Wow, it has been such a long time since I found the time to blog! Let's just say college can get crazy busy, especially in your senior year. I decided it was time for a little "me" time though and thus I chose to complete a writing challenge. As is made totally obvious by the title, this blog post is supposed to focus on something I'm proud of. That's really hard. I am proud of so many things. First off, let me specify that when I say proud, I don't mean in the nasty sense of pride that gets in the way of love, serving others, etc. I mean, I'm proud of things and people in a way that means I admire them for what they do and are, that I respect them fully, and celebrate their success.
That being said, I am proud of my friends for their many accomplishments both personally and for their families, I am proud of my godchildren for just being them, I am proud of my siblings for being so smart and so talented and so many other wonderful things, I am proud of my mom for her diligence and other things too of course, I am proud of my country and those who serve it everyday. I am proud of those in my life who have had the strength to endure their trials and who chose to be better instead of bitter, I am proud of my family in general because despite being a bit nutty, they are my family and I love them.I am proud of my favorite musicians, artists, authors, directors, actors and so on for inspiring me and the masses alike. I am proud of my husband for almost being done with college, for improving his talent in art, and for being a good man. I am proud of my religion for doing all the service it does and instilling so much faith in the world. I am proud of my Heavenly Father, and would never deny Him as I have in the past. I am proud of my dog for knowing basic commands, a ton of tricks and for being so dang smart.
See? That's a lot to choose from. However, since it's St. Patrick's Day this week and since I am on this self-love journey...I also want to say I am proud of me. I am proud to be Irish in all senses of the word, but I am also proud of my overall heritage and family history. It may not be perfect but whose is? Still, I know I wouldn't trade my background because it's made me who I am. I am proud to be a Gallegher and a Nelson. I am proud to have a strong sense of justice, and a desire to serve whatever community I may live in as a law enforcement officer. I am proud to be a Mormon. I am proud to be a wife. I am proud to be a friend, a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, or whatever I am to you because it means that I am something to you and I get to be in your life. I am proud to be loud, which I guess speaks back to my Portuguese heritage and crazy family. I am proud to value my intelligence, how I can serve others, and my self-worth. I am proud to be a nerd, a lover of Harry Potter and the like. I am proud to identify with such strong female leads in almost every story I read. I am proud to be me and you should be proud to be you. Being proud of yourself, at least in my eyes, doesn't mean being prideful. It means recognizing who you are in the eyes of God, seeing yourself as a light and being comfortable in your own, imperfect skin. It means seeing all of that and loving yourself so that you have the capability to love and serve those around you.
"Today, you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" That's definitely the truth, Dr. Seuss. Honestly, I'm glad it is because the world would be a lot less bright if anyone reading this blog post didn't provide their "you" to it. Be you, be proud of it, and then save the world. No biggie.
