I've always had a hard time thinking of Sunday as the beginning of the week. I mean, the calendar says Sunday is the official start to the week...but seriously, don't we all consider Monday as the official kick-off? Anyway, who cares? Sundays will henceforth be known as my day to look back on the previous week and consider what I've learned from my experiences..both successes and failures. And let's be honest, there is most likely going to be a butt load of failures. I'm kind of a pro at those. I'm attempting to make lemonade out of lemons here though, people.
Lesson One:
Donuts are heartless bastards. Donuts will show no mercy. They do not care if you have been doing Weight Watchers since January. They couldn't care less that you have had a complete crap-hole of a week. Donuts are not concerned that their mere appearance in front you can cause a battle of will power not witnessed since the "Giant-Reese's-Peanut Butter-Egg-Incident of 2010". They will show you no compassion as they launch themselves into your mouth, leaving a trail of bumpy cellulite in their wake. Donuts are the devil... delicious, chocolate frosted, rainbow-sprinkled demons...
Lesson Two:
Writing about donuts makes me want to eat them.
Lesson Three:
Don't feed the dogs bologna. It causes ....um.....gastrointestinal issues. Also... you can never have too much Glade air freshener.
Lesson Four:
Old friends are great friends. I've been rekindling some old relationships lately and it feels great. I find parts of me resurfacing that I haven't seen in awhile. Old friends are amazing at bringing out parts of you that you've completely neglected.
Lesson Five:
I've got to "take care of me" for awhile. I realize how insanely random that sounds..but I need to figure some things out. I feel like my life is at a crossroad. I spend way too much time wondering what direction other people are choosing, instead of actually considering where I want to go. I'm blindly wandering along, trying to catch up with the masses, when in actuality I could be plotting my own course. I may need to go off-road a bit, and I'll most likely hit some detours...but at the end of the journey I'd like to arrive at place where I'm at peace with my decisions. I know that this sounds like a completely obscure ramble.....but it makes sense to be and this is my blog...so....
Lesson Six:
The house doesn't clean itself. Effort is involved with this whole House-wifery business. Who knew?
So, last week is in the can. Onto a newer and better 7 days, full of growth and knowledge to learned. And maybe a donut or two....
Showing posts with label life lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life lessons. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Monday, February 15, 2010
Life Lessons...
We all want the best for our kids. We want them to be happy, well adjusted and content with their choices in life. But do you ever think beyond that? What life lessons have you learned that you want to pass to your children? It can be something simple or a life altering lesson that you attained the hard way. Are you teaching them now? Or are you watching, waiting and praying that they don't make the same mistakes you made?
Being the mother of a daughter, I feel like I need to teach Roslyn some things. I want her to make her own choices in life, but I'd like to pass on a little knowledge of my own and hope that it influences her decisions. So, here's a list of a few things that I have learned over the years and hope to pass on to my girl.
* Dressing like a slut very rarely gets you treated like anything other than a slut. There is a thin line between dressing sexy and crossing over to the hoochie side. Dressing sexy gives you a sense of power, of confidence. Dressing like a slut makes you look desperate and needy. Although you will get tons of attention, it's not the kind of attention you want. Sure boys will call you, but they are most likely trying to get into your pants, not your heart.
* Learn to drive stick. It sounds weird, but it's a skill you should know. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you need to drive someone else's car and not be able to, simply because of a manual transmission. If you are the only sober person at a party and your friend's car is a stick.. what would you do? Let them drive because you can't push in a clutch. Every girl needs to know how to drive stick. Besides, it's fun and it looks cool.
* Stop worrying so much about what other people think. Yes, you are going to be talked about. And yes, there are going to be people who don't like you. Of course, you will be gossiped about. It's inevitable. You can't please everyone. But you know that moment when you walk into a room and you feel like everyone is looking at you? Judging you? Most likely they aren't. They are thinking of their own outfits, worrying who is talking about them, and hoping they don't have spinach in their teeth. Just like you, they are too busy obsessing over themselves to concern themselves with whether or not your shoes match your purse.
* Love can come in any shape, size and form. Keep your heart open. Don't judge by appearances. And don't let other's opinions affect how you look at someone. You friends may label someone a dork, but you can make your own assessments. I, personally, prefer the quirkier characters out there. Ditch the cookie cutter image of "what is cool"... people often don't fit into perfect shapes and if they do, it's usually a square.
