SEC-S7W6 – Life Stories

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Hi there!

Time to mark your pages!

My dearest diary, some posts are going around sharing “Life Stories”. . Stories of people that left us so much wiser in the end.

Now, if someone is as old as you and I, our lives are filled with stories. Some make us laugh, some make us cry, some make us wonder and ask questions, and then some teach us valuable lessons.

Paging through your pages I found so many stories of people who had an impact on my life that I could share but how do I choose? With almost a year of the Steemit Engagement Challenge, it is also hard to remember which I have shared and which I have not.

Every day my life is a story with lessons. It might be that now that I am older the happenings in my life are more appreciated as I am more open to them.

• I have learned that time is valuable
• I have learned to listen
• I have learned that there is a lesson to be learned in all our actions

Today I am sharing a page of “My life story by @patjewell” with you in the hope that you will realize that so often we can learn valuable lessons from what is happening in our own lives each and every day.

It’s been one month since our move into our new home. I must admit that a month can be extremely llllooonnnggg but also extremely ssshhhoorrrttt.

I was hoping that by this time we will have all in place but we are still busy fixing and repairing and I can promise you that it is not because I am a woman who can chop and change her mind at the best of times. This time around, hubby is just as guilty. If there is one thing I have learned this month it is that you have to be patient.

Just after midnight, I made a list of what we still needed to do and “my moed het in my skoene gesak” as we would say in Afrikaans, my home language. Direct translation, "my courage sank into my shoes."

I wrote down my first entry of a valuable lesson I have learned today.

At least things are starting to slow down. I hope that by the end of next week, all will be in place and that I would be able to share our little place with you.

I didn’t sleep much last night. Hubby is working on a project which is launching at the beginning of April.. umh.. Why does it feel like I’ve told you this before? Anyhow, I have to keep his coffee cup full at night and last night it was also helping him to check data.

I woke up just after 3:00 when I received a message from @abiga554 regarding her daughter Aurora. Oh, my word! I was so excited that I just could not go back to sleep. I told you about Aurora many moons ago. Yes, the little girl with the two rear diseases. Now I can add, the girl who stole the heart of so many Steemians.

I had to discover at this early hour that it is her birthday next week and that due to the votes on a post, mommy was in tears as she can now give her baby daughter a birthday party. I could not help but also shed a tear… or two.

I got up and wrote my second, "lesson of life," entry, one of my favorite Winston Churchill sayings;

What a wonderful lesson in life this is, to make a life by giving. Just by giving a smile, a hug, and a little bit of TLC, we can change our lives.

I often ask myself what I did to deserve another teenage son in the house. Was one not enough?
Then I remember my mom’s words from many years ago.

Can you remember that time when I told you how slow my son was? I kept on moaning about it. Guess what? The Lord listened and gave me a daughter that was even slower. Still, I didn’t listen and now, I am blessed with an even slower third child. I should have listened to her.

I woke my stepson up before six this morning. As it was raining his dad could not take him on the motorbike which meant only one thing, I had to start my taxi. I warned him that we must leave early as the traffic when it rains, is hectic. At 7:10 I was waiting in the car for him… 7:15 no sign of him… 7:20 and I start hooting. School starts in 10 minutes. 7:25, he came running out of the house, suitcase in one hand, school shoes in the other, hair not combed and shirt half fastened. I am sure you can guess the outcome.

Oh no! Here I am moaning again. Please, don’t bless me with another!

Mom’s taxi was truly on the move today!

After taking my stepson to school it was time to get ready for a morning of shopping. I have this list of things I must buy and every day I find a good reason not to go to town. Most of the time it is the extreme heat stopping me. Well, today I had no excuse as it was still raining softly, just the right weather for shopping.

As I was getting ready it hit me like a brick, I never gave my husband breakfast. As my stepson and I had a cup of tea with rusks (South African twice-baked bread) I totally forgot that he had none. I quickly made him a toasted ham and cheese sandwich and took it for him. Of course, I had to slip in a small chocolate with it. His face, when I took it to him, was priceless.

Another lesson for my day;

After a kiss on my forehead, it was time to steer my car in the direction of town.

My first stop was at a supplier that stocked shampoo, liquid soap, small bars of soap, incense… All those things I need to stock the chalet for when we start with our holiday renting. What a shock I got.

When you stay at hotels or any holiday accommodation you take the amenities in your room for granted. I remember how I collected them as a child each day, packed them in my suitcase, and took them home after our stay.

My dearest dairy, I am now on the other side. I am the one that must supply them and they are not costly but VERY costly.

Image	Item	Cost in SA Rand	STEEM
	Shampoo 30ml	R 7,95	1.79
	Body Lotion 30ml	R 7,95	1.79
	Bar of soap 20 gram	R 5,95	1.34
	Room incense 50ml	R 69.95	15.74

Now let me remind you that 30ml is equal to 6 teaspoons. This is how small these bottles are. Costly!

“If you are smart your will choose comfort and not amenities!”

That is not where my shopping ended.

I bought twelve curtains for the lounge and dining room of our house. I walked into the first décor shop, looked for the color and size I wanted, and of course for the best prices. Within 30 minutes I was done! Best of all, I even had time to “shop with the eyes”.

I just love the new Africa décor theme. It was a good thing that I was in a rush or I would have been in trouble with hubby dear.

I gave myself 30 minutes for this shopping as the first 30 minutes of parking is for free. Thereafter it cost R15 or 3.43 STEEM, often the prize for a winning post in a contest.

My lesson...

“It is called looking after your money when you don't want to pay for parking”

My last stop was picking my son up from school…

Last at school and last out of school!

I waited nearly half an hour for him. His greatest chats are after school on the way to the car.

I told you that he is now a teenager so yeah, girls counts more than a stepmom.

Makes me think back to my school days and how long it took me to walk to the motorbike shed.

“Sweep at your own door first before sweeping in front of someone else’s”

How often don’t we do this?

FROM DUSK TO DAWN

Stopping at home after my shopping made me happy. It felt so good adding those thick red ticks to my list of “What to do?”. I am almost done!

What was even a greater reward was that hubby was already home. He could help with hanging the new curtains.

I don’t know when last I watched one of my television programs. The days are so busy and at night if we watch television we watch programs we all like to watch.

I spoiled myself with a cup of tea, placed myself on the recliner couch, and I watched not one, not two, not three, but four episodes of one of my favorite programs, “Boer soek ‘n vrou” Or as they call it in Australia, “Farmer wants a wife”.

At first, I felt guilty about watching television. Then I looked around me and what I have accomplished in the week. I deserved a bit of “me time” before mother duty kicks in.

Reflecting back on my day the story of my life was filled with valuable lessons that I had to discover myself.

My last entry for the day;

“It is okay to disconnect yourself for a moment. It is called being gentle to yourself”

Until next time.

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