Reflections

Hello, friends! I've had a few people ask if this new "positive messages posting" of mine (on social media) is something they should be worried about. Here is my response:

1) My snarky, sarcastic side is still very much a part of me--give me time. (Evil laugh here)

2) I'm not ill and trying to pave the road to heaven with good deeds. (Snarkity snark)

3) I'm not turning into a Pollyanna whose every thought is a"glass half full" kind of thought. Let's face it, sometimes there's not enough sugar in the world to turn those lemons into lemonade. 

4) I'm trying to "accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative", as the saying goes. (Something like that, anyway.)

5) I cannot change anyone else, but I can change my reactions to them. 

6) I want peace; peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of soul. 

7) I will feel angry, unhappy, discouraged; and I may post that.  But I will not let those feelings define who I am. And if I do, CALL ME ON IT!

8) I won't let anyone else pull me into his/her drama. We've all got drama going on in our lives, but I can choose to be angry and upset, or I can be happy. I choose happiness. 

My wish for each one of you is abundant joy, peace, and love. You can't find that from another person, place or thing. You can only find that abundance of goodness within your own heart and soul. 

God bless. 

When Betas Mate

My children want a pet. My oldest son wants a dog and a snake. Of course, he also wants a rat and a bearded dragon. Please excuse me while I go girlie for a minute....(ewwww, shudder, gross) I'm not really against a snake, but I'm not totally for it either. I don't want a constrictor, but a milk snake or corn snake would be okay. Maybe. The rat is a HELL no. The bearded dragon is a not-so-much. Although, I have to admit the bearded dragon is cute, in a lizardy --my blog, I can make up words if I want-- sort of way. The dog is okay as long as it's housebroken and doesn't destroy things. Uh huh, might as well dream big!

My middle child wants a cat and some fish. Those are pets I can live with, right? Sure, I like cats and fish are cool. He wanted a bird or a hamster, but I said no fowl or rodents. Those are firm rules. Which means the chick and duck he wants around Easter will be a no.

My baby wants a cat, a fish, a turtle and a horse. Um, well, where would we keep the horse? He thinks we could build an underground shelter, with a slide for the horse to get down to the shelter and an elaborate lift system using straps and helicopters to lift him up. Again, not so much. The turtle would be cool.

So, I take the boys to the pet store, one at a time. They ask tons of questions and the store clerks give them tons of answers. My middle child asks, "Why can't you put another fish in with a beta fish?" The clerk explains why (the male beta will kill another fish) and says the male will even kill a female, except when it's mating season. Of course, my kiddo wants to know what that means. Sigh. I explain that mating is what they do to have babies. He's cool with that answer. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. We get home and he's telling the rest of the crew about beta fish. He says, "You can only put a boy and a girl in the same bowl when they're....um....oh yeah, getting married!" Stifling grins and giggles, my husband and I listen and make the appropriate comments.
We're still in the process of looking and discussing. All I know is I have to get pets I'm comfortable handling. Because you know who's going to end up taking care of it, right? We've (read I've) ruled out horses, rodents, spiders, boas, pythons, venomous snakes, birds, ferrets, and frogs. Other than that, I'm pretty cool with whatever they choose.

Planning on a visit to the shelter to look for kittens soon. Fingers crossed that we find one they all like. Then my poor husband will be the only one left to convince. He's not a cat person. He suggested we get a dog, a cat, a hamster, a snake, and a lizard. His idea is to put them in a room and see which one comes out. And NO, he's not serious! At least, I don't think he is...

Thanks for reading!

Dad

My dad is one of the strongest men I've ever known. As a young child I remember following him around like a shadow. He hunted and fished and I loved to "help" him dress dove ("peel birds" ) and was fascinated with touching fish. I thought the eyes were especially cool. (ick!) As I got older, he taught me how to do minor repairs on the car and the house.

He and I also share a love for woodworking. We made countless things together. I still have some of the first pieces he made. I developed that talent and for years I worked on dollhouses, both from kits and from "scratch". Each time I made a cut or painted a wall, I thought of Dad.

As a teenager, I struggled with independence, finding my place in the world and succeeded in driving my parents crazy. I wasn't a lot better as a young adult, but we made it through. Dad has always been protective of his girls, but the older I get the more I realize it's because of his love for us.

When I got married and moved away from family, I was grateful for all I learned from my parents. And as a mom, I realize how hard it is to let go. As your children grow, you have to let them learn to crawl, walk, and climb. And it never stops. You want to keep them from being hurt, from making mistakes. But that wouldn't teach them anything. By our mistakes, we learn and grow.

Now my dad is facing some serious health problems. And I want him to know how much I love and respect him. A part of that love involves understanding his pain and subsequent choices he is struggling with. The little girl in me wants to tell him to keep fighting and NEVER give up. But the adult daughter knows when my dad talks about the pain he feels and how his quality of life is suffering, that I cannot ask him to do anything for me. I love my dad enough to respect his decisions, whatever they may be. And I cherish him for the man he was then and the man he is now. Whatever his decision, it will be one he has thought about, prayed about.

I find wanting to help but knowing I can't. As he once did with me, I have to let go. I have to trust in my dad's ability to decide what he needs. I have to trust in God to lead him in his decisions. I pray for him daily, several times a day.

I owe my dad a thank you. A thank you for everything he has done and continues to do. He has such a strength of character, such a love of life. He taught me so much as I grew up. He continues to do so. I understand those life-lessons he taught me. I want to teach my boys those lessons. I only hope I can do half as well as he has and still does.

We may not live close to each other, but he IS here with me. I carry him in my heart, always.

(Copyright 2010, Linda Rosendale)