Reverb catch up

So, I haven't been keeping up with my reverb posts very well. It started because I felt like some of the questions were the same answers to questions I had already posted, and also there were questions that weren't very interesting to me personally and ones that I didn't know how to answer... and plus I've been just plain busy - but I'm going to hash it out now. :)



Day 14 - The path that brought you here

Today's #reverb12 prompt comes from ... Bron aka Maxabella ... She also rocks this mamahood thing from the zeniths to the nadirs, and if you aren't a part of her 52 weeks of grateful project then you really should be.
Sometimes I spend too long at the end of the year planning for the new year ahead, so something like #reverb12 is so good for me.
This year was so full of change for me and mine that it feels like it wasn't a "good one". While I welcome the fresh breeze that change can bring, too much change just leaves me itchy and skittish, the ground loose beneath my feet. Then, when things settle again and the road ahead looks smooth and delightful, I think - what's next?
But I need to remember to look back at the winding path before I start walking.
My question is: what was the most important thing you learned in 2012?

I would like to add: how does this learning shape the path going forward?

Hmm. The most important thing I learned in 2012? I suppose it was that I am a capable mother, and person generally and that I can make a valuable contribution to my family, friends, and the world around me.

I think sometimes we all have a tendency to feel that our part in the world is so small in the scheme of things and wonder whether we really matter at all, but I know that each of us do! And that's me too, not just everyone else I meet. We can be the change that we want to see in the world.

With this in mind, going forward in 2013 I want to be aware of the ways I can make a difference to those around me... more on this later.  

Day 15 - What tingled your tastebuds?
What was the most extraordinary dish you sampled in 2012? What made it so magical?
It needn't be the most extravagant dish, just the one that knocked your socks off with its flavour, texture, aroma, freshness, colour, significance, timing… whatever. Relive the magic and help us savour it with you here.

A short answer, since I really can't think of much... I don't remember anything that made a particular impression on me - but I am a sucker for creamy pasta with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, as well as bacon and/or chicken! We had something like that in the past week but we used alfredo sauce instead of just cream and it was even yummier!




Day 16 - Who inspired you?

Who inspired you in 2012? And why?
What gifts did they give you? And how will you carry these forward in to 2013?

Now here is a question I can sink my teeth into! I can think of a few people and I bet that one of them in particular doesn't even realise that she inspires me so much! Without mentioning names, here are the reasons that these people inspired me.

The first I will mention is actually a couple who has been through a LOT this year. They inspired me with their positivity and resilience in the face of these challenges. They have inspired me by the way they just keep putting one foot in front of the other and doing it with grace! <3

The next on my list is a friend who had huge challenges to deal with this year, but has likewise shown resilience and just kept moving forward. I don't think I have once heard her complain about it all!

The people above and also a few other particular friends have also inspired me with the way they seek to help others and are just wonderful people. I've been so blessed to have them in my life.

Most of these people probably wouldn't recognise themselves in what I have written, even if they do read it though.

I hope to carry these things forward, to be able to meet challenges with optimism and grace and to really make a difference to those around me.

Day 17 - How did you make a difference?

Today we are fortunate to have another guest prompt from ... Lana
Think of one person whose life you made a difference to in 2012.
What did you gain from this?
How will you continue to make a difference in 2013?

I love this question - it makes me think. Try answering it for yourself. Really think about the impact you've had on the people and world around you. It doesn't mean you have to get bigheaded about it, but it's important for your self-worth to feel good about the things you've done!

First of all, I haven't always felt that I really do make that much of a difference... but I plan to remember that I can in future!

This year the biggest difference I have made has been within the walls of my own home. It's impossible not to acknowledge or accept that I made a difference in the lives of my little ones. Being a wife and mother, that was always going to happen - for better or worse! ... but I feel it has been for the better. I don't know how comfortable I feel about making a list of the things that give me that feeling of achievement - but I see my children growing and developing and that they are happy and loving individuals and that makes me happy.

This year I think that I've been so caught up in the wife, mother, and housekeeper things and with adjusting to having two children and a husband that works full-time now, that I haven't made/had a lot of time to make a difference outside of those roles. I try to think of the friends I've made and the help I've given... and I hope that it has made a positive difference for those people I've wanted to help! We don't generally put effort in where we don't care about our impact, do we?



Day 18 - The colour of you

What colour best represents the year you had in 2012? And why?
What colour would you like to invite into your life in 2013?
Be as literal or metaphorical, clever or crazy, or just plain off-the-wall with this as you choose! Can't wait to read your responses to this one!

This question makes me laugh, and I'm not really sure how to answer it...

I think green would be a good colour to represent 2012 for me. Green says growth, which I've had a lot of this year. As Natalie like to shout at traffic lights, geen also means GO - which is representative of my year as well. There's been a lot of going and growing!

In one sense, the 'go go go' that the green represents has been good but in 2013 I hope to also use the idea of slowing down and living intentionally, without rushing so much that I fail to enjoy the blessing of that moment. If I follow the theme of the traffic lights, I'll say amber would be a good colour for 2013. Still going and growing, but stopping to enjoy it!

Well, that wasn't as painful and drawn out a process as I thought it was going to be! I'm still enjoying being part of the #reverb12 challenge. If you haven't checked it out go to this blog and if you want to be a part of it, even if you just consider your answers without sharing them, please do!