Don't Do That. It Won't Change Anything!!-150,157

Don't Do That.  It Won't Change Anything!!

Okay, so we all should know that yelling at the weatherman won't change the weather.  If you don't like heat, cold, rain or snow, you have no place to go on Earth and there is nobody on the planet that can change it.  It's almost like the old saying goes...Don't shoot the messenger!  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.


Speaking of shooting the messenger, sometimes being the messenger can get you into trouble.  "Your child did this to my child."  "Your husband is cheating on you."  "You know that she talks about you behind your back, right?"  See what I mean?  You may be the one who gets shot instead of the child, the husband or the backstabbing friend.  Someone might come back to you with "Well, what did your child do to my child to make my child do that to your child?" or "How do you know that my husband is cheating on me?  Did you see it with your own two eyes?" or "Have you heard that friend talk about me?  What did you say when she said that about me?  Did you stick up for me?  What did she say then?"  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.


So, the teenager that is working the drive thru didn't give you your sandwich without pickles.  What do you do?  Do you go inside and berate him or her for putting pickles on your hamburger?  Do you drive back around in the drive thru line and make the teen give you another burger without pickles?  Do you ask for the manager?  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.


Your Facebook friend who you haven't seen in over 25 years posts something about politics that you don't agree with.  What do you do?  Do you "unfriend" that person?  Do you start an argument with that person on their Facebook page?  Do you state your opinion and try to lead this idiot over to your way of thinking because, clearly, they are uninformed or uneducated about what they are saying?  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.


What about if you hear that someone, who you think is a good friend, has been talking about you behind your back?  Do you confront them with what you have heard?  Do you rat out your friend who told you this information?  Do you totally ignore this person the next time that you see them?  Do you start talking about them all over town?  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.


The older I get, the more I think about this.  I think back to when I was young and I remember being short tempered and quick to react to a situation.  I have learned to sleep on it for one night.  If it still bothers me in the morning, maybe I should consider doing something.  99 times out of 100, I don't lose any sleep over things that don't matter in my life and with every new day, I have a choice to be happy or to be miserable.  I can choose to live in the past or live for the future, without forgetting to live today.  In the grand scheme of life, does it really matter if I had pickle juice on my hamburger bun?  Does it matter what other people's children do?  Does it matter what someone else thinks of me?  No.  If my husband ever dared to cheat on me, that would be his choice and he would have to live with the consequences just as I would have to live with the consequences of an affair that I dared to have.  The weatherman isn't in charge of the weather and if my Facebook friend has a differing opinion than I do regarding politics, I just keep scrolling.  Is it really worth losing a friend over an opinion?  Don't do that.  It won't change anything.

Lesson 15,150-Aging Parents

Okay, so I have entered a new chapter in my life.  It's the hard part of life that everyone will eventually face.  In our 40's, we have our own children and families to take care of, friends who are in need of support and the part of our lives where we have aging parents.  In the past couple of months, I have attended a few funerals of people who I never even knew but they were one of my friend's parents and I had to be there for my friends, while also taking care of my family and aging parent.  Some of us are blessed to still have parents that are in good health at 90-something and some of us have parents who are 60-something and in failing health. This is tough.  So, in between taking care of our families, we make time for our parents who are aging and make casseroles for friends who have lost a parent.  We drive our children to soccer practice and drop off a casserole.  We go to the grocery store and run an errand for a friend in need.  We go to the doctor because at 40+ our bodies are falling apart and we need mammograms and colonoscopies and start having blood pressure problems and then we go to our parents house and fill up their medicine boxes for the week.  We take our parents to the doctor and pick up kids from school.  Some days we don't even get our beds made because we have so many things to do.  Some of us work and still manage to find time to do all of these things and still make time to bake a cake for a friend.  It's almost humorous the things that we find time to do with everything going on.  We have to find humor in these crazy times in our lives.  Throw in a load of laundry, take a shower, put the clothes in the dryer, go pick up the kids, restart the dryer, help with homework, restart the dryer, cook dinner, restart the dryer, get the kids ready for bed, restart the dryer, take my nighttime meds, load the dishwasher and go to bed.  Wake up in the morning, restart the dryer, take the kids to school, restart the dryer, call you sick parent, finally fold the clothes in the dryer.

Some of us have elderly parents or elderly in-laws who live with us.  I have tried to get one of my friends to write a blog about her "Adventures With Mom" but she won't but boy does she have some good ones. You have to see her act out what her Mom does for it to be funny.  Her Mom is a hoot and she doesn't even realize it!! She is in her 80's so she lived through a lot of things in her life.  She has lived through lots of Presidents, wars, the Civil Rights era and Women's Lib.  She has probably washed clothes on a washing board and couldn't figure out how to use her daughter's high-tech washing machine.  She lived before TV's were in every room. She lived when there weren't phones in everyone's home and before cell phones.  She probably doesn't know how to turn on a computer.  She probably sat around a radio and listened to The Lone Ranger.  She probably listened to Frank Sinatra on a scratchy record player.  Her Mom has to be a tough to have lived this long but she is getting frail and needs supervision. Same thing with lots of our aging parents.

My Dad is in his early 70's and has health issues.  Everyone will tell you how sweet he is and how much they love him and he has tons of friends but if he needs something, he only wants his daughters there to take care of him.  Getting him to understand medical jargon is up to me.  Getting to understand his finances is up to my sister. He takes medicines which have side effects so he has to take another medicine for a side effect and then that medicine causes him to have another issue.  Tack on surgery to that and then there is another side effect and more medications to combat all of those side effects.  He gets dehydrated easily which effects his kidneys.  His kidney tests are high and he doesn't understand that because he has never had problems with his kidneys.  Then he takes a medication for diabetes and it has side effects on the kidneys. He has to take fluid pills and that has side effects on his kidneys.  His feet are swollen and he won't keep them propped up and argues with me when I try to explain that gravity is not his friend when he has fluid built up so he has to keep them elevated above his heart.  That just makes him angry to have to sit around with his feet propped up and sleep with his feet elevated.  Then he needs to eat more protein so he calls me every 2 hours to see if it is okay to eat something like peanut butter or bacon.  Salt isn't your friend when you have fluid overload but he likes bacon and he likes grits with salt so he's going do what he wants to do and then complains about the fluid!!!  "Well, Daddy, the swelling won't go down if you don't keep those feet up and lower your salt intake!!"  And at what age do you start counting your bowel movements every day?  "If you have one, Daddy, you're fine!!" If he has only one, he gets worried that he is constipated.  If he has three or more, he's worried that he has diarrhea.  So, I pray that he has 2 every day!!  I'm quite sure that I will do whatever I want to do when I am in my 70's!!  If I live to be 73, and I want bacon and my sodium level is high and I have fluid on my ankles, I am still going to eat bacon!!!  Then I am going to call my son and ask him why my feet are swelling!!

