Positively

My husband started this blog for me to help me begin writing regularly again, and after a lengthy discussion about its name, we came to this: Positively Carrie.

I think this name sums up my outlook on life. Not that I’m forever singing: “Always look on the bright side of life,” while terrible things happen behind my back, but I am a naturally positive person, and I do try to find and see the good in people and situations. I’m predisposed to think the best of someone. My faith clearly leads me to this outlook.

Count it all joy, brethren, when you encounter trials and difficulties of many kinds, for you will see that trials develop perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3, NIV

In this verse, Paul doesn’t hide the fact that life is often hard and hard things happen. Instead, we are to count it all joy when these hard things occur, because they are developing in us something that couldn’t otherwise be there.

This is not to say that we should gloss over the fact that we are hurting or disappointed or unhappy. We don’t become naïve Pollyannas. I have friends that are struggling with cancer. I have friends that peered over the edge of the pit of divorce. I have friends that continue to deal with chronic illness, and others that struggle with huge financial problems. 


But even in all those difficulties, I know that there can be a greater good than what we see right in front of us. It may take us a while to see or find that good, but it is there. Life isn’t neatly partitioned into easy and hard, good and bad, dark and light.  My positive take on life comes from knowing that God is working through all things in my life and the lives of those I love.  What a beautiful promise.

Beginnings

I loved my work. 
I loved being a teacher to students learning English. 
I was good at it. 


I poured so much of myself into my work that I would come home physically and mentally exhausted.  On breaks I would be thinking about the next project I would assign, or a better way to teach a unit, or what to do for a struggling student. 


But after nine years of teaching, I've hung up my teacher hat for now. Our beautiful daughter was born in April; I decided to give my notice in mid-May.

It wasn’t an easy decision. I went back and forth for months. Lists of pros and cons filled post-it notes and my brain at night. After that many years of teaching and loving my work, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with myself staying at home. I was confident, though, that I couldn’t work and be fully present with my daughter. Many mothers work. They’ve found a way to balance their home life and their career. They do it well. I didn’t see how I could.  I knew that I would always feel split between not doing enough for my job or for my family. I didn’t want to go back to work and feel that I had to choose to finish a project or be at home with my daughter and husband. So I chose. I chose the full-time job of caring for my daughter.


So now the transition has started. As in all lives, there will be amazing days and difficult days. As with all choices, there will be times I will wish I'd chosen differently. But I do know that my new life is good. Joy fills my heart. So here's to starting a new journey. 


Thanks for joining me.