Family: What Does It Mean?

Family Is...

     >>> Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, cousins, god-parents, 
             friends and co-workers all can be considered part of one's family.
     >>> not just people...family is a source of love and encouragement.
     >>> never supposed to judge or condemn...they are supposed to encourage and support
             each other.
     >>> a place to belong...it's a safety zone.
     >>> a source of affection and acceptance.
     >>> having faith in your decisions (good or bad).
     >>> barbeques, get-togethers and birthday parties.
     >>> about loyalty and wanting to be around the people you love.

No one wants to be or feel alone in this world. Respect, Honor, Love and Cherish those that you call family. It's the foundation of family that keeps us going!!
    

I've Lost It...Motivation

"Getting up in the morning...

Eating healthy...

Pampering myself...

Why do it...I have nothing to look forward to?

I have no job (for over 31/2 years)...

I'm ashamed of my appearance...

I'm losing faith that things will get better...

I have no self-esteem...so why should I care?

I feel useless and unwanted...

I feel abandoned by family, friends and society...

I feel like everybody is praying for my downfall...

What do I do?"

The statements that I wrote above are how I've been feeling for the last couple of weeks. I haven't even felt like writing. But I read an article on Motivation @ prayn4success.blogspot.com and it helped me think and open my mind a little bit. See I've taken to much time feeling sorry for myself. The energy I'm using to keep myself down, I can be using to build myself up. It's funny how one article or a few words can help change a person's life or outlook on life. I have one question and I welcome all ideas and suggestions...

I have been down and out so long, how do I keep myself up?

Twit, Twitter, Twittering

I helped my fiance' set-up his Twitter account yesterday. OoooWeee!! I set-up my blogging site and facebook page faster than this! By the time I was finished, I had a headache the size of Alaska!! Aspirin anyone?!

Is this twittering thing all it's cracked up to be? Tell me what you think...Tweet Tweet!!

Pinch of Salt, Pinch of Pepper and Whole Lotta Love

I grew up in a household where food was not just for sustenance but for bringing the family together. usually we ate dinner in the dining room. This was the time for catching up on the days events. It was also the time for open discussions between parents and children. Those days have since been gone not just for me but for today's generation of families. Parents are always working or in the streets doing whatever pleases them. Children are in the streets, at a friends house or in front of the TV and playing video games all day. Eating in today's household is cook what you want and eat when you want(if you eat at all).

Well, I'm here to tell you that no matter what is going on in our household, my fiance' and I always sit down and eat dinner together. We love food what can I say! But the special part of the evening is that we cook dinner together. We dance, laugh, make jokes and share our thoughts. We have so much fun putting together dinner. Cooking to us is an art form and our meals are our masterpieces! We may use teaspoons and tablespoons to measure our ingredients but it's the pinch of salt, the pinch of pepper and a whole lotta love that seasons the food just right!!

So, if dining together is hard to do, maybe you can cook together. You can still catch up on the events of the day and share your thoughts with your parents/children. And maybe, just maybe, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and a whole lotta love can bring and keep a family together!

The Unemployment Blues

The unemployment blues is a tune that thousands of people are playing. This economy is so messed up. I have been unemployed for over 31/2 years. I am about to lose my mind!
I remember the time when all you had to do was put on your business attire, go to places of emplyment interest, fill out an application and/or submit your resume and in some cases have an on-the-spot interview. I am signed up with over 15 employment job recruiting sites. I submit an application and resume for jobs that are no where in my field of expertise! What is the problem? What is the hold-up? I just don't understand.

Job hunting is all about the internet and luck. Submitting job applications and resumes online is so impersonal. The companies are probably receiving over thousands of resumes. They look at the first 20-50 they receive, conduct interviews and then hire someone. Where do the rest of the resumes end up? They probably get sent to the archives, which I like to call the "resume graveyard".

Somewhere out there is the right job for me. I just wish I could hurry up and find it or it would hurry-up and find me! Sitting around feeling like I haven't accomplished anything and feeling like a failure is very stressful emotionally, physically amd mentally. I say my prayers every day and night asking to have some of the stress lifted,  to restore my faith in myself and Him and sending some form of financial relief. I know God will answer my prayers and I know His answer will be right on time.

    

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Proof We Are Not Forgotten

A couple of days ago I wrote about "Life's Most Precious Moments". Well, it's funny that my oldest son would make the following post on Facebook:

      "[For a brief time] My curfew was the street lights and Mom didn't call my cell, she yelled "time to come in". I played outside with friends and not online. Video games were still just video games and not a lifestyle. If I didn't eat what my Mom cooked, I didn't eat. Hand sanitizer didn't exist but you could get your mouth washed out with soap. Re-post if you drank water from a hose and survived."