We have to find humor in our aging parents!!  We have to be there for our friends when a parent passes away.  Nothing meant more to me than looking over and seeing 2 rows of beautiful ladies at my stepmother's funeral.  (She was my Mom for 24 years. My Mom died in a car accident when I was 9-years old so Katherine was my mom for much longer than my real Mom.  Of course, I will always love my real Mom and Katherine because she treated me as her own.  She saw me graduate, get married and have my son. She wiped my tears when my heart got broken.  She gave me advice about life and she was always right!!!  Of course, I didn't think she was as smart as she really was until I was about 25-years old and then I realized that she wasn't stupid!!  She was right!!)  We have to be there for our family.  We drive kids hither and yon.  We help with impossible school projects.  We cheer for them at sporting events in the freezing cold and the scorching heat.  We have to keep the house and clothes clean, no matter how many times we restart the dryer.  We have to take care of our spouses.  We have to be there for our siblings. We have to be there for friends, family and loved ones.  We have to do things to better our community.  We have to make sure our children know that not everyone lives like they do.  There are people who have it way better and way worse.  That's Life!

This time of life is definitely the hardest. Being there for everyone is tough and sometimes a juggling act.  If you find time for a little exercise and a nap occasionally, don't be hard on yourself.  Take some time for you!!  I need a manicure and pedicure really bad so I am a little bit glad that it is winter because my toenails look horrid!!  My eyebrows look like a caveman and my wrinkles have not been Botoxed in quite some time!!  Sorry, I look like this but I've been taking care of  "My People"!!

Lesson #15,096-ABC's of Friendship

Okay, so we all have friends who are awesome and some who don't have as much awesomeness as the others.  Don't email me to see which friend you are!!

A is for Annoying-That friend who is annoying. Only talks about herself, her life, her children, her whatever.
B is for Bitch-That friend who takes offense to EVERYTHING!! You are constantly apologizing for something.
C is for Critic-That friend who complains about everything, everyday, every time you talk to them!
D is for Ding-a-ling-The airhead. Never gets a joke. A joke isn't funny if you have to explain it.
E is for Eccentric-Otherwise known as the weird one.
F is for Fool-That friend who gets "done dirty" by everyone!  Girlfriend, Wake Up!!
G is for the Gossip-That friend who gossips about everyone (UGH) but she better tell me what she knows!!!
H is for Ho-That friend who has slept with 100 men and doesn't care who knows it!! (But you've gotta love her!)
I is for Innocent-That friend who has never drank, smoked, done anything wrong and married her high school sweetheart.
J is for the Jewel-That one friend who you cannot live without!! You tell everything and you trust 100%.
K is for Butt Kisser-That one friend who kisses your butt so she can hang out with you!! I know that I do not look great when you see me at Target without makeup and in my gym clothes!! Shut Up!!
L is for Lush-That one friend who is always drunk!! You have to love her too!!
M is for Martha Stewart Type-That friend who you would like to be like, but you would rather take a nap instead of bake a damn cake on a Wednesday.
N is for Narcotic-Some friends are on too many and some friends need to be on at least one!!
O is for Optimist-That friend who sees the best in people even when they are total jerks!
P is for Pessimist-That friend who thinks everyone is out to get them!
Q is for Quack-This is the one who thinks she's a doctor and diagnoses you with some horrible disease every time you have a sniffle!
R is for Ruin-That friend who ruins your story every time because she has been there and done that bigger and better than anyone ever has!!
S is for Silly-That friend who is silly as crap.  Will say anything at any time and doesn't care who is around.
T is for Tattle Tale-That friend who can't keep her mouth shut and tells everything that you say!!
U is for Ultra motivated-This is the friend who gets up and runs 10 miles, goes to the gym and does a class for 2 hours, goes and plays a game of tennis or golf and then has one leaf of lettuce for lunch. She's probably skinny too. (Bitch)
V is for Vulgar-This is the friend who says way too many curse words. (Umm. That may be me!)
W is for Well-educated-This is that friend who has every graduate degree that is possible to get and her jokes go way over your head and you sit there and laugh anyway. Yep. You've got one too!!
X is for Xerox-You know?? The Xerox copy of someone else. People, be yourself. Not someone else!
Y is for Yawner-This friend is so boring that you have to take a nap before seeing her so you don't snore while she is talking. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Z is for Zero.  This chick is the one who always wants to have lunch with you or go shopping with you and you just have ZERO time to see her.  EVER!!  (And will never have time to see her!! If you are lucky!)

Lucky for me, I am blessed with Jewels!!!

Lesson #15,085-What's Up With RUDE People?

Why are people so rude nowadays?  Really?  At the grocery store, the teenager bagging my groceries is talking to the cashier about how he can't wait to get out of here.  RUDE!!  Well, why not just clock out now and get out?  Oh, you need the money?  Then why don't you just bag my groceries and shut up? 
(If you don't know who this is, go to YouTube and look up Bon Qui Qui.)

It doesn't get any better when you go into a high end boutique. These sales clerks act like you are bothering them if you ask them a question or want to try on a piece of clothing or shoes.  I mean, if I am going to possibly buy something and you get paid on commission then you should be very happy to help me.  You should even make suggestions as to what would look good on me, even if you are full of crap! You are working in retail.  You have no reason to be RUDE!!  I have walked out of a boutique when the clerk proceeded to tell me how to look through the clothing on the rack.  I mean, if I cannot file through the stuff that I don't want, to look at the stuff that I might want, then it is probably too delicate to go into my disaster of a closet!!  She actually stood there watching me filing through the clothing on the rack and told me 3 different times how I was doing it wrong!!  I am a professional shopper!! I know how to look at the damn clothes!!  Hello!!  I may have told her what she could do with her clothes on the way out the store and we had a teen girl with us.  I felt bad but that lady was so RUDE, I wouldn't have bought a bottled water from her if it were 130 degrees outside and I was dying of thirst!!

I really hate walking in a store like CVS and putting my 2 items on the counter and the clerk just keeps doing what he or she is doing like I am not standing there.  Why are you ignoring me when I know that you see me standing here?  Sometimes they will even turn and say, "I will be right with you" and they keep putting boxes on the shelf.  Umm. That can wait.  I'm in a hurry!  I've got to get to carpool!  I've got to get home!  I've got to pee!  Anything!!!  Just come over here and do your job!!  RUDE!!

You know that you have had rude sales people before.  We all have.  I just wonder if rudeness is getting worse.  Maybe it is because of technology.  So many people are growing up without people skills because of email and texting.  You no longer have to speak to people face to face.  Social Media may also have something to do with it.  So many people put everything out there for everyone to see.  If you are arguing with your cousin, mother-in-law or even your spouse, you don't need to tell everyone that you are "Friends" with on Facebook or Twitter.  When you have 800 "Friends" on Social Media, it probably isn't a good idea to "Share" everything that is going on with your life.  Buy a journal and write about it all day long.  You can burn the journal but you cannot ever take away what you write on the Internet and it is rude to share that stuff online.  Your opinion is the only one that gets shared.  RUDE!!

