B is for Balance

often in my life,
I get off the middle road
and veer to one side

Balance in my life has been something I have wanted to attain for as long as I can remember. I am one of those people who goes from working too hard to playing too hard, barely even noticing the center as I fly by. One of my goals is to find the road between work and play and walk down it each day. I fear that is easier said than done.

Another connection that I need to balance in my life is my mind-body-spirit connection. Often, I will focus on one of the three and leave the others to grow stagnate. I want to be a tree -- strong trunk supporting arms that sustain growth each year.

I crave balance now;
three parts working together
mean a healthy me

A is for Allison

Hello, my name is Allison. I have known people who hate their names, people who feel neutral, and people who feel their name really fits. Others just have a difficult time with their name. For instance, I went to school with someone named Marijke (mar-EYE-kuh). It was painful to hear her have to correct the teachers who would butcher her name at the start of the school year, but she did it with such patience. The funny thing is that in Dutch, her name is the equivalent of Mary!

I actually really like my name. I think Allison is a warm name that flows easily. Also, the spelling my parents chose gives it nice symmetry. I am glad my parents didn't decide to spell it Alecin or Alycyn, as I have seen.

When I was young, my mom told me the story of how she and my dad chose my name. They were wavering back and forth between Nicole and Jennifer for some time. One day, they were looking at names and together they both said "Allison." It was an instantaneous decision that just felt right.

I have to say, my name has always felt right to me, too. I have always felt like an Allison and I've never really wished my name was something else. How do you feel about the name people call you every day?