Dare to Be: Celebrate You {Day 27}

Ever since I can remember, my parents always bragged about me for two things. There were probably more things, but what they were terribly proud of me for was this.

1. I  could say my ABC's

2. I could recite the Pledge of Allegiance

And, I could apparently do both of these when I was two.

I have to say that is pretty impressive, but I can't remember that. 

me, age 2

I do vaguely remember my Uncle Carl dragging out his reel to reel tape recorder to record me saying or singing something though. I remember being made a big deal of. 

I vaguely remember that sweater, that doggie and that ball. I was standing at My Aunt Esther and Uncle Carl's house. 

Entering their house that evening, probably in my dad's arms, Uncle Carl likely greeted me the way he always did for as long as he was alive.

"Hallo, my little honey!!", said in his Swedish accent with as much gusto and enthusiasm as you can imagine. 

They celebrated little Anne Britt (my full name and what I was called until I was probably around 10, when I fell out of love with the second name).

I felt like the apple of their eye.

I felt like who I was and what I accomplished at this young age was celebrated.

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When did I reach the age where I no longer celebrated ME, or what I can do? 

What magic year was it where it was no longer acceptable to celebrate being me? 

I do not know.

But, I am in the process of learning to appreciate who I am and what I've accomplished. I know God made me and that I am the apple of His eye. I am His masterpiece! That is something to celebrate!

That's me on the right in yellow

Today, as I look at these photos of little Anne Britt, I am reminded to celebrate me. I'm reminded to celebrate the small milestones as well as the bigger ones. 

Today, I am celebrating the fact that I didn't eat the whole bag of mini snicker's bites, but I shared them with my husband and son. :)

I'm celebrating the fact that I am pouring fresh water on relationships that had gotten dried out and stale.

I'm celebrating that I started working out at a gym two weeks ago.

I am celebrating that I am enough.

How are you celebrating YOU? It's time!

Click on my button for a list of all 31 Days posts! Thanks for visiting Live the Silver Lining today!

This post is part of a 31 Day series on the topic Dare to Be and linking up with about 1500 other bloggers on hundreds of topics. Come on over to The Nester to visit!

How we met

This post is written for Five Minute Friday, where lots of writers gather at Lisa Jo Baker's blog and write unedited for five minutes straight. No edits. Just free flowing writing. Today the prompt is "together". Won't you come visit, and join in?

We were both just seventeen when we met on a trip to Apple River. 

Just babies really. 

And, I had my eye on one of the staff, not on him.

He jumped around in the middle of the motor home singing little bunny fu fu with a friend, and 

I couldn’t believe he was being so silly. 

Now, I realize he was just showing off. 

He and a friend, just letting it all go. 

No inhibitions. 

Funny.

Yes, I thought he was fun. 

And funny.

He asked for my phone number after that motor home trip.

He called and asked me to go to a Bible study that a mutual friend was starting.

So began our first summer.

Walking on my block at night.

Hanging out with campus life friends.

Softball.

Talking until we didn’t think we could talk anymore.

Then, I went back to another state for my last year in high school.

He didn’t think he’d ever see me again.

Kevin writing me from his dorm room, my Sr. pic on his desk

We wrote letters.

400 of them over the next 4 years.

Long distance,

 before email, texting, facebook, twitter.

And, we are still together.

Rough patches and all 

and even some times where we wanted to take different ways when the fork in the road came

 making us make decisions that were hard.

Making us grow up to who we are today.

(*29 years of marriage)

~Anne

Thanks for stopping by to visit! I believe God weaves a silver lining all through our stories.

Because she could let go

Today, I'm linking up with a community of encouraging writers at Lisa Jo Baker's blog for Five Minute Friday. The prompt is "she". Writing for just five minutes straight. From the heart. No need to be perfect, just sharing our hearts through words.  Won't you join in?

I only saw her three times in my life. 

Grandma Edith in a sea of flowers

She raised my dad until he was sixteen and then somehow, some way, said good bye to him as he followed his dream. His dream took him across the vast ocean to the land of “freedom rings” and the home of the brave. How could her mother heart allow that? How could she watch her oldest son leave and not know when she would see him again?

I only saw her three times but she has taught me much. 

Even though the three times I saw her, there was a language barrier . She speaking Swedish and I speaking English. My dad was the translator.

She smiled.

She laughed big. 

Her voice was warm and loving. 

And I knew by the letters she sent my dad in America that she loved him more than I can explain.

I’m not sure how she could let him go. Her oldest son. But, she did, and I am here as living proof. I’m glad she let him make the trip.

Grandma Edith, Dad and Grandpa Gustav on one of  Dad's visits home

From her I’ve learned the art of letting go of someone you love in order to let them find their dream. 

I’ve learned of love, grace and love of God.

Blessings to you Grandma Edith. Until we meet again.




How about you? Do you find it hard to let go? I do.

I have a post about my dad's trip to America at age sixteen here at my blog, A Ready Listener.

Why silver linings?

One day, quite recently, a friend came to lunch at Panera with a huge grin on her face. She said, "I'm putting my life story on a blog now!" She immediately inspired me and got my wheels turning.

I have a boatload of photographs from my childhood. And other old photos of my family members who have gone on before me. I often look at these old photos, and emotions and thoughts and memories start to bubble up from the archives in my soul.

Most of them aren't profound. But, I have found that looking back, reflecting on, and uncovering "what was" (whatever it was), is very healing. It is a great starting point to understanding "what is".

Me, age 3 and Dutchess

I look back and not everything is peachy. There is the good and the not so good. But, all of it makes up my life and my history. And, through it all, God has had His hand on me. His goodness, love and protection is that silver lining that draws my attention upward. Up to grace. Up to healing. Up to goodness.

I'm looking forward to digging into that pile of photos I have. I hope you'll join me in exploring that silver lining.

We each have one.

I hope you will be inspired to start seeing the silver lining  in your own life.

You can read more of my thinking behind this blog up above under the "my story" tab. Thanks so much for stopping by!



P.S. My friend's life story blog is:Footprints of My Life.

P.P.S. My other blog: A Ready Listener, is where I pause to see God's beauty in the every day.