It is rude to go to lunch with someone and talk on your phone the entire time or text.  If you are talking to someone and your phone rings, look to see if it is someone who you can call back.  If so, call them back later or even ask if you can call them back and hang up as soon as possible.  We may see our kids texting at the dinner table and we have to stop them from doing it so we shouldn't do it either. Also, when standing in line at Starbucks, please don't talk on your phone LOUDLY.  Nobody cares what you did this past weekend.  Unless you are a doctor and you are shouting orders to someone to help save a life, it is not necessary to speak on your mobile phone loudly!!  Let's all agree to stop taking these people being rude to us and we all need to be able to speak up.  There is never a time when being rude is acceptable except for a time when you are being rude to.  No more rudeness!! It's RUDE!!!

Lesson #15,081-Happy New Year, Yadda, Yadda, Yadda

So it's a new year!  2013!!  What are you so happy about?  Is it that you are glad that 2012 is over and you feel like turning over a new leaf?  This year we are gonna lose weight and smile more and travel more and whatever your resolution is.  But what are we so happy about?  I mean, why do we go out and have a party and celebrate?  Your car just depreciated a few thousand dollars.  You're getting another year older this year.  Your taxes are coming due.  So what are we so happy about?  Maybe it's because we are optimistic that this year is gonna be better than the last.  I sure hope so.  I hope that all of your dreams come true this year.  Whatever goal that you set for yourself or your family, I hope that you achieve it!  I wish for all of my readers health and happiness for the coming year. 

What can we do to stick to our resolutions this year?  What can we do to keep going to the gym in February when it is cold outside?  What can we do to make sure that we don't overextend ourselves financially this year?  What can we do differently from last year to make sure that we spend more time with our families and commit to our spouses and children to spend quality time together?  What can we do to make sure that we do for others this year?  Do we have a friend call us and make us go to the gym even when we don't want to?  Maybe.  Do we cut up our credit cards and only use them in emergencies?  Maybe.  Do we dare tell our children to remind us of our resolution to do more with them?  Maybe.  They will probably remind us of this when we just want to take a nap so maybe we just set a day every week to make sure that everyone is free on, say, Thursday night to sit down and have a meal together uninterrupted.  No cell phones.  No laptops.  No TV.  Nothing during dinnertime just once per week!!  Do we go ahead and call a charity and say put me down to help at least one day per month all year long?  We all get caught up in the daily grind.  We all get caught up in whatever is going on in our lives.  But this is a new year!!  So let's all rededicate ourselves to our families, our friends, our church, our organization, our health and finances or whatever you want to change this year!!  We can do this!!!!

Happy New Year, Everyone!!

Life Lesson #15,041-Holy Political Posts, Batman!!

Has anyone else noticed all of the political posts on Facebook?  OMG! I am so over it!  I mean, has anyone ever changed political parties because of a post on Facebook?  Has anyone changed their vote because of political rants?  Have you been blocked by 100 friends?  I think everyone has decided by now who they are voting for so STOP IT!!  I don't have to agree 100% with my choice and disagree 100% with his opponent to vote for who I want to vote for.  Okay, y'all know that I am a Republican and I will be voting for Mitt but that doesn't mean that I agree with him on 100% of the issues.  I don't disagree with B.O. on 100% of the issues.  Just because I am a Republican does not mean that I won't vote for a Democrat.  There are a few that I will always vote for.  Take for example the Attorney General of North Carolina.  His name is Roy Cooper. If you are thankful that there is a National Do Not Call List, you can thank the Attorney General of the great state of North Carolina for that.  I still get tons of calls by law dodging fundraisers but at least it is not constant like it used to be.  Roy Cooper (D) has my vote every time he goes up for re-election.  Also there are a couple of local races that I will vote for the (D) on.  Really, I think everyone should go to this website and see which side of the fence they are really on. It can be very eye-opening!! It is called On The Issues and it is totally non-partisan.  Here is the link: 
http://www.ontheissues.org/Quiz/Quiz2010.asp?quiz=Pres2012


Hopefully we can all be "Friends" again in 2 weeks!!  If you are like me, I joined Facebook to catch up with old friends and see what is going on with everyone.  I look forward to seeing endless posts about pets, food and family feuds.  I will not even complain for at least a month about your relentless bragging on your children!! (Who are BRATS, by the way!! The little cuties!)  I look forward to being "Poked" by my high school friend, Zach.  I look forward to seeing birthday wishes to people I hardly know.  I look forward to seeing "Check ins" at CVS and Olive Garden.  I even look forward to the posts that say to "Share if you love Jesus"!  I do love Jesus, I just don't want to "Share" your picture of a rainbow with everyone on my friends list!  Jesus will not deny me entry into Heaven because I didn't "Share" your photo!! Don't pray for my soul!!  I've got it covered! Oh and Facebook will not give a dollar for every "Like" or "Share" to the sick little girl in the picture.  I promise, you can keep scrolling!!

This is a great rule of thumb for all forms of Social Media:


Oh my Goodness!!! Is that a Blog icon??  Oh no!! There goes my blog!! I will miss you all!!!
Just kidding.  No, my blog isn't always true or helpful or inspiring or necessary or kind.  Sometimes it is just a rant!!  Most of the time it includes lies half-truths.  I really am trying to help humanity by telling y'all what everyone else is thinking but is afraid to say out loud.  Sorry but I wasn't born with that filter thingy.  Anyway, back to rules for everyone but me...Let's be nice to each other.  We are all going to be in it together next month so let's just accept that we all have political, moral and religious beliefs.  Let's not be judgmental of each other and our beliefs.  We don't have to agree on 100% of the issues to be "Friends" so stop fighting about them!!!!  Oh and just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't make them stupid, closed-minded or uneducated.  They just don't agree with you!! Come on November 6th!!!

Life Lesson #15,039-Psychology of Women

Life Lesson #15,039-Psychology of Women

My son just asked me what a woman means when she says, "This dress isn't me."?  I said that it means that she doesn't like the dress for her but it might look good on someone else.  He said that when he gets to college he is going to take a course on women and I told him it is a thirty year course and he would fail anyway. LOL!  Poor kid.  He's only 13-years old and he is already trying to figure out women.  Good luck with that, my son!!  Why are women so hard to figure out?  Why don't we just say what we mean like men do?  Why do we hold grudges from the 3rd grade?  Why do we care about how soft our skin is?  Why do we worry about age spots?  Why do we care about gray hair and wrinkles?  Why do we have more than 4 pairs of shoes?  Why do we have a section in our closet called our "fat clothes"?  Why do we wear make up and fuss with our hair?  Why do we touch up our lipstick every hour?  Why do we fret over an extra 10 pounds? Why do we shove ourselves into Spanx?  Why do we always have to smell good?  Why do we love pretty things?  Why do we always say, "Oh that's so cute!"?   I tell you why.  Because we are women!!!