We as parents sometimes wonder if our children really listened to us as they were growing up. We often wonder what memories of their childhood they do remember. So, for me to read this posting by my son on Facebook--it made me feel misty-eyed and all warm and fuzzy inside!

Like I said, "Life is too short. Cherish all of the memories with your children." Because if you cherish the time/moments with your children, maybe, just maybe, they'll remember those same moments. they might just post those memories for all the world to see!!!

Life's Most Precious Little Moments

I had no idea what I was going to write about today. Not until I read a story by Sarah called "Sandcastles In the Air" (ahthepossibilities.com). Her article talks about that "me time" we are always looking for but for some reason or another, it always gets interrupted. And it usually gets interrupted by our children.

We sigh and agree to be the chosen playmate. And like Sarah mentioned, we do get replaced. Though the replacement may be temporary, it's in that moment that we realize our children are growing and won't need us anymore. Then we are happy again, when our children find something that we Mom's are still needed for. My children are young adults. They are both working, one in college and both are living the lives that they have chosen in the Sunshine state.

I think about my children all the time. I miss holding them. I miss having that feeling of being needed. But as I sit here thinking about what I am missing out on (now that that they are young adults), I am thinking about those parents who have had their precious moments stolen from them. These moments could have been taking away by the other parent because of stupidity or divorce; how about through illness or death. It doesn't matter how, what matters is that a parent or parents aren't able to experience those precious moments that I am missing.

So, when we sit back and think about the "me time" moments that our children interrupt, think about a couple of things. First, accept the interruption with a smile and cherish that moment because moments with our children are just that moments that we will never get back. And secondly, say a prayer for those whose precious moments have been stolen from them. They are the ones that wish they could have a "me time" to interrupt. Life is too short!! Cherish all of the moments that are given to you!!

Basic Needs of Survival

I remember when I was a kid. My parents would tell me that the only things they were responsible for providing me was food, shelter and clothes. They usually said that to me when I was being a bratty little girl, whining to get the new Barbie mobile home and the pool with the backyard furniture or not wanting to do my chores!! None-the-less, food, shelter and clothes were the only 3 things I was taught that I needed in order to survive. Everything else was extra. Survival is a natural instinct for most people. Research of what the basic needs for survival are: food, shelter, clothing, transportation and health care. I'm not in total agreement about transportation and health care as a necessity for survival; I guess I'm just old fashioned when it comes to needing the absolute basics.

Shelter is needed to shield us from the outside elements. Clothes are needed to keep us warm and presentable. Food is needed to keep us healthy and strong. But has anyone ever thought about how your memories can be used as a survival tool? I know it sounds weird but if you think about it, memories are the home movies of our lives. Memories make us who we are. I know that memories are good and bad. Most of the time we want to forget the bad memories. However, it is the bad mixed with the good memories that make us strong. It's how we learn right from wrong. Our memories are nothing but past experiences that we all must go through in order to survive.

Learning right from wrong is not the only part of our memories that we should remember. We should also remember the laughter, the tears, the pain and the joy. It's the combination of all of these experiences and emotions in our memories that help us to survive. Even though my father has been gone for 10 years, the memories from my childhood, adulthood and his passing have all made me strong with that warm-fuzzy feeling inside!! Think about it...the stability of our mental health is a very essential component to our survival. Don't you think?

Surviving Life

Life is like a poker game. You are dealt either a good or bad hand. With the hand you are dealt you will place a bet with the hopes of winning or you will fold because you know you just can't win. And with the latter, even bluffing may not be such a good idea. But do you know how many people go through life "bluffing" when their life is falling apart? I am one of those people.

Ever since my father died in 2001, my life has been a long, drawn out poker game. Basically, I have been bluffing just to get by. You are probably asking what am I talking about? Well, I have to continuously put a smile on my face, for all to see, while I am crying on the inside, ready to explode at any moment. But I don't explode because I know I must keep this smile on my face so others don't feel obligated to have to ask "What's wrong?" or "What can I do to help?".

You see, in many cases, people really do not want to know what's wrong because they don't care. Knowing this I turn all of my depression, sadness, frustration and anger inside. Doing this allows me to keep the smile on face so nobody will feel obligated to act like they care about what is wrong with me. Before you even ask, no I haven't found an outlet for any of this frustration. Because I am not working (I haven't worked in over 3 years) I sleep all day. This is my way of not dealing with messed up, long, boring, nothing accomplished day!

I have one good friend who says I should write a book about the mishaps and tragedies of my life. What do you think?