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Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Sometimes Honesty isn’t the Best Policy


How about a story that doesn’t pertain to politics and who said what nasty thing about whom? A story about a little boy, his pet and how his mother had to decide if telling a little white lie was the best course of action.

Preservation of Innocence is just that kind of story. Based on my son, Austin, his pet hamster, Raptar, and me, his mom.

Enjoy.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

My Son the Warrior


Monday, July 19th, my 17 year old son took an oath to uphold our Constitution, protect and serve our Nation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is now a member of the Army National Guard.

I am proud but also frightened for this young man, whom I carried within my body, then on November 2, 1992, at 6:33 pm after 14 hours of labor, delivered him into this world then held him as he took his first breath and looked at his environment for the first time.

Dalan is my first born son and has spoken about the military since he was about 12 years old and has been intrigued with WWI and WWII since he was a very little boy. He watched war documentaries with his Poppy, my dad, for hours. Poppy bought him trading cards, movies, and miniature aircrafts from those eras. I believe Dalan’s aspiration to join the military is in his blood-- he’s a warrior, like his Poppy, his uncles (my brothers), and his aunt (my baby sister). I don’t believe you can change a warrior’s heart, but you sure can make a warrior mom’s heart lodge in her throat!

My son’s adventure will begin during his senior year of high school, which is this fall. Dalan will be in the ROTC program and he’ll do drills once a month during that time. After graduating high school, he’ll be off to Georgia for 14 weeks of Boot Camp. Once he completes his training there, he’ll come home for a brief “vacation” then he plans to attend Valley Forge Military College and commission out as an Officer and then re-sign for another 6 years. After that, his plans are undecided. His options are open as his ASVAB scores were very high, he’s physically fit and has set his mind on a Ranger-type program, and once his mind is set, he pretty much achieves his goal.

I come from a family of warriors, as I mentioned, but I also come from a very patriotic one as well. Dalan’s decision didn’t come as a surprise, and like I said, I’m proud as a mom and as an American, but as a mom who has spent the last 17 years loving, nurturing, teaching and doting on her son, it’s still hard knowing I’ll be relinquishing my son to the Army. No longer will my “baby” look to ME when he has a problem or needs help. He’ll be on his own-- independent, strong and self-sufficient, and it gives me solace to know that I have given him those tools and he’ll take them with him into his future and they will guide him like an invisible hand—my hand… lovingly and silently resting on his shoulders so that he knows he’s never alone, for no matter where he is, my thoughts, my heart and my love will always be with him.

I’m honored to be Dalan’s mom--proud that he’s a member of our noble Armed Forces. If his service to our military is anything like his approach to life and his character as a son, brother, grandson, and friend, then America is receiving a very valuable asset.








*Although my post is written in the first person, I did not raise my son alone. I had support, guidance and dedication from Dalan’s father and my husband of 23 years. I am forever grateful to him, because his love, not just for Dalan, but for Austin and me as well, is a daily reminder that I must have done something good…

Monday, October 5, 2009

I’m Back

I’ve been away from the blogging community for a little while…reasons I won’t get into now, but a few from the community are aware of. I thank those who cared enough to inquire into my whereabouts. You find out a lot about a person when things get a little out of kilter in your life.

It’s absolutely astonishing, though. Blogging is very similar to Soap Operas. I haven’t really missed a thing! The bashing is still there. The ugliness. The vile comments made against others. What is wrong with people?

I realize I will NEVER be able to change people let alone politics, but it makes me sick to my stomach how people treat one another.

Our country is in a terrible mess. If unemployment were calculated correctly it would be an average of 17% nationwide. Our interest rates are low only because the Feds have the rate stuck rather than allowing the market to fluctuate naturally; or it would be double digits, also. We are in a war in Afghanistan that is failing and young men and women are dying daily. We have violence in just about every city, where our youth is killing one another—NOT with GUNS, but with boards and their fists! Our Congressmen and women are at one another’s throats, which then makes us go for the jugular of someone who has a differing opinion. Heath Care Reform is still a mess. The possibility of Cap and Trade could tax us into poverty. Fellow Countrymen far and wide are losing their homes and not able to feed their families. Not to mention people are experiencing serious health issues on a daily basis that terrify them to the point where they don’t even confide in their closest friends or family members. They bare the brunt of their terror— ALONE.

Yet what are we doing in the blogging community and mass media? Writing smearing, disgusting comments, when we COULD be trying to figure out a way to work together to fix our country, which has gone to hell in a hand basket.

Our Representatives are liars, cheats and thieves. Yes, all three, because where you find one, the other two are sure to follow. They need voted OUT! We need to band together as a Nation and get the bums out of office. We need honorable people representing us. Men and women who are willing and able to do the RIGHT thing.

Just as we need honorable people in the blogging community. Our journalists have let us down. True media has died. So, we need bloggers to give us reliable information. And we need them to do that in an honorable, respectable manner.