Why do we cry about everything?  When we are happy.  When we are sad.  When we are watching Chick Flicks.  When we are watching Magic Mike.  ((Ahem. Sorry.))  Then for no reason at all, we cry!!  We love to know details about everything.  It may take us 5 minutes to tell a story that would take a man 10 seconds to tell because we don't leave out any details.  We all absolutely hate drama but we want to know if any drama is going on and we will give our opinion but we don't want to get involved in the drama.  We get mad if someone knows what is going on and they don't share it with us. We get our feelings hurt easily.  We are sensitive. Why??  Because we are women.



One thing is for sure about women.  We love with all of our heart. If we are moms we will rip your still beating heart straight out of your chest if you hurt our child.  When we love something we will fight for it to the death!   Whether it is a relationship or a child, our love knows no boundaries.  Some men like to call us stalkers but really it's just love.  If they would just love us back, darn it!!!!  I mean my goodness, we smell good and our hair is fixed.  What more could you possibly want from us?  Just because we send you roses, chocolates and 471 texts per day, does not make us stalkers.  Just because we wait for you outside of your apartment building at 5am to give you a warm cup of coffee to start off your day right, does not make us stalkers.  And yes, buying him that really nice gold watch that he always wanted may have been a little excessive but stalking...No way, Your Honor!!  We just like to show our love, Your Honor!! Why?  Because we are women!!





So we love cute things and flowers. Earrings and purses. We love bubble baths and pedicures.  We love a good book and perfume, chocolate and diamonds, sports cars and suntans, shoes and soft blankets, clean floors and afternoon soccer games.  We love our friends to the moon and back and have deeper relationships with a select few.  We love our men and our children so much that we would die for them.  Not to get all mushy because we also love wine and raunchy sex talk with our girlfriends on Girls Night Out!!  We love decorations and little blue boxes with white ribbons. So I just think I will tell my son not to worry about studying up on women.  For one, it is a total waste of time and for another thing, whatever we say today could change tomorrow.  Why?? Because we are women!!

Life Lesson #15,037-Bullying Sucks

Life Lesson #15,037-Bullying Sucks

Disclaimer:  This blog is NOT a funny one!! 

I have to say that bullying has gone to a whole new level from when I was a kid.  Kids got laughed at and made fun of when I was going to school but nothing like it is these days.  With social media, email, cell phones and the Internet, kids have no chance of getting away from their bullies even when they are at home.  I have heard of kids making Facebook pages about hating another child.  I have heard about some kids having a Facebook, MySpace or even Instagram and kids "stalking" them and saying horrible things to them on the Internet for everyone to see.  I think it is very important that we all speak to our children about the consequences of bullying if they are caught doing it.  I also think this starts at home.  If a child hears their parents speaking horribly about another person, they will think it is okay.  I know that we all are guilty of doing it but we all need to think about what we say in front of them.
 

We need to teach our children that if they bully people then they will have serious consequences at home.  If your child is accused of bullying then you need to get to the bottom of it.  Don't look at that kid through rose colored glasses.  Bullies are really the wimpiest and most insecure people that have ever lived.  If someone is bullying or pushing around a child with a physical or mental ailment then they have serious issues that should be addressed.  Some kids have problems which cannot be seen by the naked eye.  These kids should be especially looked out for by our children.  They don't have to be best friends with someone to stand up for someone who is being bullied.  Kids with ADD, ADHD, Asperger's and Autism are often misunderstood as being weird but in reality sometimes they lack impulse control and cannot help the way they are acting.  I think kids should be sensitive to these kids.  Please, Please talk to your children about this.


Now bullying doesn't always look like a big boy pushing around a boy who is smaller than him.  Lots of times a bully can look like a beautiful young lady.  I hear Moms talking about how mean girls can be to each other and it makes me so sad.  Kids, teens and young adults live in the moment.  This is why they get in so much trouble.  They think that calling another girl ugly makes them look better or posting nasty things about other girls online makes them look tough.  Don't we all understand by now that suicide is now the way out for these kids who are being bullied?  Was it really worth it for a kid to kill themselves over someone posting something terrible, and usually not even true, about them?  No, of course not but like I said, kids live in the moment.  When you are my age, you could just care less what people say about you but most of the time kids don't have a choice who they are in a room, bathroom, locker room or hall with at school. If someone doesn't like me they can just avoid me and I can avoid them but not our kids! It's just not fair!!



So, what to do if your child is The Bully:
1.  Open your eyes and realize that your child is capable of that behavior.
2.  Realize that your child will probably not change after one talk or one punishment.
3.  Talk to your child about redirecting their bullying behavior to a leadership role.
4.  If you have been called by another parent or the school, make an appointment and talk to your child's teacher or principal and get to the bottom of it.
5.  Be clear that this behavior is unacceptable and follow through with consequences.
6.  Have a zero tolerance rule about bullying.
7.  Know your child's friends and talk to them often.
8.  If it persists talk to the school counselor or a medical/mental health professional.
9.  Let them know that this behavior is dangerous.
10. Make sure that your child understands respect.  By that I mean not only respecting others and their personal space but respecting themselves enough not to do this to others.

What to do if your child is Being Bullied:
1.  Again, open your eyes.  Don't just blow off your child and tell them that "So-n-so was just kidding."
2.  Make the school or other organization aware that this is happening and follow up often.
3.  Make sure that your child knows that they are loved and that they are important in this world.
4.  Encourage your child to walk to class, eat lunch or hang out on the playground with a friend. Strength in numbers.
5.  Make sure that your child has some sort of outlet or hobby.  An activity outside of school can be something to look forward to and enjoy and live for.  Kids who play sports or who have hobbies can blow off steam if they are doing something that they enjoy.
6. Teach your child to say, "STOP"!!
7.  Report this activity to the school and document all of the details of the incident, who was involved and who you reported the incident to at school.
8.  Remind your child that reporting a bully is not the same as tattling.
9.  Communicate with your child.  Talk, Talk, Talk.

If you have anything to add, please do so!

Life Lesson #15,036-Real Problems??

Life Lesson #15,036-Real Problems

I have a real problem.  I don't know when to keep my mouth shut or when to speak up.  I need some help in this department.  I saw a lady today with her dress on inside out.  Should I have mentioned it to her or kept my mouth shut?  Thing is, I was at a middle school soccer game and I didn't notice until the game was over and she walked over to where the other mothers were sitting.  I don't know her but I know that she is the mother of one of the boys on the team.  Plus, there were tons of people standing there and of course, everyone looked at me and said, "You should tell her".  Why me?  Could it be because they know what a big mouth I am?  Could it be because they think I have no filter?  Could it be because they know me well enough to know that I would want to know myself?  Why didn't one of the other mothers speak up?  Three Moms looked at me and said, "TELL HER"!! 

