Hilltop Academy - Our Blogs: Gift Wrap for our Lives

Feb. 19, 2008

Our Blogs: Gift Wrap for our Lives

I once got a really hideous gift. It was from a very good friend of mine in high school. I don't remember if the occasion was my birthday or Christmas, but I was really excited at first. She had wrapped it beautifully, and it was in a large box. Neither of us had much money, so our gifts to one another were usually in the Claire's Boutique earring or Cover Girl eyeshadow category. This looked like it might be a clearance rack shirt from the 5*7*9 shop in the mall or something. I eagerly tore into the box, ripping back the layers of shiny paper and curly ribbons, to lay my eyes on one of the most gaudy, butt-ugly homemade sweatshirts I'd ever seen.

I truly wish I had a picture, but I don't, so I'll do my best to do the description justice. The sweatshirt was white, but around the neck my friend used iridescent fabric paint in 80s shades of mauve, teal and purple to paint a....well....umm...to this day, I'm really not sure. It looked like preschool finger-painting. With blobs. And in the blobs my friend stuck large faux gems in the same offending colors. It looked like an 80s neon version of an Egyptian collar. I was speechless.

To my friend's credit, she knew the gift was bad. She usually had impeccable taste. She had messed up on the original design and tried to fix it. It didn't work, and she knew it, but she was out of money, and well...hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

I think blogging can be somewhat like this incident. My blog (or your blog), like the wrapping of that gift, might look great, exciting even. Smiling children, funny stories, warm fuzzies, cute pets, blah, blah, blah.... Yet, if you peel off the layers, you might be surprised at what you find. It might even be a little gross. It might not be cute or funny.

It might be sounding like I'm about to share something horrid that's going on in my life, something shocking and scandalous. I'm not. It's just every now and then, I look back at my blog and feel I haven't told the whole story. I haven't shared that I have a child right now that is really struggling in the responsibility department and that I've been beating my head against the wall as to what to do about it. You won't find the temper-tantrum pictures in my occasional "Peek" features. Drool and tears don't photograph well. I have neglected to post that my usually sweet-tempered Boxer has turned a bit cranky in her dotage, has been regularly stealing food from our table and trash and then nips a little at us when we try to retrieve the goods. I've also left out the tales of her incontinence issues, but perhaps I was just too busy scrubbing at the carpets. I really don't like to mention the fact that I often have more desire to read a novel than to read my Bible. I know I never shared about my humbling acrylic nail story. Oh yeah....it's a real hoot. A couple of months ago, I spent an obscene amount of money to get an acrylic French manicure, and I felt like an absolute diva doing it. I even went and forked out more money three times in the interim to have them "filled." Well, last week I discovered that fungus was growing under one of them. Yes, you read correctly....fungus. Talk about knocking me down a notch. Or two. Or three. Or fourteen.

Does this mean I am regularly going to start sharing this kind of stuff? Of course not. I guess I am just feeling a bit cheap or something, just blogging along, not even acknowledging these incidents. So, if you are a reader of mine, this message is for you: I have issues. I have cranky kids. I have a bad dog that pees on my floors. I lose my temper. I sometimes yell. Big D and I fight a little. I have a fungus on my thumbnail. Did you hear me? I HAVE A FUNGUS ON MY THUMBNAIL!!!!!!

Whew....I feel better now. But you know what would make me feel really good? Share with me about what's underneath the wrapping paper of your blog! I want to know about your fungus. I want to see your gaudy sweatshirt. So, go ahead....leave me a comment and tell me one teensy-weensy thing that makes you human, that makes you real, that maybe even makes you a little gross. Don't be shy!

Now to get this blog wrapped back up.... "Big D, pass me the tape!"

(Oh...and don't worry about my nail. I ripped the fake ones off and am treating the area. It's already looking better.)

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Comments

Feb. 19, 2008 - Funny, yet true!

Posted by kcmyworld

Often it seems like from reading others' blogs they live in a perfect house, with a perfect husband, perfect children, with perfection ad nauseum. And reading those posts, it's often discouraging. I know I can never meet that standard! Thankfully, I don't have to. Others are not the yardstick to which I must measure up. Instead, I must measure up to what God has called me to be.

As to what makes me human, maybe even gross? Ah, the flaws are too numerous to list. Shall we go into how I've recently come to the conclusion that I'm not just part of the problem - I am the problem. My organizational skills (or lack thereof) are a detriment to my family. Will I do something about it, or will I decide to give myself a socially acceptable label that I can cling to and avoid changes and the necessary discipline? The jury's still out.

Robin