Welcome to my thought archive.
CAUTION:
Reading these may give you a look into the inner workings of my thoughts (perhaps a scary place to be).
I have listed that previous "Today's Thoughs" by title and date. Just scroll down to the one you want to read, click on that item, and it will magically appear!
- A Tragedy in Littleton April 24, 1999
- Time Well Spent April 28, 1999
- Family is what you make it May 2, 1999
- Hectic Days May 3, 1999
Time Well Spent
Today as I look outside it is a birght sunny day. I took the time this morning to see the deep blue in the sky as the bright morning sun was starting to rise. I pointed this out to my 6 year old daughter as we sere waiting for her bus. As many 6 year olds are, she just looked up into the sky, and then wanted to tease me about getting a hug. Still, I couldn't help remembering days gone by. I have a daughter who is 18 now. She works a lot these days, but from time to time she will come running in calling "Daddy, Daddy come look at this!" I will go running outside with her, as she is pointing to one of the most beautiful sunsets we have seen in a long time. It all started about the time she was 6.
It is important to me as a parent to feel that I have given my children something. Maybe watching the sun set, and seeing the clear blue sky seems trivial in today's world, but to me those moments are the most precious time any parent can have with their children. Together we are enjoying a moving emotional experience, and sharing the closeness that families should have. To me that is a better reward than winning the lottery.
So the next time you look up in the sky and see just how beautiful it is, show one of your children. You will never know how deeply they can be affected by such a simple act until you see the joy in their eyes years later. Then you know that you have touched at least one portion of their lives. who knows, you just might be able to teach them something.
As the sad news continues to come out of Colorado I sit and wonder why.
I know the answer of course, but it still leaves me wondering. I have three children of my own, and for many years they were off every day to school. I recall my school days and remember a bitter time when the country was at war, both within and without.
Then it was the Vietnamese and racial strife that was in the daily headlines. In my own school we had fights almost every day. Even so, we all survived to graduate.
I watched the parents, policemen, teachers and students, and could only wonder where were the parents of these boys? How could all that they were doing go unnoticed? Why was there so little security on the school perimeter?
We have had so many years of peace, that we have forgotten our own past. I am shocked at this recent event. I am shocked that the school was caught so unaware. I am shocked that the students were so willing to kill their fellow students, knowing that they too would die in the end.
I am also sad. For those that remain in the aftermath of this tragedy there is much healing that needs to be done. There is much thought that needs to be done by us all. For truely love starts at home. We as parents should konw our children better than anyone else. We have the power to change lives. We have the power to stop our children when they are going down the wrong road. It is a responsibility we accepted when we created them. One that we should hold dearer than any other standard we as parents uphold.
I saw a comercial on television recently. It was Caroll O'Conner talking about his son. He is right when he says "do anything you have to do to get between your children and drugs." It applies to every potentially bad situation we as parents face. Do what you have to do. Don't worry about the costs, they will be justified in the end by saving your children's life and perhaps many others.
Family is what you
make it
Last night I sat down with my family and watched
a rented video. We try to do this often, but it doesn't always work
out.
The one we saw last night was titled "Stepmom". We expected this to be a funny conedy about two women who were helping to raise two children, the mother, and the stepmom. But quite to our surprise, what we found was a well written sensitive lesson in life.
The story revolves around a couple that has been divorced, and his desire to re-marry. The "new wife" has no experience in raising children, and of course the ex-wife is an old pro at it. The two women are rather jealous of each other both for good reasons. Still in their own way they respect each other too. Then you find out that the ex-wife is fighting cancer. She has not told anyone and is trying to do it alone. As time goes by, she has to start chemo-therapy, and her doctor reccommends that she get the support of her family. She tries to tell her ex-husband one night, but he tells her of his desire to get married instead, so she just carries on alone. Eventually, succoming to the effects of the chemo-therapy, the new wife finds out that the ex-wife has cancer. They try to get along, but there is still the underlying problems between them. The treatments are not helping. The ex-wife must now face the fact that cancer will kill her. The two women meet alone one night and lay both of their fears and jealousies out on the table. This starts the healing between them.
After that the ex-wife get support from the new wife to put together some very special gifts to her children. They work together drawing on the strenghts of each other to achieve this common goal. The movie ends at Christmas. The ex-wife has given her children their presents, and made peace with them as to her impending death. They are sitting on the couch in the living room, and the new wife is taking pictures of everyone. She snaps a picture of the "family", and then the ex-wife asks her to take another one of the "whole family" including the new wife.
Aside from the three boxes of tissues we all went through watching this film, I was touched by the message that it contained. We all have troubles, jealousy, and difficulties of different kinds throughout our lives. Families are one of our strongest places to find help and support. Yet, often we just keep them out of our lives when we need them the most. But even more important, our family is not just those are our blood relation. We can make our own family from those that care about us, and that we care about too. Especially those that feel they are outcast for many reasons,(transgender, bi-sexual, gay, lesbian, HIV positive, cancer victims), we can still have a family that will love us and care for us. Not because we have a blood line, but because a family is what we make of it, not how it is defined through geneology.
Hectic Days
Hectic Days. We all have them. As my mother would say, "You are running around like a chicken with it's head cut off". And it is quite true. We are running to the pressures of living in today's world.
This morning as I was getting my daughters out of bed, it started. The phone rang and it was someone that wanted money,(Hey everyone gets behind on the bills every once in a while!).Then my 13 year old couldn't find her blouse, and she had a chior concert today. Then my 6 year old couldn't find her shoes. Hmmm, does this sound familiar to those of you with younger children?
Finially the little ones are out the door, and now I get it from my 18 year old daughter. She wanted up a little early, but says, "Can you just let me sleep for 15 more minutes?" Well this now becomes a battle between me, trying to make sure she is up for work, and her, being a rather grumpy young adult.It isn't even 10 A.M. yet and my day is going like this! Okay, now she is out the door, and from the other room I hear my SO calling out. My So has a tooth ache, and can't stand the pain. Now its my job to find the number for the dentist and make an appointment. Well, of course the dentist has moved and is no longer working out of the office with another dentist. So I track down his new number and get that set up. Now my SO is compaining that the pain is too great, and wants me to go to the store and get something better for it. Okay, out the door I go, and I'm off on the great pain killer hunt.
Well this continues up until nearly 4:00 P.M. I finially sit down to relax, and the children are home from school. I get a BIG hug from my 6 year old, and a story about some activity they did at school today. Then I hear about the long walk from one school to another from the 13 year old, and how everyone nearly fainted from the heat,(Everyone is still used to the cold because it is not all that hot). I sit back and enjoy the feeling of being loved and know that even thought it has been a hectic day, it is really worth it after all. Then my 18 year old daughter comes throught the door like a tornado. Oh, NO, she has had a really bad day dealing with the store's new manager!! Guess who is about to get an ear full!!!
CALGON.. TAKE ME AWAY!!!
Well it always works in the comercials!!!
