment. They go in a special place in my head (kind of like that top drawer of my 8-year-old’s dresser where he keeps all his school prizes, found money, and piñata loot) and they get stashed there for rainy soul days when I need a little validation.

{Max and Markus playing outside with their new Christmas Toys}

 

Then just today I came home from Christmas at Grandma's and found a surprise package in my mailbox (it contained treats and a sincere note). It was the most welcome thing, as I had just been thinking about what awaited me at home was a list of the most dreaded mom tasks imaginable—grocery run, post office, library, laundry, Christmas décor take down, 2 day mail sort, and an accumulation of business tasks. My night was made so much better by this personal offering.

I could go on and on about the friend who is known for her handwritten notes, homemade cards, sewing creations, or the one who sends the best birthday video messages, or the one who dutifully comments on my blog.

At a women's conference at BYU one of the speakers said, “Our love is often lazy in its failure to individualize.” This thought has stuck with me for these past 10 years. It reminds me to put in that little extra effort, to use my agency to make life better for others. It’s amazing how the smallest things are really what make our days worth living. So here is to wishing you all a personal 2012.

What is meaningful to you?