Advice and Encouragement

Air Conditioning… Remember When

Backstory

Many modern conveniences are taken for granted. But there are those of us who grew up without them, or before they were invented.

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Air Conditioning – #433

Say its summertime. You have the choice of being outside in the sun, hot and heavy, or inside in the cool comfort of an air-conditioned domicile. Which one do you choose?

I remember a time not long ago when that choice did not exist. It would be as hot in the house as it was outside. My grandmother had her summer routine down pat. When to open the door and windows, when to pull the shades and drapes, when to turn on the big fan that did little more than moving around the hot air. When to hurry and get the days work done while the heat was still bearable, when to sit as still as possible with a big cloth for wiping the sweat.

City kids remember how they’d open the fire hydrant, and everyone would get wet to cool down. In recent power outages we’ve been reminded of how that felt. Young people may never before have had to go days in intense heat with no cooling.

How did you and your family handle it? Did you cry and whine, cursing the power company to hurry up and get us back to normal? Did you give prayers of thanks for all the days when we do not have to go without the cooling comfort of our conditioned air? Did you just ride around in your air-conditioned vehicle until it was all over?

Air conditioning in hot weather, yet another thing for which to give thanks here in America.

P.S.

Remember going to the movies often, because the theater was the only place in town that had air conditioning?

[Show #433]

Called On to Help

Backstory

Being asked or expected to help – It can change your life. And those who are most apt to help are often the least willing to ask for help, when they need it. That can be life changing too. This week’s story explores the intricacies of these life changes.

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Called On To Help – #263

There are times in life when we are called upon to do things that are difficult. They seem to come in threes, these times of challenge. And when they occur, they seem to define us wholly. Instead of being a multi-faceted human being, we start to think we are nothing more than the caregiver, the mother figure, the easily disposable employee.

So many people are struggling today. It is very possible that you may be called on to give help, jump in, provide a safety net or a soft place to land. It’s also possible that you become one of those who needs help.

When suddenly called on to take a difficult new role, it’s important to keep your perspective. You are the same person as before the challenge occurred. You may feel overwhelmed at the beginning, but you can figure things out. You always have.

It’s said that God never calls on us to do more than we can. Pray for strength if that’s where you get spiritual courage. Be willing to ask for help yourself if it gets to be too much. Look around and you may find willing, loving, helpers in places you would not imagine.

Speak out and let the help come forward. You can make it through these times. Easy? No. Doable? Absolutely. God Bless You.

P.S.

Often all it takes to get help is for people to know you need it. In a small town or a giant high rise, help may be closer than you think. It could be from friends, family, neighbors, church community. Reach out and let the help pour in.

[Show #263]

Coupons

Backstory

Coupons keep the old folks coming back. That’s a fact. But many a busy mom counts on coupons to augment her budget. There are casual coupon cutters and dedicated couponers; those who take paper discounts to the counter in-store and those who use their mobile app to cut costs. This story applies to all of them.

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Coupons – #225

Have you heard about the lady who went home with $150 worth of groceries for free in exchange for the coupons she had collected? Although few of us could accomplish that, coupons are certainly a way to save dollars every week on those things you buy.

But I have determined that there are coupon conscious and the coupon challenged. I happen to be in the latter category.

The ragged paper I’ve carried in my wallet for weeks expired the day before I presented it. The free fries I would have gotten the day before with a coupon had been replaced on the menu that very day with rutabaga. I show up for the buy one – get one free – sale, and you guessed it, there’s only one left.

Yet, my genes have produced one of the world’s greatest coupon aficionados. My daughter purchases one of the three-inch-thick coupon books each year with discounts at all manner of local retailers. After six months, three quarters of the pages are missing because she never whips out her wallet that she doesn’t check first to see if there is an applicable coupon.

She cuts them out of newspapers and magazines; keeps them in alphabetical order. Coupons for ice cream, shoes, carpeting, exterminating, video games. You name it, she has a coupon to trump the retail cost.

I try to keep up with her, I really do. Instead, I just admire her stamina while making confetti out of the outdated coupons in my purse.

P.S.

What will stop me in my tracks, when it comes to using coupons on an app? When they ask me for the dang password. That’s it; I’m done.

[Show #225]

If You Are

Backstory

We tend to admire those whose behavior is exemplary. We warm to them and love grows. This week’s story is about those who are held in such high regard. Take a moment now and consider whether these traits sound familiar.

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If You Are… – #348

If you can start the day without caffeine; if you’re always cheerful ignoring aches and pains; if you eat the food placed before you each day and never complain; if you understand when loved ones are too busy to give you much time; if you can conquer tensions without medical intervention, relax without liquor, and sleep without the aid of drugs; if you can do all these things, then you’re probably the family dog.

Yes, that unsung family hero who is always there, willing to give you all the attention you want. To play with you or comfort you, to make you smile. Here’s to the aging house pet whose still thinks he’s a puppy. To the Chihuahua who growls like a lion, to the Cocker Spaniel with its mournful eyes.

Thanks for being such a content and loyal family member. Thanks for giving us stories we can tell to entertain others. Thanks for teaching our kids love and patience, and the concepts of responsibility.

Whether large or small, black, brown or white; you have captured our hearts, found a place in our homes and will absolutely be remembered in our family folklore for years to come.

P.S.

What is the name of the four-footed friend who fits the bill for you? Be sure you have a good photo to add to the family album.

[Show #348]

Do It Anyway

Backstory

Busy. So busy is your life. There are things that need to be done or should be done, that never get done. How do you know what to pursue and what to let go? When to stick to your guns and when to lighten up? This week’s story may offer some guidance.

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Do It Anyway – #11

Sometimes in life, it seems there is no payoff for doing things right. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will make some false friends, and some true enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of being selfish or having ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

What you spend years building, someone may try to destroy. Build anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

If you find happiness and serenity, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

In the end, it’s not between you and them, it’s between you and you. Everyone else’s opinion pales next to yours.

You know what feels good in your heart and soul. You know what’s right at any given time. Listen to the opinions of others. But in the end, make up your own mind.

You know what’s best for you. Follow your heart and you’ll rarely go wrong.

P.S.

That feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment – it’s the reward you receive for – doing what’s right.

[Show #11]

Wise Moms

Edited and updated May 12, 2019.

Backstory

This week’s musings are about your mother and the place you held in her heart. It’s all in how you look at it. This may present some new perspectives.

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Wise Moms – #499

There is a time in life when your mom is not so smart. It’s the age when you know much more than she does. She is so out of it; and you are so cool . . . except for that one time that she was right. Or was it two times . . . or maybe three.

Then the years fly by and your mom somehow gets magically wiser. As you progress to the stage of a young mother yourself, you understand for the first time what your mom was all about. So she wasn’t trying to stifle you . . . she wanted to protect you. She didn’t want to make your life a living hell . . . she just wanted your room cleaned.

And know that when she is no longer here on earth with you, your mom will still linger – in your heart, your words and deeds. You’ll find yourself saying something she said . . . or voicing the exact same cautions that she did. You’ll cry at the same kind of movie. Memories of what you shared will make you smile – or laugh out loud.

You see, a mother isn’t just on hand until you’re 18, or until you’re through college or until you marry. A mother is forever. Treasure yours while she is here and remember her when she’s gone, for she is never far away. Her love and her teachings still guide you.

When you need her, you’ll feel her essence, her warmth, her glow. You don’t have to be able to see her. You can feel her in your soul.

Thanks to all the mothers remembered with love.

P.S.

We like to repeat this show at this time of year, as a reminder of the role mothers play, forever.

[Show #499]

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