You can't get A's in everything

Today at lunch, I attended a very interesting career development presentation with one of our executives and he gave a piece of advice that really hit home for me.

He was telling a story about how when he was in college he did just what he had to do to get by in his classes because there were other activities that were more important to him. For example he coached high school football and baseball and was also a hockey referee and an umpire. In the end, he ended up getting a great job not because he got good grades but because of his extra-curricular activities.

Now I have to be honest, my first reaction when he said that he didn’t get straight A’s in school, or even B’s was one of shock. He’s a very successful businessman who I greatly admire and you’re telling me he got C’s?!?!

For those of you who knew me during elementary school, high school and college you will know that grades meant everything to me. I cried when I got a B+ on anything and thought my life was over when I got a B in high school band. Straight A’s was perfection and I put forth a lot of time and energy to achieve that perfection.

Now the point of his story wasn’t that grades weren’t important, because they are. The point of his story was that you need to evaluate your life and identify which areas you want to get “straight A’s in” and which ones you don’t. He cited a survey from Wharton business school that discusses the paradox of female happiness. Basically it says that although the lives of women have improved objectively in the past 35 years, subjectively women’s well-being and happiness have fallen considerably. And one might ask why is this the case? Well, looking around at all of the busy, talented, hard-working, be-everything-to-everyone ladies in my life I think I know the answer. Girls, we are trying too hard to get “A’s in everything” and that’s just not possible.

Whether it’s family, church, work, friendships, volunteer activities, housework, etc. we have to determine what’s important to us, what we want to get “A’s” at and what’s okay to be less than perfect.
In my own life I’ve realized that my relationship with God, my husband and my family are top priorities. I can’t afford to let any of that slide. Then second would be my career. At the point that I’m at now in my life getting “A’s” in that will help put me and my future family in a better position. And hopefully help us financially prepare for a time in life when I might be able to devote all of my time to being home with them.

So I pose this question to all of you? What do you want to get “A’s” in and what can you afford to just be okay at. It is afterall, okay. : )

Missing Sgt. Joshua Brennan

Monday was the two-year anniversary of Josh's death. I really can't believe that it's been two years. Every year I get sadder because we all go on and he doesn't. Josh is frozen in time at 22.

For those of you who don't know, my cousin Josh was killed Oct. 26 in Asadabad, Afghanistan. He died alongside his brothers, fighting for our country.

Last September my family and I had the opportunity to go to Italy and meet some of the guys from Josh's unit. It was such an honor to get to know those brave young men. I often think about them and all of the others who are fighting everyday to preserve our freedom.

Monday was a hard day. I watched the memorial and funeral service which I hadn't done since Josh's death. Matt sat and watched most of it with me, which I'm very grateful for. Somehow it really did help though to hear all of the memories of Josh, and see all of the people who came out to support him and our family. I had a really good cry, but sometimes those cries can be therapeutic.

I kept telling Mattie about the motorcade from the funeral to the grave site and how they literally shut down highways to let us through. I remember hearing on the radio that morning that if you were planning to be on the Beltline (major highway across Madison) from 10 to 10:30 than you shouldn't because the roads were being shut down for Sgt. Joshua Brennan's processional. And shut down they were. I remember that my little brother James and I rode to the funeral in my Dad's truck, crying all the way because we couldn't believe what we were seeing. Policemen on overpasses saluting, families lined the streets waving signs and flags, schools shut down to let the children go out and see our hero pass by. I will never forget that. And although I'm sure Josh would have shied away from all of the fuss, it was exactly the type of heroes homecoming that he deserved.

I really wish Josh could have met Matt. He really would have like him...

Miss you forever Josh.

Picture of Josh and I as kids up at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin on the lake.

Soldier Josh. I love this photo because he's being goofy, not the warrior that I know he was.

Banner that Operation Never Forgotten but together for Josh. It's truly a great organization.

Also, here's a link to the video I made for Josh two-years ago. It's awesome that it's been viewed more than 12,000 times. We will never ever forget.

Infamous First Post

So it seems like I have to do the obligatory first blog post. Now what does one say in a first blog post? I'm not sure anything I say would quite measure up. So I'm just going to write.

When I first told Matt that I wanted to start a blog, his first reaction was "why?" Then his second reaction was "you're copying my sister." Dana, I do very much admire your blog. And it has inspired me in part to write my own. But the real reason that I want to start this blog is to begin documenting the next phase of my life, "our" life as it has become.

On Sept. 18, Matt and I were married at a beautiful ceremony in Madison. And since then I feel like I've crossed over a threshold into the second phase of life. The "married" phase of life. So I wanted to start this blog to chronicle these first years of marriage together. Show our experiences, thoughts and challenges as two become one. In life and in marriage.

And for those of you who live far away, and don't get to see Mattie and I all the time, I wanted to give you a glimpse into our reality. So welcome to our world, Life with the Leibrocks!