New Year, New Card

"The woods would be very silent if no birds sang 

there except those that sang best."

 - Henry van Dyke

I got a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas.  :D  Squeal!!  Yesterday, I finally broke it out of the box.  I had installed the software the previous day and was dying to try it out.  My bundle deal (from the Black Friday sale) came with the Designer Edition software.  I've been saving the weekly freebies from the online store for the past year and the birch trees cut file caught my eye right away.

I cut it out of Dark Chocolate cardstock and layered it over Rustic White.  I cut the little red birds using my In the Meadow dies from Papertrey Ink.  I love how they pop against the trees.  I had this quote in mind as I made the card, but don't have it in stamp form, so I used Photoshop Elements to print it directly on cardstock.

Last year was tough.  Some personal experiences caused a lot of pain and self-doubt.  I did a lot of soul searching.  I learned who my true friends were and who honestly cared about me beyond their own goals and benefit.  It was a shake-down type of year.  Not a pleasant experience.  Still, it has made me stronger.  I survived.  It did not break me and I am moving on.  Am I still healing?  Definitely, but I am so much closer to complete forgiveness of those who hurt me.  I have confidence that with the continued help of the Lord, I will reach that point.  The Atonement is a glorious thing.

It doesn't matter that life took an unexpected detour.  It doesn't matter that I am just ordinary me.  It doesn't matter that I like to do lots of things and am master of none of them.  It doesn't matter than I am not a famous performer or well-known artist.  It doesn't matter that my quiet personality is often overlooked.  It doesn't matter that I have a sensitive soul.

I am ME.  Unique, individual me.  All of it makes me absolutely one-of-a-kind.  No one else has had all of my experiences, no one else thinks exactly like I do, and no one else can contribute in the unique way I can.  My small contributions matter.  If only the loudest and flashiest and most talented birds sang, the world would be a very quiet and boring place.  All songs matter.  Wouldn't it be nice if more people remembered that?

I'm not a prolific stamper, but I love the creations I make.

I'm not a sought-out performer, but I am a good actress.  I have a beautiful voice and have had many wonderful experiences, on-stage and off, because of that talent.

I am not Mother of the Year by any stretch of the imagination, but I have four amazing children who bring great joy and love into my life.  I wouldn't trade them for anything the world could offer.

I am loved, for better and worse, by a man who stands head and shoulders above the rest, mistakes included.  Twenty-two years together and still going strong.

I am surrounded by good friends and family who love me, flaws and all.  They love me just the way I am now and see my potential even when I am blind to it.  I am not my mistakes.  My mistakes do not define who I am.  We all make mistakes.  Despite that, we all keep trying and that is what matters.

Our song is not beautiful every time we sing.  But somehow, it all joins together in one big gorgeous symphony.  All songs matter and I will not stop singing.

I look forward to a brand new year full of possibilities.  To quote L.M. Montgomery from her book Anne of Green Gables, “Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

Happy New Year!!

Stamps:  none
Paper:  Dark Chocolate, Rustic White (Papertrey Ink)
Cut File:  Birch Trees (Silhouette)
Misc:  In the Meadow die (Papertrey Ink)