Seasons

Today is going to be a day of crying.   I will be crying for two different reasons though.   I have a funeral to attend, as well as a wedding.  Today, my dearest and best friend of almost 28 years will be burying her sweet daddy.   It hurts my heart to watch because of the bond these two shared.   We have prayed for him to be healed for a long time and those prayers were answered.  He was healed, just not here on earth.  

One of my Jamie's friends from high school is getting married today.   I KNOW Morgan is going to be a beautiful bride today.   I know this wedding will involve pink and Hello Kitty.    Watching two people get married always get my crying glands in full production.  

So today, I will be celebrating the end of a life and the beginning of a new life.   I will be crying tears of sadness and tears of joy.  Just two hour apart at that.


It is also a reminder to us all that while we are on the top of the mountain as I am sure Morgan will be today, that somewhere close by is someone who is in the deepest valley who just may need a hug or a smile.

 Oh, and if you happen to see me around 6:00 p.m. tonight, please just look the other way.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiates 3:8

All eyes on me...and you.

I stopped and visited my brother this past Sunday afternoon. Okay, truth be told, I was really visiting his grandson, Jude. I love this little boy, and evidently, he loves me too. It is almost impossible to leave without him wanting to come with me. He told me he wanted to go to church with me and said he would behave. Look at the picture above - how could you tell that little face no? I took him and off we went. He was a perfect little angel. What I noticed though, is he often mimicked my actions. If I sneezed, he had to sneeze. When I did something with my hands, he did the same thing. If I coughed, he coughed. While I thought it was cute, it is a scary reminder just how much they watch us. No parent sets out to be a bad example to their kids. But, we are only human and we fail. A lot. We get caught up in the moment or get emotional and forget they are watching us. As much as you hate to admit it, you are teaching them a lesson. The fact is, you are ALWAYS a role model. Sometimes, it is a good role model, but often time, it's a bad one. Parents who wouldn't dream of calling another person a name to their face, will readily do so in front of their kids. Or those little white lies we have told when we know they know different. Their minds are like little sponges and they absorb everything you say, and more more importantly, everything you do. The old cliche "like father, like son" will hit home. The choice is yours, not theirs. Don't worry that your children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.

Never say never

I am almost embarrassed to write this post. I did something so out of character for me. I took the day off on Friday to get my car's 15k mile checkup in Clanton. Since I am so close to Birmingham, off I go to the Galleria to do some shopping. I don't know why I go because I almost never buy anything there. Well, this time I did. First, let me give you a little background of dealing with the kiosk's you see in the mall. I almost never make eye contact with the salesman at them. When they step out to grab hold of my attention, I politely stick out my hand and say "no thanks" and move on. Some of them can be a little pushy and ask again or even why I don't want to try their product. I never, ever give them a chance. Did I say never? Well, never say never because for some reason unbeknownst to me, I gave one a chance. I told him no, but he said something ( I don't' even remember what it was) that made me stop and listen to him. All he asked was for one minute of my time. I gave him a minute. And then another. That turned into about 30 minutes with him demonstrating his products to me. I have to admit, they were really good products. A little pricey, but great products. The salesman was the perfect person to be in sales. He was GOOD. Of course, after I told him they were all too pricey for my budget, he cuts me a deal too good to pass up. He sells me one product that the box was damaged, but never used. Looking back, they probably do that on a few boxes for those really hard to sell customers. BUT, never say never because I bought two of his products. Of course, I had buyers remorse when I got home that night over spending more than I should have. I have used them both several times since yesterday, and I still love them. There was one more product I wanted, but did not buy, so I did me a little research on the internet. There was good news and bad news. The good news was that most everybody that used their products raved over them. They were repeat customers. The bad news is I can buy most of it SO much cheaper on Amazon. I should have known that. The name of the company is Deep Sea Cosmetics. They are made in Israel and they are great! I would recommend anybody to give their products a try, but do not under any circumstances make eye contact with any rep selling them. It could be hazardous to your budget.

My mom, my hero

I wrote a post not too long ago on how things couldn't have been easy for my mom. She was raised in an orphanage until old enough to make it on her own. I can count on one hand the things I knew about her childhood. She just didn't talk about it. Through Facebook, we have reconnected with some of her family. My sister started asking questions, and the answers were not easy to hear. I always knew my mom didn't have the best of childhoods. I mean, she lost her dad before the age of five and orphanage life was all she knew. She didn't just have a tough childhood, she had a terrible childhood. But for all of this, my mother didn't complain. She never used it as an excuse for anything. She never used it against her kids when we had a moment of brattiness or acting unappreciative. Simply put, my mom did not let her past affect her future. She was dealt a bad hand in life, but she didn't use it as a crutch. My mom was a woman of faith and a woman of great strength. For all this, my mom is my hero.