Family Friday: Things that Make Me Happy

This sort of relates to family but mostly it is about me. I was inspired by this post to sit down and write what makes me happy. 

A few months ago, after a particularly rough day with the kids, I escaped to one of my favorite spots in my neighborhood for a solo take-out dinner: the marina. I love sitting on a dock and watching the boats go in and out, listening to the waves and smelling the salty sea water air. It dawned on me that I do not take advantage of this water enough. I am surrounded by it - we live a few miles from a beach (on the Sound), a mile from a canal, another few miles to two lakes...you get the idea.  I don't use it in my everyday life and I NEED to. I was born on one island and grew up on another so water is sort of an essential in my life but yet I don't actually physically use it in any way. So as I was sitting on this dock, watching the sun set no less, I promised myself to start taking advantage. Maybe throw on a wetsuit and swim every week, maybe take sailing lessons, maybe just get a dingy to motor around in.

I haven't acted on my promise yet, but I WILL. I mean, I promised myself right? Well, anyhoo, this promise got me thinking about passions. What am I passionate about these days? What do I enjoy doing (aside from anything to do with my children)? My husband will drop anything for a powder day or heck, he'd drop anything for a day skiing in the rain! So what would I love to do more than anything? And I did not have an answer! EEKS!

I have lost myself a little bit in this whole crazy thing called Being-A-Mom. I am starting to realize that it is slowly sucking me dry of ME. Does that make sense? I used to have fun with what I wore everyday (now it's all about easy, nursable tops, jeans (albeit hip ones!)...clothes that will be ok if I have to throw away because they got blueberry juice or marker on them), I used to read books and go out to movies, I used to jump off the back of boats, I used to travel and explore, I used to walk and do yoga, I used to sew and paint...in short, I used to have a lot of free time to use as I pleased. Now I have an hour here and there after bedtime or when I can get my husband to take over for an afternoon (which thankfully he is so eager to do! But alas he does have to work). It just doesn't feel like enough time to start and finish something so I just end up doing something on my to-do list - which isn't to say that doesn't make me happy, but I'm talking about something that makes me glow.
It dawned on me as I sat there on the dock, that to be a better parent you need passions. You need to show your children that you have desires beyond making them forts and helping with homework. If you have a passion for something, it will encourage them to find their own passions. So, again, what are my passions?

For one, there is the water. There is nothing more exhilarating than jumping into the ocean and swimming about - preferably in a warm climate! I love swimming - in lakes, in oceans, in pools. I recently tried paddle boarding in front of my in-laws house - it was fun! So like I said at the start of this post, I need to get in the water more.

And what else? Time to find some time to reflect a bit...how about you? What are your passions?