Wednesday, April 11, 2012

8/30

30 things is back with number 8.  It's a doozy.

What are 5 passions you have?

I should have written this post a while ago, but I kept tripping up on the whole "passion" thing.  I mean, if I'm passionate about something, it should be a well written, thought out post with immaculate grammar, punctuation, diction, style, alliteration, verse, rhyme...ok, now I'm just spouting off literary terms.  Which brings me to one of the five passions I've chosen...

(keep in mind it doesn't say list 5 of your ONLY passions, just 5 passions)

(also, these aren't in order of what I am most passionate about)

1) Words.  Yes, I have a passion for words.  I love reading them.  I love writing them.  I love how a perfectly placed word can affect a scene, a mood, a moment.  I do believe the pen is mightier than the sword.  There are certain lines of poetry that live in my blood and have helped shape who I am.

2) My family.  My own sweet little ones and handsome husband are at the top of this list.  I love these people I've been blessed to be share a life with.  I thank God everyday--everyday-- that I have the privilege to be called mommy and wife.  I take these titles seriously.  The family that calls me daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and in-law also fall under this family category.  It's the ties that bind.  For the good and the ugly, I love my family.

3) The rights, roles and education of women.  I've rewritten this section about 100 times.  Turns out when you're passionate about something, you have a lot to say on the matter.  I'll try and sum up this train of thoughts that rolled through my head.  It started with the suffrage movement in the US that granted the women the right to vote in 1920, made a stop around equal pay for equal work, then a brief tour in the valley of educating a woman is educating a nation, found it's way across the world into cultures of repression, abuse, forced marriages and segregated McDonalds.  Kind of an intense train ride.    

Concerning the roles of women, I believe women are completely capable and qualified to be CEOs, top executives, secretaries of state, leaders of countries and owners of businesses.  I think more women should hold these positions.  But don't belittle me, discount me, or take me less serious because I'm "just a mom."  Leaders of the world and winners of noble prizes didn't raise themselves.  Certainly most of them had a mother who read them books, taught them values and tucked them in at night.  I'm not wasting my college education by staying home and raising children.  Who better to benefit from my higher education than my own children?  Their future is bright and limitless.  It's my job to teach them why.  Also,  how many people with a camera pointed at their face, wave and say "hi dad!"    

Women are important.  Maybe even the bedrock of society.  We birth, we nurture, we love.  We have unique and separate qualities compared to a man.  Qualities and attributes that don't rank us above or behind our male counterparts, but right next to.
(Can you believe I could ADD to this one?  I have much more to say on the matter, but I'll give it a rest...for now.)


4) My faith.  I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, AKA a mormon.  I've had moments in my life where I've made choices that contradict my faith. So I can say with a sincere heart that I am most happy when I'm living the the precepts of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I find peace when I read the Book of Mormon.  I find comfort and guidance in the words of the prophet of my church, Thomas S. Monson.  I sincerely try to live that great commandment of 'love thy neighbor.'  I look to the Savior as the north star in my life.  I get lost more often than I'm on course, but I'm thankful for the grounding peace He offers.  

5) Running.  Wow I love to run.  When setting your alarm for 5am on a Saturday to get in 15 miles before lunch gets you excited, you know you reeaallly, really like running.  I'm not going to say too much more about it.  Feel free to click on the label that says "running" to your left.  I've written about it a couple (million) times.  I'm on a temporary hiatus, but you better believe I'll be back.  I'm already looking at fall races.



Was this an intense post?  It kind of felt like it.  Maybe just in my own head?  I'm all fired up!  Glad I only delved into 5.


5 comments:

Heidi said...

I LOVE it! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate hearing words of wisdom and enthusiasm for women's roles, mothering and the fun stuff too. Awesome ;)

MrsD said...

"You go girl" is such a cliche, but the sentiment applies!!!

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