Who are you?

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Who are you? Why are you here? What is your purpose? ….what exactly are you doing with the gift of your life? Lately, these questions have romped in my mind like playmates in a sandbox. Lots of frolicking and sculpting. There is sand EVERYwhere.

I like to play messy. Always have. If I’m going to be in the sandbox, I’m getting my hands dirty. Heck, half the time I just roll around like a pup in freshly cut grass on a summer day. Invigorating.

I’m a giver. A nurturer. A pleaser. I find happiness in bringing it to others, sometimes to my own detriment. When I’m lucky, it comes right back to me like a boomerang. This week has been extra special.

“Who are you?”
Donna. That’s how I introduce myself.

As much as I believe we are not simply the identifier of our name,  I embrace my name as a huge part of who I am. I’ve blogged a couple times about what life was like Growing Up Racette. This week, Mom is in in Omaha visiting my big brother and family. Dad and I joked I’m on “Daddy Babysitting Duty”.

Dad isn’t much on bonding and despite his straight-arm efforts, I relentlessly wiggle my way in.

Here are 5 reasons it’s been well worth it this week:

(1) Seeing the priceless smirk on his face as he recounted the time he and Mom were dating and he walked her to her door for a good night kiss, when her jealous male neighbor fell out of the tree in which he was spying on them!

(2) Unabashedly shakin’ it to the golden oldies. There’s something paradoxically delightful about enjoying Little Richard and Fats Domino on a 55-inch high-def screen via DirectTV’s channel 802.

(3) Running daily errands together and being the only two people gleefully spotting our own ‘mile markers’: the broken white wooden post, the blown-out tire skin, and the fuchsia Beanie Baby on the on-ramp guardrail. It’s the Racette take on the Alphabet Game.

(4) The hilarity of Dad making preposterously goofy faces as we passed other cars on the highway. I am *still* chuckling.

(5) I saved the best for last. Without pomp and circumstance, saying, “Good morning” every morning and “I love you” each night before retiring (he much earlier than this night owl!) Small simple words with such powerful oomph.

Get your hands dirty in the sandbox of life, my sweet friends. It’s where all the fun is happening. Take notice in the small stuff as it helps shape and define who you were designed to be. May you never fail to express all of the wild and wondrous things that make you perfectly imperfect YOU.

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