I recently started participating in an all female study group that meets weekly. At the first meeting the facilitator asked us to go around and say our name and something about ourselves. This is something that always catches me off guard. I am never quite sure what I should say; whether I should share a life characteristic, job title, favorite food, etc. So as I am sitting there wondering what I should share and listening to the other women in the group tell the rest of us something about themselves I started to realize my answer was probably not going to fit in. I realized each woman started by saying 'I'm so and so and I have ___ children, or am pregnant, or have ___ grandchildren. . .' Some left it at that and others elaborated specifying where their children went to school, whether their children had children, etc. I found it interesting that in this large group of women (about 30) they all seemed to define themselves by whether or not they had children. It got me thinking, who are they outside of their children? What type of food do they like? What are their hobbies? What do they enjoy reading? Do they have a passion other than their children?
Now don't misunderstand me, I love my girls. I love every little bit about them, even the frustrating parts that make me slap my forehead and go "really?" That said, when asked to say my name and something about myself, I didn't think to say "Hi, my name is Jessica and I have 2 kids." Instead, I thought "Hi, I'm Jessica and I love life. I love being a photographer and getting to capture people living their lives. I have leapt out of a plane and free fallen 5000+ feet. I love getting my hands dirty and growing things in my garden. I thoroughly enjoy eating deliciously beautiful food. I love to breath in the fresh air that can only be experienced when you are hiking through the woods. Unlike some people who don't get to see their family much, I work with mine every day. And I am wonderfully blessed to be able to teach my children to search out and love all aspects of their life."
So, how are you going to respond when asked to share something about yourself?
