Introduction — The Countdown Begins!

This is a perfect day to start this experimental blog — 40 Years of Me, 40 Days of Others. Our Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper is next week at All Saints Episcopal Church, so this is actually a SEASONAL element to this experiment! It's that time of the year when we all start thinking about what we're going to give up for Lent — or in this case, what we're taking on.


But it's even better timing because I'm home sick today with my daughter Marley, who also has strep throat. This is a picture of Marley on a good day:

Today I am reminded how me-FULL I can be. I've been listening all day to my little friend, who is indeed sick and puny. She has many needs. She wants Zigs. Today.


This is a Zig (I had no idea, either):

She wants an Icee. She hates her medicine. She's cold. She's hot. She's hungry. She wants more bacon. She wants me to look up Zigs on the computer. Did I tell you she's hungry? And not for that. Or that. Or that. Anyone with children knows the needs of a sick, bored child.


It's during times like this that those horrible, selfish thoughts enter a mother's brain: What about me??!??! I'm sick too, doesn't anybody know? I need....well, heck I have lots of needs! Too many for anyone in this house to fulfill. Where's the love — for me? Where's my Icee, where's my bacon? How 'bout some rest for this poor, tired, sick mother? And can't anyone comprehend that just because I'm sick doesn't mean I can stop my work? Working and being sick is hard — work! And, hello? Does anyone see me over here schlepping the laundry around and changing germy sheets? So sick and all? 

This is the perfect day for a little reminder: the record player in my brain loves to play "My Heart Bleeds for You." I adore throwing myself a good pity party. Sometimes the record plays so loudly, I can hardly appreciate the needs of those around me. Even the sick, puny ones whining for cheese puffs and ice-cream — and Zips.

So that's where I'm starting. It's where it always starts: with ME. The real test begins next week, on the First Day of Lent. Until then, I'm going to gird myself with thoughts from those who know this "others first" thing much better than I. I'm going to take a look in the Bible and remember what it says about "whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." I'll research other self-less people in history and see if they shared any direction on all this. I also hope to share some practical advice — how friends and family seek to be self-less.


After that, I'll share the daily blow-by-blows of what it's like to make fulfilling the needs of others a daily priority. 


And maybe after 40 days it will all be a habit. Maybe I'll learn something. And maybe I might have a new perspective of things. Maybe, this is the secret of living a happy, full life. We shall see.