* Most people define themselves with who they were in high school. Most people constantly talk about their teen years and still shove people into their little cliques, even 20 years after they have graduated. Most people still hang onto traumas that happened to them in high school. They continue to wallow in self pity about how they were treated or mistakes they made. Don't be like most people. High School is four years of your life. If you made it out alive, consider yourself lucky and move on. Stop worrying about if the head cheerleader is still 110 lbs or if the school bad boy ever regrets teasing you about your bangs. Most likely the people who were awful in High School are still awful, but karma will catch up eventually. Do not let four years of pimply cheeks, raging hormones and bad fashion choices dictate who you are today.
* Laugh at yourself. If you can find humor in your own mistakes, sometimes you can beat someone to the punchline. And there is nothing more satisfying than taking that power away from someone. Some people feed off of other's flaw's. We all have them. Acknowledge yours, but there is no need to point out flaws in others. (at least not out loud. Feel free to crack yourself up internally.)
* Cherish your friends. If you find true friendships, hold onto them with all you've got. Friends are the joys in life. Nurture your friendships. I mistreated friends in the past, and I wish with all my heart that I wasn't so careless. I've lost touch with people who I dearly loved and took for granted that they would be there when I decided I to look for them. They weren't.
*My final life lesson is a hard one. You are not going to get everything you want. You are going to be disappointed. You are going to have your heart broken. You are going to lose people that you love. Life is hard. Try to be happy. Try to make those you love happy. Enjoy the small moments and the tiny triumphs in life. If you can find contentment with what you do have, not what you don't... life is much easier.
Most of these lessons, I've learned the hard way, through painful mistakes. Some, to be honest, I haven't quite mastered myself yet. But I'm trying. That's how I feel about parenting, too. You can TRY and teach your kids , but they may not listen. Or they may not realize your were right all along until it's too late. But sometimes you need to fail first to really succeed. Myself, I still feel like I am failing most days, but then I look at my daughter and realize that I've accomplished quite a lot. She's only 7 now and I know that we have many rough years ahead. She's going to mess up. We are going to fight. She's going to get sick of me lecturing, trying to pass on some of these life lessons. But I won't stop. Because maybe in between the yawns and the eye rolls, a few ideas will sink in and I will save her from some of the errors I've made. It's the best I can do, and she deserves the best.
Being the mother of a daughter, I feel like I need to teach Roslyn some things. I want her to make her own choices in life, but I'd like to pass on a little knowledge of my own and hope that it influences her decisions. So, here's a list of a few things that I have learned over the years and hope to pass on to my girl.
* Dressing like a slut very rarely gets you treated like anything other than a slut. There is a thin line between dressing sexy and crossing over to the hoochie side. Dressing sexy gives you a sense of power, of confidence. Dressing like a slut makes you look desperate and needy. Although you will get tons of attention, it's not the kind of attention you want. Sure boys will call you, but they are most likely trying to get into your pants, not your heart.
* Learn to drive stick. It sounds weird, but it's a skill you should know. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you need to drive someone else's car and not be able to, simply because of a manual transmission. If you are the only sober person at a party and your friend's car is a stick.. what would you do? Let them drive because you can't push in a clutch. Every girl needs to know how to drive stick. Besides, it's fun and it looks cool.
* Stop worrying so much about what other people think. Yes, you are going to be talked about. And yes, there are going to be people who don't like you. Of course, you will be gossiped about. It's inevitable. You can't please everyone. But you know that moment when you walk into a room and you feel like everyone is looking at you? Judging you? Most likely they aren't. They are thinking of their own outfits, worrying who is talking about them, and hoping they don't have spinach in their teeth. Just like you, they are too busy obsessing over themselves to concern themselves with whether or not your shoes match your purse.
* Love can come in any shape, size and form. Keep your heart open. Don't judge by appearances. And don't let other's opinions affect how you look at someone. You friends may label someone a dork, but you can make your own assessments. I, personally, prefer the quirkier characters out there. Ditch the cookie cutter image of "what is cool"... people often don't fit into perfect shapes and if they do, it's usually a square.