I am still a Conservative, that hasn’t changed. I am still disenfranchised. I still do NOT like the avenue that Obama and the Democrats have turned us onto. But I will NOT turn ugly and dishonorable over it. I will NOT defame. I will NOT be disgusting and vile. Not even to Obama. I will probably write a joke or two—tastefully, however; because that is MY belief.

In short, I am back. I have learned a few things during my sudden, unexpected sabbatical. My lessons will probably be reflected in my writing. But you’ll have to wait a few days to see how that plays out.

For now, just know that I’m glad to be back and I hope you all will welcome me.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Advice to a Teen


Susannah over at Get the Big Idea inspired this post. I consider her a friend, a great blogger and an inspiration. Thank you, Susannah, for all that you do and for all that you ARE.

It’s called the 10 x 10 and the scenario goes:

*You’re a woman on a bus, riding comfortably, when a young teen gets on, taking the empty seat beside you. She introduces herself & tells you where her stop is. You know that 10 minutes hence, she’ll get off & you won’t see her again. For whatever reason, you feel an urgency to impart the 10 most important things that you believe she’ll need to know, to carry her through the rest of her life. You don’t have time to plan & you don’t have time to poll your friends. When this girl gets off the bus, she’ll be gone forever. You will either have used the opportunity of 10 minutes, or you’ll have lost it.As a woman, what will you tell her? What 10 essentials can you absolutely NOT let her get off that bus without hearing? What really matters, to you, in life? *

My answer:

You don’t know me and you’ll probably think I’m a crazy lady. But I can assure you, I am not. I’m a wife and a mom and I want to give you some advice that I wish someone would’ve given me when I was your age.

I want to tell you that Respect is very important. Not just for others, but especially for yourself. For if you don’t respect yourself, you won’t think twice before doing something that could harm you or your reputation.

Be True to yourself and to others. Honesty is justice. If you are always honest you will never have to try to remember what you’ve said or the stories you’ve told.

Noble Character is determined by what you’ll do when no one is looking.

Personal Responsibility is challenging, but it builds character and that is something no one can ever take from you. Only you can destroy your character.

Forgiveness is a gift. Forgive yourself and others. Just remember that when you forgive another it doesn’t mean you have forgotten the bad deed or that you have accepted it. It just means you have forgiven them and you aren’t bitter. Bitterness will eat you alive from the inside out.

Be compassionate. Compassion expands our heart and guides us to love.

Patience truly is a virtue. Remember, sometimes it’s the anticipation of the reward rather than the reward itself.

Never stop seeking knowledge. Once your eyes and ears are closed, you become dead to everything around you.

Learn to accept yourself. You are perfect just the way you are. There is no other human like you and there never will be.

Find your purpose. Life has no meaning without a purpose.

You’ll remember my words one day, sweetling, and when you do, think about me with kindness. I wish you well. Now go and live your life to the fullest. Have fun and be safe.

My 10 X 10 may not be as spiritual as Susannah’s, but these are the truths I’ve found that have helped me throughout my life. I have spoken them to my sons. And I reiterate them here and there. I know they will make mistakes…that’s how they will learn. But I am hopeful they will remember my “nagging” or my “getting on their nerves” and it will help guide them when they need it the most.

What would be your 10 x 10? Have you ever thought of it? If not, maybe think of it now. It could change your outlook on life. And THAT could be a really good thing!


*Copied from Get the Big Idea*

Monday, January 5, 2009

Life’s Not Fair

We’ve bailed out banks, insurance companies, people with mortgages who shouldn’t have gotten them and The Big 3. So, now those people who were scammed by Madoff want a bailout. Since when do we the people bail out those who made bad investment decisions? I’m sorry they invested their money with a thief. I’m sorry some of them lost their entire life savings. I’m sorry that life is unfair and bad things happen to good people. But since when is it our responsibility to bail out people when life happens? What’s next? A spouse dies and leaves behind a family with no life insurance, a mortgage, a car payment, credit card bills and no savings…are we supposed to bail them out too? Sure it’s sad. Sure it would be benevolent and possibly the right thing to do; but is it our responsibility to bail them out? Heck, I lost a lot of money in the stock market last year. Is the government going to bail me out? My husband’s company is really slow. He didn’t work 2 weeks right before Christmas, with NO PAY. This scenario may happen again if the economy doesn’t pick up. Are the taxpayers going to send me a check? What is up with people who think they are entitled to something because they were screwed? I’ve been screwed over in my life; but never once did I think that someone was going to pick up the damn tab for it. I chalked it up to being stupid and moved on. Some lessons in life are expensive. This entitlement attitude is really ticking me off. Where did it come from? When the hell did it start? And how do we get it to stop? If it were up to me, I’d tell these Madoff clients to take a hike. Well, actually, I’d tell them what I tell my kids, “Life’s not fair; I guess you better get used to it.”
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