Y'all know that's me below!!
 

Should I stand in Walmart and point out everyone who still has on their pajamas just in case they weren't aware that they came out of the house in their pajamas?  (I mean, surely they aren't aware that they still have their pajamas on.  People would never go out in public in their pajamas on purpose, right?)  Should I stand inside the school and tell all of the 12-year old boys who have their flys open that they are walking around like that?  Should I be responsible for telling people when they have smelly breath or body odor?  Should I tell people when they are being rude or laughing too loud? (Okay, someone may need to tell me when I am being those things.)  Should I tell those young men who walk around town with their pants below their waist to pull their pants up?? (Someone should totally do that one!!!!)  Do we need to tell a friend that they have spinach in their teeth?  Where do we draw the line and does it matter how well we know someone before we say something?   Look, even if you don't know me, please don't let me walk around looking like a fool or smelling like a zoo animal.



I think if someone is going to be embarrassed about something, maybe we should speak up.  If you see a lady with her skirt caught inside her underwear, we should speak up and not let her walk around like that. If a man is walking around with his toupee blown over, maybe someone should mention it to him. If you see a lady at a middle school soccer game with her dress on inside out, maybe you should mention it to her if you see it at the beginning of the game.  When the game is over, you may as well let her get in her minivan and leave without saying anything. Your thoughts??

Life Lesson #15,033-Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Life Lesson #15,033-Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Don't we all know those people who just bring you down?  I like to call these people Eeyore. (Ya know? From Winnie The Pooh.) You see them in Target and you hope that they don't see you so you try to duck down the next aisle and you have to act like you are very interested in whatever is on that aisle.  Then they follow you down the aisle and are like, "Hi, I didn't know that you had hamsters" and you have to say something stupid like, "Umm. Yeah we are thinking about getting one for the kids" and they are like "Oh no. You don't want to do that. We had one and it died after 3 days and then had to get another one and it lived for 15 years".  And you just want to lie and say that you have had a terrible stomach virus and really need to go to the bathroom, really bad and rush away but you are too nice.  No?? Yeah, me either. (Lie)



Wouldn't life be so much better if we all tried to have a positive outlook on life.  I know it isn't always easy.  Sometimes we get bad news or our friends or family have illnesses that could take them away from us so I'm not saying we should be all smiles all the time but some people just are always negative.  "How are you today, Sammy?".  (In Eeyore's voice) "Well, my knee has fluid on it and I have a hernia and I lost my cell phone and...". "Well, Sammy, I've got to go.  See you soon".  All we really wanted to hear was "I'm fine" unless there is a real problem that you will need my assistance on.  That's why I was hiding from you in the hamster supplies aisle!! If you find yourself doing this all the time, try to stop it.  You will find that people will enjoy your company and you will probably get invited to lunch more often if you are a positive force in this life.  If you're happy and you know it clap your hands, CLAP, CLAP.



Is that mean?  Am I just cruel?  Seriously, if you see someone who you are not good friends with and they ask you how you are, please just say, "I'm good. How are you?".  Even if your dog just died that morning and you have a migraine and a Charlie Horse, please just say that you are good and ask about the other person because they don't really want to hear all about it.   And then if they are the negative ones, rush off to the bathroom in Target or the hamster aisle.  You may see me there!! Oh and if you ever catch me being Eeyore, Call Me Out On It!!!!


 

Life Lesson #15,028-Daily Annoyances. I Guess Mine Aren't So Bad..

Life Lesson #15,028-Daily Annoyances. I Guess Mine Aren't So Bad.

These are some of the annoyances of a suburban, stay-at-home mom.
-  Walking away from 2 "girlfriends" knowing that they are going to talk about you when you walk away.
-  157 emails. 1 that is important.
-  Ponytail holder won't go around 3 times.  2 is not tight enough.
-  No parking space near the cart return.
-  People assuming that since I'm a stay-at-home mom I can drop everything for their B.S.
-  Phone calls during my nap.  (Usually people thinking I have time for their B.S. I don't I only have time for one nap today.)
-  My husband leaving lists of things for me to get done during the day.  (I'm ADD.  I will not do 3 of those things just because.)
-  Reruns of "The Real Housewives of..." (Show only new ones!!!)
-  Having to pee 10 minutes before the alarm clock goes off.
-  No cell phone service.
-  Squeaky/Bumpy  wheel on the grocery cart.
-  The cat waiting on me to finish cleaning out the litter box to go poop. (Literally she sits and waits at the door for me to clean it out!! UGH!!)
-  The child or children asking Dad "Where's Mom?" then asking me for a drink.  WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK DAD?!!
-  The FedEX/UPS Driver coming to my house AFTER my husband gets home.  I tell him every time to Come Early!!!

My #1 annoyance is this...Internet Banking!! It had to be a man who came up with that!  It certainly wasn't a woman.  No woman I know wants her husband to be able to look at the bank statement and Visa card bill any day, anytime.  I used to get chewed out once per month.  Now it is every other day!! People should only be able to look at Pinterest, Facebook and my blog every day and that's it!!

Okay, I do realize that I don't worry about things that other people around the world have to worry about and I get annoyed by things that would thrill people in third world countries but these are some of the annoyances in my pitiful life.  I guess I must be blessed if this is all I have to complain about but some of these make me say bad words!! Don't call me today and ask if I can pick you up a head of lettuce while I am out!  I will have to go all bat $h!+ crazy on you!!

Life Lesson #15,027-Feel Good About Yourself. Go to Walmart

Life Lesson #15,027-Feel Good About Yourself. Go to Walmart

Now I swear I am not being judgmental but if you really want to feel good about yourself, just walk around Walmart for an hour.   Trust me, you will see much larger muffin tops than you have.  You will see much worse hairdos than you have.  You will see much worse wardrobes than you have.  You will see much worse teeth than you have.  You will see at least 5 fake Louis Vuitton bags. (And I mean really bad fakes. Not the semi expensive ones.) You will see people who literally just rolled out of bed.  PJs and bed head and all. Maybe even a pair of slippers.  You will see much worse parenting skills than you have.  I have seen a full on beating of a kid who needed it in Walmart.  (I'm not for abusing children so don't message me but that kid needed his butt beat!!) 

Before you even get out of your car, you will see reasons why you probably shouldn't go inside The Walmart.  (Around here it is called "The Walmart".) There are people who have parked their beat up Volvos taking up 2 spaces.  Now, really.  If I can park my big ole tank in one space surely you can park your Volvo with a door that's a different color than the rest of the car in one space!!  Then you will see carts, buggies, whatever you call them, littering the parking lot.  I mean, there are 15 cart return places taking up 30 parking spaces littered all over the parking lot and you couldn't return your cart to one of them? Really?  Then you will see the people in the parking lot and you think to yourself, "Is it safe to go inside?" but you do it anyway.  Why is that?  Of course, it's because you want to feel good about yourself.  You look like a darn beauty queen going into that place!!  But hey, if you don't want to put on makeup or even brush your teeth, you probably won't be the worst looking person there!! 