* Most people define themselves with who they were in high school. Most people constantly talk about their teen years and still shove people into their little cliques, even 20 years after they have graduated. Most people still hang onto traumas that happened to them in high school. They continue to wallow in self pity about how they were treated or mistakes they made. Don't be like most people. High School is four years of your life. If you made it out alive, consider yourself lucky and move on. Stop worrying about if the head cheerleader is still 110 lbs or if the school bad boy ever regrets teasing you about your bangs. Most likely the people who were awful in High School are still awful, but karma will catch up eventually. Do not let four years of pimply cheeks, raging hormones and bad fashion choices dictate who you are today.
* Laugh at yourself. If you can find humor in your own mistakes, sometimes you can beat someone to the punchline. And there is nothing more satisfying than taking that power away from someone. Some people feed off of other's flaw's. We all have them. Acknowledge yours, but there is no need to point out flaws in others. (at least not out loud. Feel free to crack yourself up internally.)
* Cherish your friends. If you find true friendships, hold onto them with all you've got. Friends are the joys in life. Nurture your friendships. I mistreated friends in the past, and I wish with all my heart that I wasn't so careless. I've lost touch with people who I dearly loved and took for granted that they would be there when I decided I to look for them. They weren't.
*My final life lesson is a hard one. You are not going to get everything you want. You are going to be disappointed. You are going to have your heart broken. You are going to lose people that you love. Life is hard. Try to be happy. Try to make those you love happy. Enjoy the small moments and the tiny triumphs in life. If you can find contentment with what you do have, not what you don't... life is much easier.
Most of these lessons, I've learned the hard way, through painful mistakes. Some, to be honest, I haven't quite mastered myself yet. But I'm trying. That's how I feel about parenting, too. You can TRY and teach your kids , but they may not listen. Or they may not realize your were right all along until it's too late. But sometimes you need to fail first to really succeed. Myself, I still feel like I am failing most days, but then I look at my daughter and realize that I've accomplished quite a lot. She's only 7 now and I know that we have many rough years ahead. She's going to mess up. We are going to fight. She's going to get sick of me lecturing, trying to pass on some of these life lessons. But I won't stop. Because maybe in between the yawns and the eye rolls, a few ideas will sink in and I will save her from some of the errors I've made. It's the best I can do, and she deserves the best.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Things My Dad Taught Me..
So, I've been thinking a lot lately about life lessons. You know what I mean, those big things that people in my life have taught me. Where did I get my sense of humor from? My fear of spiders? My overwhelming anxiety? My kindness to animals? My naive sense that everyone is a good person deep down? Where did all that come from? And most of all, what am I handing down to my daughter?
My dad has always been a pretty influential person in my life. But I don't think he knows that. We have a silly relationship. We joke. We tease each other. But we don't talk serious all that often. But the few heart to hearts we have had have made a big impact on me. And to be perfectly honest, the goofy moments have made me who I am too.
So, the life lessons dad has passed on to me are a big 'ol mix of serious and silly, just like dad himself.
LIFE LESSONS FROM DAD
1. Farts are funny. No matter the time of day or night.
2. Don't disrespect your mother. Ever. You can tease her kindheartedly, but don't you dare cross that line from funny to vicious.
3. There is no worse feeling in the world than disappointing your parents. There is no punishment or grounding that hurts as bad as the sentence, " I am really disappointed in you."
4. Don't judge people by appearances. Dad is not always the most "put together" person when it comes to appearance. He is a casual man... to the extreme. I think I've seen him in a suit once, at my wedding. He's dealt with some prejudice as far as people assuming he's some dumb hillbilly, but the truth of the matter is that he's much smarter than most people I've encountered.
5. If you can't buy it, build it. If you look around hard enough, you can find the parts to build just about anything. He once fixed my mom's car with parts from a shopping cart and a welding machine.
6. You may be dirt poor at some point in your life, but your kids don't need to know it. We went through a few years where my dad was unemployed, but he provided any way he could. He hunted. He fished. He crabbed. He fixed cars. He plowed snow. I never knew how bad it was until I was older. I never noticed that mom and dad didn't sit down to eat dinner with us, that they were waiting until we were done and they would eat the scraps. Dad would entertain us with funny stories and keep us occupied so we never even thought about the fact that they weren't eating. We had fun the old fashioned way.. playing outside, going sledding, drawing, playing games and getting on mom's nerves.
7. If someone is really mad at you, make them laugh. Seriously, don't give up until you make them giggle, at least a little. Perseverance pays off. When I was teen and would get into my mopey moods he would sit across from me at the table and make faces at me until I finally cracked. It's hard to hate someone when they are picking their nose and pretending to wipe it on your brother.
