Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Life Is An Adventure

Life is an adventure, full of surprises, and its share of ups and downs. No one ever said that life would be easy and unfortunately life has never come with a handbook. There are certainly times when I wish it did.

I remember being pregnant with my first child. People meant well and were full of insights and advice, but if I'd listened to everything everyone told me I guarantee I would have never made it to the hospital on time and my son would have been born in the car racing to get there. People told me not to panic that my baby would be quiet for a few days before birth, that he was just 'saving up his energy' to be born ... not in my case. My son kicked for a solid week and then through the whole delivery. I guess he was anxious and ready. People told me that when he came home he would need to be fed every four hours. I worried when he didn't want to drink at 2am ... he just wanted to sleep, then a nurse told me 'Are you crazy? Never wake a sleeping baby.' When you're young and it's your first child you try to listen to EVERYONE, but sometimes that just drives you crazy. Eventually you learn to trust your own instincts. One thing I can tell you is that you will have way more confidence the 2nd time around. Luckily my firstborn survived. lol

Six years ago I went through cancer treatments. That was definitely a period in my life when I was scared and uncertain. I had so many questions and wanted answers and insights. I was fortunate to have a great support system. Not everyone could give me the insights I needed, but most were there to make me laugh, be supportive, and make the occasional meal for my family. I did meet two ladies though (both cancer survivors) who were able to share those special insights about symptoms, medication reactions, roller coaster emotions, nutrition, self doubt ... you name it. I don't know what I would have done with Angel Laura or Lori. There were both a real God send.

I like to think that God will never throw more at me than He knows I can handle. I still have doubts often, but I know He is strong and will watch over me and protect me.

If you're experiencing one of life's ups or more importantly one of the downs, remember that you are never alone. Don't try to carry all of the burden yourself. No one's shoulders are meant to carry that much. The load will always be lighter and easier to bear when you share it. I know many of us have a difficult time accepting help. We all want to think that we're stronger than that, that we can do it all on our own. I also know it can be extremely humbling to ask for help or even for someone to just listen. But God never intended for us to be a 'solo act'. Think of all the times you've been there for someone else. Now be willing to let them return the favor.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Amazing How Words Tie Together

I can't believe that the month of October is nearly over. It seems to be flying right by, at least for me. I was thinking about this blog yesterday and realized it had been 3 weeks since my last entry. I think the longest I had ever gone was 2 weeks. Trust me when I say it certainly isn't because I have nothing on my mind or nothing to say. Guess I just need to fall back on the old standby excuse that I was busy, but then who isn't?

Lately I've been caught up in busy schedules, mile long TO DO lists (all of my own making I'm sure), some physical therapy, the Tigers going to the World Series, and the election debates.

So what's on my mind today you ask (I'm sure you're just dying to know ...lol)? Let's see ... I've written blog entrys before about the value of a single word, how much impact they can have, how they can support people and at the same time tear people down. I've talked about how we need to be responsible with our words and learn to use them wisely. Today I want to write about how cool it is that words are often connected in ways we don't even realize. The other night I was helping my daughter memorize lines from Hamlet for her AP English class. Of course I really couldn't come up with a good reason for her when she asked me WHY she had to memorize 10 lines and recite them in front of her class. Reciting lines has never been one of her favorite things to do. The observation I came up with was how 'connecting' words could help her with her task. In Hamlet's case the ending words of a sentence often rhymed, making it easier to connect and lead into the next sentence.

Last night I heard a commercial where they used words to connect thoughts ... not rhyming words this time, but in a different way. Here is an example:

Words can create peacemaking ... it'll give you peace of mind.
Remember to mind your manners ... it's all in a manner of speaking.
Speaking of work ... you look very hard at work ...
because you work for living.
Just be sure that you're not living on the edge ...
unless you're on the edge of your seat.


I could go on, it's kind of like one of those brain games that's supposed to stimulate your mind. What do you think? Can you create an example like the one above? See of you can tell us something about you in just a few quick fun sentences.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

It's Been An Interesting Couple Of Days

It's been an interesting couple of days. Last weekend was my daughter's homecoming football game and dance. The team won their game, the marching band sounded awesome, and the kids looked great and had a wonderful time dressing up for their dance Saturday night. What did amaze me though was all the drama that was involved. I guess I don't remember it being that way when I was in high school, probably because we wore our 'good' jeans and the dance was in the school gym following the football game. Sure isn't that way anymore. I saw a funny Facebook post written by one of the neighbor girls down the street. She and her sister had already graduated, but their younger brother was going to the dance. Don't quote me but her post said something to the effect that ...

When girls get ready for the homecoming dance there are hair and nail appointments involved, a new dress, shoes, and accessories, the importance of the right date, and which 'group' you're seen with eating dinner. When boys get ready for the dance (assuming she was referring to her brother) it's about getting his suit dry cleaned, buying a shirt and tie to match her dress, taking a shower, and making sure his socks matched. I would say that the preparation & stress levels are slightly off kilter, don't you agree? I am the mother of both a boy and a girl and I can say that I agree with a lot of what the girls observed. Maybe somethings don't change, although I'll admit that we skipped the salon and my daughter allowed me to do her hair and nails.

Well, the homecoming weekend is over and life does goes on. The dress is neatly hung up in the closet, the corsage is still sitting prominently on my kitchen counter, and the photos continue to pop up on Facebook. It's a wonderful time in the life of a teenager, but yes things will continue to move forward. For me this week has been about a funeral for a friend's mother, my job, about attending a band booster meeting tonight and hoping to 'Win the Band', and a couple of marching band rehearsals and a symphony rehearsal for my daughter.

Oh and then something unexpected happened ... yesterday I won a couple of tickets to a breast cancer awareness and support luncheon for this weekend. Definitely never a dull moment. Something for me ... nice.

So, what's your week look like? Anything interesting coming up we should know about? Maybe we could meet for a cup of tea and see what's new with you.