I say we should all be required to go to Walmart once per week just so our self esteem is bolstered! Who doesn't want to be the best looking person in the room?  At Walmart, it ain't that hard!!  Now don't get me wrong. I love The Walmart when I need it.  I mean where else can you get paint, ammo and cup-o-soup?  Nowhere!! You will see it all at Walmart.  From circus freaks to society's elite.  We all need Walmart once in a while!  So get on out to your local Walmart and see what you can see!! Trust me, you will feel much better about yourself when you leave!

Life Lesson #15,026-What Is Up With Mommy Guilt??

Life Lesson #15,026-What Is Up With Mommy Guilt?

Seriously, what is this Mommy Guilt?  If you call me during the day and ask me what I have been up to, why do I feel like I have to give you a list of 20 things that I have done all day?  Why can't I say that I haven't made the beds yet or done any laundry or even put the dishes from last night's dinner in the dishwasher yet? Why do I feel guilty if I have come right in from morning carpool and sat down and watched TV for an hour or checked my Facebook or even that I came in and went back to bed?  My job never ends and if I don't do my job nobody else will pick up my slack so why do I feel guilty about taking a little break now and then.  Am I not allowed that or am I not allowing myself to stop working ever?  What if someone calls and I was taking a nap? Why can I not just say that I am taking a nap?  As long as everyone in my house has clean clothes and food, why can't I take a short break or even a nap?  I mean everyone else in my house can come in from school and work and plop down and watch TV for hours without me complaining about it because I understand how tiresome work and school are.  I've been there!!  With that said, some days I have 20 things to do and I have to get them done that day.  Then there are other days where I only have a couple of things to do so I am going to get them done or even put them off until tomorrow.  Why all of this guilt?   I agree that there is always something that I could be doing if I am awake but what if I just don't feel like rearranging the utensil drawer or organizing my closet?  Believe me, nothing will change.  My utensil drawer will not get any worse than it already is and my closet will not get more unorganized than it is right now.  Well, maybe the closet but who cares? I'm the one who is going to fix it!!

Some days I just want to go back to bed when Jordan goes to school and just sleep until 1:30.  Then get up, take a shower, throw the covers up over the bed, toss the dishes in the dishwasher, go to school and pick up the carpool kids, get homework started, spray some Febreeze, and sit until the husband is on his way home.  If he gives me the heads up when he is pulling out of the office, I have 45 minutes to come up with something for dinner.  I can have it delivered, pick up carryout or even cook something in 45 minutes, so that isn't usually a problem unless I need another nap in the late afternoon.  In that case, we will definitely be eating delivery or carryout!!  Why feel guilty, though?  Moms, we should band together and swear from this day forward that we will not feel guilty about chilling out for a while when everyone is out of the house!!!  Who is up first in my house?...ME.  Who says, "Goodnight, I'm going to bed" and an hour later I can finally go to bed?...ME. (And probably all the moms reading this feel the same way.)  Let's take that nap!!! NO GUILT!! NO GUILT!!

Life Lesson #15,024-I May Or May Not Be A Horrible Stay-At-Home Mom

Life Lesson #15,024-I May Or May Not Be A Horrible Stay-At-Home Mom.
I'm not sure but I may or may not be very good at my job as a stay-at-home mom.  First of all, I am unclear about the "Stay At Home" part because I feel like I am always on the road.  Maybe we should be called "Stay-in-the SUV" Moms or "Stay-in-the-Minivan" Moms or "Stay-at-the Soccer Field" Moms or Football or Baseball or Volley Ball or Basketball or Dance Studio or Cheerleading or whatever field, court or studio or rink that you happen to spend your life at.  Also, there is the grocery store, Walmart or Target, school functions, parent/teacher meetings, community service, field trips, play dates...Wow, I could go on and on about where Moms travel every day.  We spend a lot of time in the carpool line at school!! We eat, do homework, change clothes, read, have serious talks and super hilarious conversations about bodily functions, all in the car!!
 

Then there are those Moms who post stuff on Facebook that they are doing during the day and I feel like a total piece of crap.  "Heading to the school with fresh baked muffins for little Joe's class".  "Got a fresh baked pie in the oven for my BFF".  "Can't wait for my husband to get home and see the home made dinner that I made for him".  "I have cleaned the house all day long and made filet mignon for dinner".  Just so y'all know, I hate you all!! I made those Tyson Chicken Breast filet sandwiches for Sunday lunch yesterday.  Why didn't I make a pot roast with carrots and potatoes like a good mama would?  Oh and Thank You Domino's Pizza for dinner last night!! Mwaah!!
I actually vacuumed out the couch a few days ago, because I can't even remember the last time that I did it, and I found cookie parts, pencils, popcorn, a small human being, $100,000 in coins and a Maserati. The Maserati was, unfortunately, a Matchbox Maserati car but I found one!! And how does sand get underneath the cushions?  First of all, we live in North Carolina where there is no sand except for the beach and second of all, who is this person with sandy pants??


Then there are those Martha Stewart types who sew.  You know who you are!! I can sew on a button and that's about it.  And when I sew on a button, that bad boy is never, ever coming off again, EVER!! I see Moms who can sew little dresses for their little girls, make window treatments for their house, pillows and even quilts!! I don't even know how to thread a sewing machine much less sew a straight line.  On Pinterest it says that you can make a cute little dress out of a pillow case for a little girl.  I see dresses like this in boutiques selling for $60 and up!!  Why don't I know how to sew?  I could be making pillow case dresses all day long instead of pinning stuff on Pinterest and driving kids around everywhere!! I could hire someone to drive the kids around!!!!




Then we Moms feel guilty for having a GNO (Girls Night Out) once a month.  Why do we feel guilty about that?  I mean, we are the ones who do everything for the kids 29 days a month and we ask Dad to pitch in and help for one day a month and we feel guilty and end up getting home before 10:00, usually to find that Daddy hasn't even put the kids to bed yet and has given them Coca-Cola and Pixy Stix and cannot figure out why he cannot control them. Literally the kids are burning down the house and Daddy looks like he has no idea that they have left the house to buy the gas and matches!! And the guys have to have Boys Night Out once a week!! The men come in after midnight and the kids have been asleep for hours and so have we moms!! We know better than to give kids Pixy Stix after 2pm!!


Alright, I am probably not the best Mom in the entire world but I have a healthy and happy child who probably doesn't get enough leafy green vegetables in his diet. There is probably more dirt on my floor than I care to admit to but my kid can tell you with 100% certainty that I love him.  I've never forgotten to pick up the carpool kids up from school. I've never left my child in a hot car.  I've never forgotten to feed my kid. I've kept him alive for almost 13 years and I've never had DSS called on me before!! Hallelujah! I must not be too HORRIBLE!  You, probably, are not either!! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back for not being a horrible Mom!! Whoop!! Whoop!!