8. You're gonna go through some crazy shit in your life. You can't keep all those memories to yourself forever. My dad is a Vietnam vet. As a kid, I always knew there were certain things we didn't ask Dad about it. He didn't talk about it. But one day, it just all poured out. We were watching tv and he just started talking. And he talked for hours. I think it was a release for him. His stories about his war experiences taught me a lot about him.
9. Don't let yourself get lazy. Find a hobby. Dad has tons. He used to be a big car buff, but since his heart surgery he has found other things to do. He rebuilds clocks, he builds fishing rods, he buys and fixes boat motors for resale. He hunts. He fishes. He is always busy. He always has something going.
10. Don't take life for granted. Dad had a huge scare a few years ago. He had an aortic dissection. He had major open heart surgery, a new procedure that he was basically a guinea pig for. But it saved his life. I can tell that he looks at life differently now. Do what you want now, but do it safely and make sure your family knows you love them. You might not be there tomorrow to tell them.
And I guess the biggest lesson that he ever taught me is that people in your life are not perfect. But you love them anyway, embarrassing antics and all.
My dad has always been a pretty influential person in my life. But I don't think he knows that. We have a silly relationship. We joke. We tease each other. But we don't talk serious all that often. But the few heart to hearts we have had have made a big impact on me. And to be perfectly honest, the goofy moments have made me who I am too.
So, the life lessons dad has passed on to me are a big 'ol mix of serious and silly, just like dad himself.
LIFE LESSONS FROM DAD
1. Farts are funny. No matter the time of day or night.
2. Don't disrespect your mother. Ever. You can tease her kindheartedly, but don't you dare cross that line from funny to vicious.
3. There is no worse feeling in the world than disappointing your parents. There is no punishment or grounding that hurts as bad as the sentence, " I am really disappointed in you."
4. Don't judge people by appearances. Dad is not always the most "put together" person when it comes to appearance. He is a casual man... to the extreme. I think I've seen him in a suit once, at my wedding. He's dealt with some prejudice as far as people assuming he's some dumb hillbilly, but the truth of the matter is that he's much smarter than most people I've encountered.
5. If you can't buy it, build it. If you look around hard enough, you can find the parts to build just about anything. He once fixed my mom's car with parts from a shopping cart and a welding machine.
6. You may be dirt poor at some point in your life, but your kids don't need to know it. We went through a few years where my dad was unemployed, but he provided any way he could. He hunted. He fished. He crabbed. He fixed cars. He plowed snow. I never knew how bad it was until I was older. I never noticed that mom and dad didn't sit down to eat dinner with us, that they were waiting until we were done and they would eat the scraps. Dad would entertain us with funny stories and keep us occupied so we never even thought about the fact that they weren't eating. We had fun the old fashioned way.. playing outside, going sledding, drawing, playing games and getting on mom's nerves.
7. If someone is really mad at you, make them laugh. Seriously, don't give up until you make them giggle, at least a little. Perseverance pays off. When I was teen and would get into my mopey moods he would sit across from me at the table and make faces at me until I finally cracked. It's hard to hate someone when they are picking their nose and pretending to wipe it on your brother.
8. You're gonna go through some crazy shit in your life. You can't keep all those memories to yourself forever. My dad is a Vietnam vet. As a kid, I always knew there were certain things we didn't ask Dad about it. He didn't talk about it. But one day, it just all poured out. We were watching tv and he just started talking. And he talked for hours. I think it was a release for him. His stories about his war experiences taught me a lot about him.
9. Don't let yourself get lazy. Find a hobby. Dad has tons. He used to be a big car buff, but since his heart surgery he has found other things to do. He rebuilds clocks, he builds fishing rods, he buys and fixes boat motors for resale. He hunts. He fishes. He is always busy. He always has something going.
10. Don't take life for granted. Dad had a huge scare a few years ago. He had an aortic dissection. He had major open heart surgery, a new procedure that he was basically a guinea pig for. But it saved his life. I can tell that he looks at life differently now. Do what you want now, but do it safely and make sure your family knows you love them. You might not be there tomorrow to tell them.
And I guess the biggest lesson that he ever taught me is that people in your life are not perfect. But you love them anyway, embarrassing antics and all.
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