lifestyle

Surviving Our Parents

Hey you kids out there, born and raised in the 40’s, 50’s or 60’s! Have you ever wondered how we managed to survive this far?

We were born to mothers who smoked or drank while they carried us. Our baby cribs were covered with bright-colored lead based paint. We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles or cabinets. We shared one soft drink among many friends and ate white bread and real butter. We spent pennies on candy and drinks that were pure sugar. But we stayed slim because we were always outside playing.

Boys got a BB gun for their 10^th birthday and nobody got their eye knocked out regardless of what your mom predicted. We rode our bikes without helmets, and hung our heads out car windows, untethered by seat belts. We even rode by the dozens in the open backs of pickup trucks whoopin’ and hollerin’ all the way to the swimming hole. And once there we swung by ropes from trees and dropped into the water wearing no water shoes.

Now, I’m not advocating this kind of fearless shenanigans. Just marveling at how we all survived them to tell about it. Things sure have changed.

But one thing is sure; kids, one day you will find that you survived your parents too!

[Show #214]

Something Bad Could Happen

It’s easy to get swept away by the bad news: someone is treated badly; someone is swindled out of their life savings, the life is savagely snuffed out of a good person, a young life is lost.

Knowing about the bad things that could happen can be scary. It can get us to a place where we are waiting for the next shoe to fall. When will it be OUR TURN to experience something bad? It could be around the next corner. And it COULD!

Even after something bad, though, most likely, there will be something good around the next corner. Remember that the media has to pull news about something bad from all around the country and the world, just to keep us informed.

It’s not news that 16 million school children arrived safety. There’s no headline in knowing that 45 million husbands chose to come home to their families and share their lives tonight. The fact that 34 million of them were met with a hug and a smile; you’ll never hear Fox News report it.

So take the news with a grain of salt. Something bad did happen to them. It could happen to you. And if it does, you have the strength and courage to figure out how to handle it.

In the meantime, enjoy the everyday good times. Treasure them. Don’t let them get by without celebration. They are what this good life is all about.

[#322]

Are You Lucky?

Are you lucky? If someone asked you that today, what would you use as a benchmark, to determine your own good fortune? What is going on with you that makes you feel lucky? Have you won a prize lately? Did you get the job you wanted? Have you always had a job that you love, or the man or woman of your choice?

Any one of those things could be considered very good luck. But there are so many benefits that we have that make us luckier than most, that we were born in this time, in this country.

It’s easy to forget how many basic things we have that would make others consider every one of us to be very lucky. We turn on the faucet and clean water comes out. Do you know how many people can only dream of that?

When you turn the lights out at night, you can reasonably expect that there will not be soldiers banging on your door, dragging someone away, never to be seen again.

We can learn and participate and speak out. As we hear complaints about our country, our government, our citizens, let’s remember that within all the chaos, we are still free and well fed and allowed to go about our business as we please.

We can go to church . . . or the mall . . . choose the shows we want to watch on TV or travel across state lines. We can hear what the opposition has to say, voice our concerns and seek justice.

How lucky are you? Lottery winner or not, chances are you are one lucky dude.

[#524]

No Christmas Tree This Year

This year is the first time we are going to have no Christmas tree.

We planned to leave our home up north just before Christmas to spend the winter in Florida. So why bother dragging out all those ornaments and lights and stuff. So much easier this way.

Of course I did love looking at the sparkling angel that topped the tree. A gift one year long ago from a dear friend no longer with us.

After the holiday last year, I packed the Christmas ornaments into boxes, labeled with the names of each of my kids and grandkids. I included in each, a list of who made each ornament, or why it was purchased or who had gifted it…even how it was found at a yard sale or a craft sale. Opening each of those boxes this year would have brought back so many happy, sometimes distant memories.

Well, I can just remember it all this year without all the fuss. No tree. No trouble. Make sense. Who needs it.

The lights flickering different colors on the branches…The tree skirt made by my sister surrounding the base and then barely visible, for the gaily wrapped gifts that cover it.

On the other hand, it IS only once a year. And we WILL be here for most of December. Ah shucks, we can do without a tree NEXT year. For this year, bring it on.

Christmas, I am yours!

[Show #469]

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