But hey, they do need something to tell their therapist about when they are adults.  Can't send 'em to therapy without any material!!

Life Lesson #15,023-Criticizing Doesn't help Any Situation

Life Lesson #15,023-Criticizing Doesn't Help Any Situation

"Before you criticize anyone, walk a mile in their shoes.  That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes."~Jack Hadley 

Oh my goodness! This is so hard to do.  Some people use the word "criticize" and some people use the word "judge".  There is a fine line between lovingly pointing out a fault in someone that needs pointing out to them and criticizing too harshly.  And then there is the whole "shooting the messenger" thing. It may start something like this: 
Me:  (to my housekeeper)  Umm. I think you maybe forgot to sweep, mop and dust the dining room.  It's okay. Totally fine but I just wanted to let you know so you can get it better next time.
Housekeeper:  I certainly did sweep, mop and dust the dining room.  I totally remember doing it.
Me:  No, you didn't but it is fine.  I just wanted to let you know.
Housekeeper:  Yes, I did.  I wiped it all down really well and I know I did. I can't believe that you would think that I missed an entire room.
Me:  Well if you're telling me that you did clean this room, I am going to fire you right now because you could write your name in the dust and there were cat hair balls all over the floor 2 seconds after you walked out the door. 
Housekeeper:  Well I did.
Me:  Fine.  You're fired.
Housekeeper:  Fine.

See what I mean?  It starts out as pointing out something that is so small and we all know that accidents happen and mistakes are made so there is no need to explode after such a small comment was made, especially when you are the one who is 100% wrong.  I mean really!  My housekeeper sure does point out when something is left on the floor or it just gets vacuumed around!! Seriously!!

Anyway, my point is maybe I should have just left it alone and not said anything.  I mean, I cleaned the room and vacuumed after they left so it did get done.  No big deal but I had PAID someone else to do it and I feel like it should have been done. I really wasn't trying to criticize, judge or whatever but I just wanted to point out that there was a mistake made. So what should we do when something needs pointing out? 

What if you have a dear friend who is being talked about all over town and you feel like you need to tell that person because you love them?  Will the conversation end like the housekeeping conversation did?  Is it worth losing the friend to "save" them from themselves?  What to do?  What to do?? Scroll to the bottom...




Problem solved.  I'll just keep it to myself and let others worry about themselves and I will just worry about me.  Lord knows I need some improving upon!!! 

Life Lesson #15,020-Housewives/Stay-at-Home Moms, Is it a competition??

Life Lesson #15,020-Housewives/Stay-at-Home Moms, Is it a competition?
I have a friend who is a "Housewife".  This person can do it all!! This person is a master gardener.  Their garden has won "Yard of the Month" in a small town in South Carolina.  This is a highly coveted award in this small town and there is major competition among the finely manicured lawns lining the streets of the town. **My plants are dying.

This person also cooks wonderful meals most every night.  I see the menu on Facebook every night and think, "Hmm. My hot dogs don't sound as appetizing as their meal".  Seriously, who has time to garden and cook? Their meals are also healthy and probably take hours to cook.  **Mine is unhealthy and took minutes to cook.

This person also does community service throughout their community.  How this person has time to do for others is beyond me.  This person is always helping with community activities and with local charities.  This person even collected shoes for the people of Haiti after the tragedy there a few years ago.  Things like this are always going on at their house.  This person also does community service with local young ladies who are in the pageant world.  This person helps the ladies with every aspect of the pageant process and with their community service as well. Their motto is:  "If you ain't giving, you ain't living."  **I haven't done much for my community lately. I am, however, serving at the Union County Homeless Shelter this Saturday night.

This person hosts the most fabulous parties.  Hundreds of people show up for these parties.  Their Cinco De Mayo Party is legendary.  There is also the Annual Redneck Casserole Supper.  Ice Cream parties. Pretty much any day is a reason to have a party.  A fabulous party, I might add. **I gave up on parties.  It always RAINS!!!



This person and their husband decorate for Christmas beginning in early fall so that the "Santa House" is nearly perfect for the big day.  They have over 20 Christmas trees in their yard for the holiday season.
**I can barely decorate one tree!!
Check this out: 



This person does all of this along with daily duties of a housewife such as laundry, dishes, cleaning, shopping and all other duties that we housewives have.  This person has a grown son and daughter and granddaughter. They now take care of a cat and 4 small dogs (All Yorkies and properly named after the cast of the greatest movie ever made, Steel Magnolias.) and tries to find homes for homeless pets. How cute is that???  **My 3 cats are driving me over the edge!!


This person is a cancer survivor.  You would never know it and you will never hear this person complain about it. **I complain about a hangnail.

Would you like to know who this amazing housewife is??  Are you ready for this??
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Well, here HE is...


Tim is the one on the left.  His husband is Neil on the right.  They live in South Carolina with their 4 dogs and cat in the "Santa House". Tim is the most amazing housewife EVER!!! I aspire in life to be as good a citizen as he is someday!!  **No competition!! Tim wins!!!

Life Lesson #15,019-Facebook Becomes Too Personal

Life Lesson #15,019-Facebook Becomes Too Personal
Anyone who has a Facebook will agree with today's blog.  You will know "Friends" who post these things and if you see yourself in these examples, PLEASE STOP!!

We all have "Friends" who post about personal family business.  I don't want to know about how much you hate your sister who causes drama.  If you are posting about your sister who causes drama on Facebook, then you are part of the drama.  Family business should be kept "in the family" not made into huge drama on a social network. Once it is "out there" it is "out there" forever!!

There are young people who constantly post pictures of themselves in mirrors.  Young men with their shirts off. (Some men are old enough to know better than to do this!) Young girls posting pictures of themselves with the fish lips!! You are 11 and I know your Mama and I know that she did not allow you to get lip injections so STOP THAT!!  And go clean your bathroom mirror!

There are people who constantly post about their at home businesses.  I am so happy for you if you have your own business and I wish you much success and hope that you are as happy and as rich as you claim to be.  I just don't really care if you make $8,000 a week.  I do not want to join your team!!

There are people who constantly post about their political beliefs.  You are not going to change my mind about who to vote for in the upcoming elections with your political rants.  If anyone doesn't agree with your rants, you get mad.  I have seen posts on my news feed between people who have been friends since preschool and they end up "unfriending" each other over politics.  I mean, who does that?  I am still going to be your friend even if you aren't of the same political persuasion as myself.  I may think you are 100% wrong and you may think that I am 100% wrong.  Just go and vote in November and we will see how it all works out.

Then there are those who post only Bible verses.  I happen to know some of you people very well.  That is not all that you talk about 24/7.  Even my pastor doesn't do that!  Who are you trying to convince that you are a Christian?  Everyone else or yourself?

