Shine! No Dimming Necessary

We've got our shades on - SO YOU CAN SHINE!

Monday articles are stressful to write. I enjoy Monday posts with a touch of humor and a smudge of inspiration. I found myself in my yard pondering what to write. My youngest was playing in his sandbox as I jotting down ideas in my notebook. We live on a busy farm; it is common for people to come and go. On this particular morning a gentleman I know rather well stopped to chat on his way to the barn. As we exchanged pleasantries he asked me to explain a yard decoration I hadn’t thought about since spring when I purchased it. The decoration in question is a decorative flag. It reads: Shine! No Dimming Necessary. He understood the words but wondered what about it had compelled me to purchase and display it.

We had a fabulous conversation about my goal as a wife, mother, and friend. The timing of this conversation seemed serendipitous and I feel moved to share my thoughts with you dear readers and friends. Here is my explanation:

Shine! No Dimming Necessary

I don’t ever want my husband, my children, or my friends to feel they need to play down ANYTHING in order to make our relationship work. There was a time in my life when I felt everything was a competition. If you had published your book before I had, I might choose to ignore your phone calls and skip your book launch. That was then…and those were some dark days when I was too miserable to be happy in my own skin much less be happy for someone else (awful qualities to have in a friend by the way).

Times are different now and I’m not sure if it’s age, wisdom, patience, or what the cause is exactly. What I do know is this: If you are happy, I am happy. It’s just that simple! Come over, grab a cup of coffee. Gush about how much you love your new job, how fabulous your new highlights look, the awesome guy you met at the gym, or your latest weight loss victory. I can’t wait to share in your excitement as I watch you shine! You aren’t rubbing anything in my face. In fact, when I go out in the sunshine, my cheeks get this nice rosy glow and the vitamin D kicks in giving me more energy. Similarly, you can come here anytime and shine. You’re doing me a favor. As I watch you shine, I get caught up in the excitement and my cheeks get rosy and I am energized right along with you. There is absolutely no dimming necessary around this place. Don’t you dare play down your excitement and your accomplishments! I love you and I want you to shine as bright as possible! Leave a comment and share a recent thought or accomplishment so we can all see you shine! There is no dimming necessary here at WOW!

Crystal is a church musician, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, three young children (Carmen 7, Andre 6, Breccan 1 year tomorrow), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 200 Holsteins. You can find Crystal blogging and reviewing books and all sorts of other stuff at:http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ She is shown here with her children and her mother hanging out in a tree in her yard. Photo credit to Olivia Brey of Oh! Photography.