Life...

"Life is what you make of it, so make it worth your while, to greet each day with love and hope, and give your dreams a smile". Simple statement. Profound message. I am amazed by what can develop out of a morning that starts with "It's gonna be a good day". Life isn't always easy and can't always be tied with neat little bows, but the reality is that if you wake up thinking it's going to be a bad day, chances are it will. I refuse to believe that what happens in life is beyond our control.  Somethings, sure, but the ordinary day to day stuff, not so much.

It's often hard to remember this attitude when you wake up in pain, tired, nervous, stressed, and worried about the million and one details that are your existence, but you must. I must. 

Father's Day...

Father's Day. A day to honor and thank the men in your life who were there to give you love, support, encouragement, punishments, and something to rail against as you were developing your independence. I was fortunate to have two such men in my life, and actually, I still am.  I am so thankful to both my father and my step-father for all of the things they have done for me.

I haven't always had the best of relationships with either man, we have butted heads and disappointed each other on more than one occasion, but we have also had our share of great times, and laughing moments that I will always remember. They have taught me so much about life and I can't wait for the lessons they will be able to teach my daughter. Though many miles separate us right now, I hope they know how very close to my heart they are!  HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO GRAMPA DARLING AND GRAMPA UPPIES!  WE LOVE YOU!

Friendship...part 1...

Someone once said that friends are family that you choose. I believe that. So many of my friends are, indeed, a part of my family.  My crazy, wonderful, neurotic, fabulous, dramatic, and, all other ways, family. No two of my friends are the same. They all bring something wonderful to the table. I have amazing stories to tell from so many great times spent with them, and I have some not-so-amazing stories, too. I have a list of friends who have been and gone, and I still thank them for the lessons that they taught me (Not all of them good, of course, but still...). Time and distance separate a lot of us, but I am closer to many who are far away than a lot who are right next door. The ones who are meant to stay in our lives, will and do.  Those are friendships to treasure.

Lucky kid...great town...

My daughter is a lucky kid.  We don't have much, but we have a lot more than some, and for that, I am thankful.  However, there are times when I wish I could provide so much more than what I do for my daughter. I work 40+ hours a week between my job and cleaning my daughter's day care so I can afford to take her there. I work right through the swimming lessons, karate, dance, and horseback riding lessons that so many of her friends take, but even if they weren't right in the middle of my work day, I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway.  So what's a mom to do?  

Well, in this town, a mom just has to ask for a little help.  This year has been a big year for little miss...She got to take ballet lessons from a wonderful woman who put her on a scholarship after scheduling a Saturday class, and she's getting swimming lessons and a week at a horseback riding camp from women who need some help around their houses.  It will require a little more sweat from Mama, but hey, let's face it, we are willing to pretty much do anything for our kids right?!  I am so proud to live in a community that understands that we can't all spend green paper to be able to provide fun, safe, learning experiences for our kids!  Don't get me wrong, I don't want her booked every minute of everyday, and, in fact, have not schedule more than one thing at a time since we started all of this, but I want her to find her "happy". You don't find it unless you try, right? We tried the T-ball thing, and she says she doesn't want to do it next year (bummer for Mom, who is a 30 year baseball/softball junkie!), but let's see what next season brings!

I digress. The point to this story is that I live in a town that helps kids like mine experience things that a lot of children in our circumstances may not. I hope one day that she pays it forward to another kid who might need a leg up!  

Family...

I guess you could say that I come from a motley crew. We come in many different shapes and sizes, carry different religious, and political beliefs, don't get me started on socio-economic status, and even sexual orientation. The thing is, I love this unlikely group. The sad part is, I don't know most of them. We are scattered here and there across the country, and, in some cases, around the world, but some are almost right in my backyard.  I seem to live isolated from all but a few of them. In a perfect world, we would all be able to gather at least once every few years to celebrate our connections with one another, sharing laughter, tears, joy and sorrow, reveling in the newest members of our clan and mourning the loss of others, but this is not a perfect world. Instead, I have family I haven't seen in 15+ years, and more than a few I wouldn't know if I passed them on the street.  I've been lucky that I have been able to reconnect with a few through sources like Facebook, and I am truly happy that I have, but I am saddened that it has come to this. Maybe I am an idealist in that I believe that family, no matter how dysfunctional we may be, is still family, and, short of one committing some completely heinous crime, you treasure them. 

I am blessed with the gift of having not just two sides of a family (mother and father), but four, with each of my parents having remarried.  While I know that the original two sides will never combine again, I am saddened by the fact that I don't even get to see many of those extended family members or get to share in their lives, nor do I get to share mine. I would love to see or connect with any additional members that I may not know, or at least hear their stories through one of you that I am in touch with. I have so few memories of much of my father's family, and many of my mother's don't even speak to one another. I miss the connection. I  feel like I am missing out on so much. 

My story...

I have come the conclusion, lately, that my world is nuts. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a way that makes each day an experience that I don't want to miss.  There are good days, and bad; trips through emotion that can send you soaring or plummeting to depths unimaginable, but they are all worth living. We find ways to connect with other travelers on the path of life and sometimes, oftentimes, we find lessons in who we are, who we were, or who we are meant to be.  This blog is my story.  A sharing of my thoughts, experiences, friendship, laughter, and tears.