And then there is the friend who only posts about how there is no God.  Who are you trying to convince? If you don't believe in God, then don't believe but stop trying to convince me.  I believe that there is a God. I don't believe in evolution and you will never convince me otherwise! If I am wrong, so what? If you are wrong, well, that's another story.

Then there are those who only post about their kids.  UGH!! My kids are #1.  My kids are the smartest.  My kids are the cutest.  My kids are the most athletic. My kids are the most talented. My kids...My kids...My kids...STOP IT!!!!  My kid is the smartest, cutest, most athletic and my kid is #1 so stop trying to say that yours is the best!! Haha!! We all think our kid is the best!!  I mean, if your kid gets into Princeton on an academic scholarship and then makes the football, baseball or softball team, please post this because it is wonderful news!!  Your kid just made a base hit in T-Ball.  He or she hasn't made the major leagues just yet.

Last is my biggest pet peeve.  If you do this, please know that EVERYONE has "blocked" your posts from their news feed.  That person who posts every move that they make...
7:32am-Just woke up.  Good morning Facebook Friends!
7:45am-Getting in the shower. Have to smell good for the day!
8:02am-Having my first cup of coffee.  2 sugars and a splash of milk.
8:25am-Having a terrible hair day.  Good thing I have a low cut shirt on today.
8:40am-Late for work. Fred, please tell Moe that I will be there as soon as I can!!
9:02am-Made it in. Have a great day today!
10:07am-Break time. Having a Coke and some crackers. I'm in such a bad mood today.
10:45am-Made a lunch date with my honey! See you at 11:30, John! I love you!
11:25am-Ready to see my baby. Order me an iced tea!
12:25pm-Great lunch with my sweetie. Almost late getting back from lunch!
1:52pm-This is the longest day in history.  Come on 5:00!
2:45pm-Boss just left for the beach for the week.  Whoop! Whoop!
3:28pm-What will I make for dinner tonight? Grilled chicken or lasagna?
4:15pm-Decided on lasagna. Gotta go to the grocery store after work.
5:05pm-At the grocery store.  Man someone didn't return their cart and I almost hit it with my new Camry!
6:02pm-Lasagna in the oven.  I will post a pic as soon as it gets out of the oven so you can be jealous. :)
6:35pm-(((Picture of the Lasagna)))
7:03pm-Dinner was good.  Watching TLC.  Honey Boo Boo comes on tonight!!
8:31pm-Having a candy bar before bed.  Is that bad?
9:45pm-Going to bed after I brush my teeth and wash my face. Good night everyone!!
OMG!! GET A TWITTER ACCOUNT!!!!

You all know at least one of these people!! Don't ya??

Life Lesson #15,017-Human Nature is Inherently Good

Life Lesson #15,017-Human Nature is Inherently Good
Watch this video and you will know what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MDOrzF7B2Kg?rel=0

It is the Great Boatlift of 9/11/01 in NYC.  Take 12 minutes and watch the video.  I promise it is worth it.

Life Lesson #15,011-That ONE Friend

Life Lesson #15,011-That ONE Friend.
That one friend.  You know who it is.  That one friend who can't wait to stir up some drama.  That one friend who is always upset, depressed, angry, sick, disappointed, self absorbed and problematic.  That one friend that when she calls, you draw up and consider not answering the phone.  If you don't answer the phone though, she will call you 4 times a day and leave you voice mails about how lousy she is feeling until you do answer. That one friend that when she calls and you do answer the phone never asks how your day is going or about you or your family.  She just called to tell you how horrible her life is and how her husband sucks and how her children got done wrong by someone because they are perfect angels.  That one friend who has done it all, seen it all and knows it all better than anyone in the history of human history. You know the one I am talking about. Yeah you do.  The one that can bring a party down simply by entering the room.

Now I am not talking about a good friend who genuinely has a problem that they really want to talk to you about or get your opinion on something.  I'm talking about that one friend that everyone seems to have that just doesn't get it.  Your life may be just as sucky as hers but she can make hers sound worse and even make you feel bad for saying one thing about your life as she rattles on and on about hers. Now I know that it is rough to ride around in that 2011 Mercedes-Benz SUV (That old piece of crap!) and live in your 5,000 square foot house (shameful) and your husband only sends you flowers once a week (The Bastard).  I get it but ya know what?  Get over it!!!  Why do women not do as men do and just say, "I need my space from you"?  Why do we go for years and torture ourselves being "friends" with that one friend?  My message today is DON'T BE THAT FRIEND!  If you have to ask yourself if you are that friend to someone, then you probably are!!

Notice to all of my friends:  None of you are this person so don't be filling my inbox with questions about whether or not you are that friend.  Got it?  

Life Lesson 15,006-Embrace Your Age

Life Lesson 15,006-Embrace Your Age.
And by that I don't mean we have to embrace gray hair and wrinkles.  Color your hair, get Botox or a face lift if you feel the need but we should embrace whatever stage we are in life.  I remember being in high school and thinking that I couldn't wait until I graduated and was on my own and could do anything that I wanted to do.  What was I thinking?  Why didn't I just embrace being 16-years old?  I mean, Daddy paid the bills.  I didn't have to worry about anything other than studying and what I was going to wear to school the next day.  End of list!!  When I finally was "on my own" and had to worry about paying for my car, telephone, electricity, food, clothing, etc. I found out really quickly that it wasn't so great!  When I turned 30, I thought it was the end of the world.  I had a really hard time with 30.  I wasn't in my 20's anymore.  I had to grow up and be mature!! Who wants to do that??  Once I turned 40, I was much better equipped for life.  I began not letting every little thing in life bother me.  I stopped caring if someone was talking about me because I embraced my flaws. I will never be 5'7".  Who cares?  I will never be a size 0.  Who cares?  I'm never going to have a filter on my mouth.  Who cares?  Well, maybe I need to work on that one a little bit.  My point is that Life is Good so why do we let what others think of us bother us? I wouldn't trade my stretch marks and muffin top for the life that they brought into the world.  They are just battle scars of child birth!  TOWANDA!!

Let's all stop worrying about what others think of us.  Apologize if you need to.  If not, then let the haters hate.  I wish I could get into young people's heads and give them the knowledge that life does get better.  Just because you aren't in the cool crowd in high school doesn't mean that you are not somebody in life.  Yes, your heart will get broken but that just prepares you for the one who would never break your heart.  People are going to talk about you but that just means that you are relevant. Love doesn't hurt.  Love feels good.  Your true friends will never hurt you.  They will build you up when you feel low.  Love happens.  Sadness happens.   Not everyone is going to like you.  You won't be great at everything you try.  Disappointment happens.  People will let you down.  Find your joy in life and pursue it. Enjoy whatever stage in life you are in.  There will be good points to each stage in life and as long as they outweigh the bad, then you are exactly where you are supposed to be.  Learn from your mistakes and don't make them over and over. "Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement"!! Embrace life now!!