Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Our Daily Treasures...

Welcome friends and family to our "normal" life. I first thought "I can't start a blog...what do I do or have that people would be interested in reading about? I don't have children, I don't take elaborate vacations or go on wild adventures, I don't have an exciting career or fabulous shoes! What's so exciting about my life? We just live a normal life, in a normal house, with normal jobs, and normal adventures." Then I thought of one of my favorite quotes..."Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure that you are...". And I thought how fun it would be to share our normal day treasures with the people that we love the most...our family and friends. So....welcome to our treasures... they may be "normal" (really, by what standard is normal anyway?), but they are ours. Hope you enjoy! :)

Meet the Feigner household...

Matt ~ When I met Matt, my soul reveled in the happiness it felt in meeting it's mate. He is my rock, my partner, my very best friend, the person I could never live without and the love of my life. Somehow in the craziness of life and unpredictability, he is constant. His love is unconditional and real. It's such a wonderful feeling knowing that I am traveling through this life with the person I was designed to travel with. It brings to mind the quote " Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend. " Through the normal ups and downs of married life and through the personal struggles we have faced, I know we have made it through them because we are friends and because we walk the journey together. This, in large part, is due to the respect, dedication and committment Matt provides to his daily life. Not only to me and his family, but to everyone he comes into contact with. You can't meet Matt and not know that he is a genuine, good hearted and sincere person. Yes...he's a bit of a goofball who thinks he's really funny (he actually is sometimes, but we'll never tell him that. :) He also has a few dance moves that will put you into hysterics. But that's a very rare sighting, unless it's late at night and one of his (un-named) sister-in-laws coerces him into it...... :) I'm sure that's an image she wishes she could erase from memory! He's also very protective of his morning routines. Whatever you do don't mess with his coffee and more importantly DO NOT touch his newspaper unless he's designated a pile that you CAN touch. :) That's okay...who he is, is exactly why I love him! I am so incredibly blessed to share my life with him and to be trusted enough for him to share his with me. He is a wonderful husband and he will one day be an incredible father. I love him so....
Jamie ~ "I am a crazy girl who loves to dance!". This is how I described myself in a 6th grade essay. If only it were that simple! Yes, I'm still a crazy girl who loves to dance, but oh, I'm so much more...
I'm sure my complex self cannot be put into a "nutshell", but I will try to make it short and sweet. :) I feel that due to my many circumstantial life events I have found myself devoid of passion and purpose...longing to find sanctuary within myself and my life. I happened upon a book by a wonderful author who wrote these words: "When we find ourselves devoid of passion and purpose, the first thing we need to do is stop. But that's not easy. The rest of the world is zooming by at full speed. Left alone with ourselves, we can become nervous and self-critical about what we should be doing and feeling. This can be so uncomfortable that we look for any distraction rather than allowing ourselves the space to be as we are." After attending a retreat I had the opportunity of experiencing last month, I was enlightened to an alternate perception on life....accepting it for what it is and where I am in it. This was no new message to me, but for some reason during the retreat I heard it in a new way. A way in which I actually felt that place in my heart. So...in trying to put that feeling into practice, the following words are my new life mantra: "I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching on fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open in me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance, to live so that which came to me as a seed goes to the next as a blossom, and that which came to me as blossom, goes on as fruit." (another wonderful author) May we all leave this world knowing our life was truly lived!
Tantrum ~ He's referred to as "T" around our house or as he likes to be called "T-dawg". He runs the show and Miss Molly is right in line with the rest of us. She avoids eye contact with him at all costs just to show her "respect" for her elders. (haha ~ she's really just a little chicken). Anyway..."T" has been with us for about 7.5 years. He's the most loving kitty you could ever want. He holds a very special place in my heart since he showed us his unrelenting resolve to stay a part our our family about 5 years ago when he was hit by a car. Tantrum spent a week in the veterinary hospital and everyday I awaited the dreaded phone call. But in the end Tantrum perservered ~ I don't know how, but he did. He wanted to be home and he wanted us to help him. It's been a bit of a long journey back to health for him, but today he's a fat healthy cat, with a sassy attitude, who loves attention and is just a little bit off balance! :)
Miss Molly ~ Our "wild child" and daddy's little fur baby! She's 5, but you'd think she was 2. Enough said? :) She'll steal your heart...make you want to wring her little neck...and steal your heart back again. I don't think the word "spoiled" begins to describe Molly's luxurious lifestyle ~ I'm sure she's convinced that she's NOT a dog. Although, given her way she'd be galavanting through a mud puddle covering herself in whatever sticks and leaves she found along the way. This makes Molly very happy....either that or a swimming pool! The caretakers at her boarding facility call her "sweet Molly"...I wonder if we're talking about the same dog ~ then she looks at me with her big, brown, "I love you" eyes and I know that we are! :)