Duly Noted: Good thing I’m not into eyeshadow...

You know how you can have an “aha” moment, as the Sis. Winfrey calls them, at the most random of times. The other morning I was coming up the stairs, walking into the kitchen, and opening the pantry to grab a quick breakfast before heading off to the busy day ahead (Come with me now, I’m gonna bless you). I pulled out two packets of instant oatmeal, popped some water in the microwave, waited and eventually ate. But I was still hungry. I thought to myself, “You just ate, fat kid!” Then, it hit me.

I’ve been eating two packets of instant oatmeal for years. I mean... years! Since the sixth grade. THE SIXTH GRADE (I’m now 24). In the sixth grade, I was wearing a size eleven shoe (I wear a 14/15 now), I was probably 5’11” (I’m 6’3” now), and God only knows what I weighed back then (and the two of us will maintain the exclusive rights to that information now as well). All of this kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn’t even taken into account how much of a different person I was now, how different my needs were today, and how I was actually selling myself short (or at least under-eating my oatmeal), all because I never updated the standard for myself.

Wow.

Right away I felt like one of those guests on an Oprah Show who was still wearing turquoise eyeshadow, hadn’t replaced the plaid orange couch, or had tap-teased their hair to the gods, all because it was what worked for them... 80 years ago when that was the thing.

Right away, I got up and had some more oatmeal. And was almost late to work. Almost.

I say all this to say: I was really grateful the Lord had paused and checked me with something seemingly harmless, rather than with something more potentially substantive. It made me ask myself, what were the other things in my life that may have been outdated, in need of repair, or simply needed to be transitioned out of my life?

I’m currently making a mental note of some boxers I’ve owned far too long, a few t-shirts that could be older than my youngest sibling, and of course, some turquoise eyeshad... nevermind.

What about you? What’s taking up space and not even actually being used anymore? What’s occupying your time, really only because it always has, but not because you need or want it? What beliefs, thoughts, or feelings are we still holding on to that don’t even really make sense today?

Take note, duly. And refresh your every day. As for me, I look better in natural tones anyway...

Best,

j.