Monthly Archives: January 2018

A Mother’s Love

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A Mother’s Love knows no boundaries. She forgives and is patient. She protects and supports her children. Mother will love unconditionally all of her children, and that love will last a lifetime. That love is pure and unselfish. Mother’s touch is gentle but her love is fierce!

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I know my own mother loved me and my sisters but she had problems. She would never admit it and if she had been confronted with those problems she would have yelled, “There’s nothing wrong with me! It’s everyone else who has the problem.” No lie.

I know she did the best she knew how considering her own mother was a single mother who worked in a bar and on her ‘off’ time she sat on one of those very same bar stools commiserating with my Dad’s mother. Small world, ‘eh? My mother and her brother were left to fend for themselves and got into all kinds of trouble since they had no adult supervision.

Anyway, I have always tried to be a better mom to my children than my own mother was to me and my sisters. It hasn’t always been easy and any parent knows how difficult parenting can be! I’m sure as hell not perfect, nor would I ever claim to be, but I did the best I could. Frankly, I think I did a pretty damn good job!

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I don’t get to see or even speak to my children every day. I don’t even know if they have ever read my blog. I just hope that S.R. and C.F. know, I mean truly know, how much I love them! No matter what mistakes they have made or will make in the future, no matter the disappointments, and no matter the differences of opinions, they will always hold the biggest piece of my heart.

Forever and always.

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Someone Needs To Say It

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People are so judgmental these days. I have been judgmental, you have been judgmental. We have all been guilty of it at some point. It’s not always a conscious effort, however.

A person’s preconceptions are based on their own experiences, beliefs, and values. We all make snap judgments about people and situations. It’s self-preservation in a way. We have the instinctual need to protect ourselves from harm or death. If we see someone who is different somehow, we tend to turn the other way. If you have had a bad experience with a person with tattoos or piercings, that will shape your thoughts. If you’ve had a bad experience with a police officer, a biker, or even an atheist, you’re going to carry that with you forever. We will always be shaped by things that happen to us, our belief system, and how we were raised (what we have been taught). Our experiences shape our thoughts and interactions with others sometimes subconsciously.

There are so many misconceptions about people who are different than others. Here are just a few, and there are many, many more!

  • A person with tattoos/piercings is scary or unclean.
  • Muslims are terrorists.
  • Atheists lack morals.
  • Jewish people are tightwads.
  • Mexicans are criminals.
  • Black people are thugs.
  • Policemen are gun happy.
  • Gay people will give you HIV.
  • Fat people are lazy slobs.
  • Pagans are devil worshippers.
  • Bikers are rough and mean.
  • A woman with red hair, red lips and shows her cleavage must be a porn star.

SHAME ON YOU if you believe any of that nonsense! Those ideas are absurd! Of course, you can believe whatever the hell you want to believe. It IS a free country, but we should always treat people with respect because they DO have feelings and emotions just as you and I do. They have troubles of their own. They have experiences that have shaped them, too.

Everyone is unique. If you don’t know them then you know nothing about them! Simple as that! Don’t just assume you know…..

Just don’t. It’s very unbecoming…. UGLY in fact.

 

 

We Are Losing Our Humanity

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I become more and more disheartened by people as I grow older. We should all feel a moral obligation to one another but seems that isn’t always the case. Many folks pass by an animal that is lost or injured and rush to its aid, but to help a fellow human being who may be hungry or cold seems to be too much to fathom. Where is the compassion and kindness? We are losing our humanity.

I’d like to think that most people are kind and generous. I’d also like to think they would stop and help a fellow human being who is in need. What I hear though, is that most people are convinced that those who are down and out aren’t worthy of help somehow, “because they could get a job” or “they make more money begging.” Folks are just plain suspicious of other folks who need help. I suppose I can see their point of view because frankly, there are some bad apples in the barrel. People who take the easy way, steal from others, cheat the system, etc., ruin things for those who really are in need of assistance. BUT most people who are in need of assistance are genuinely IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE.

Poverty in America is staggering! If you don’t believe me, do a quick Google search and you’ll see. Over 40 million Americans are living under the poverty level. That’s just mind-boggling. Some are college graduates. Some are seniors. Some are disabled. Many are children! With a higher cost of living and minimum wage not even coming close to being a “living wage,” it’s no wonder folks turn to public assistance programs and standing in the cold with signs that read, “Will work for food.” It’s a shame that in this great country we have such poverty.

Anyway, I refuse to lose my humanity. I will still try to see the good in others. I will still try to help someone in need if I can. I can’t judge one person because of another’s actions. I can’t lose sight of the fact that poverty can and does strike anyone, regardless of their education, age, skin color, marital status, health, etc.

What will you do to help others this year? Here are a few things we can all take the time to do to help our fellow humans:

  1. Volunteer in a soup kitchen, nursing home, or shelter.
  2. Donate clothing you no longer want or need.
  3. Donate money to help your own community.
  4. Donate canned goods to a homeless shelter.
  5. Donate coats that your children have outgrown to a local school.
  6. Offer to help an elderly neighbor with groceries or cleaning chores.
  7. If you knit or crochet, make afghans, scarves, or hats for those less fortunate.
  8. Cook for someone who may be overwhelmed with grief or stress.
  9. Donate stuffed animals and other toys to a children’s hospital.
  10. Do good deeds throughout the day, such as holding the door for someone, let someone step in front of you in line at the store, send someone a handwritten note, compliment people, smile at strangers, be helpful, share your time, teach someone a skill you are proficient at…..

I think you get the idea! 

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That Tangled Line

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Back in the day, before boyfriends and children and a hectic life, my summers were filled with the excitement of backpacking with my Dad. Dad would plan the trip and Mom would buy whatever provisions Dad requested. We took freeze-dried foods, and powdered soup mixes. We had mac n cheese, granola bars, pancake mix, dehydrated eggs, powdered milk, dried hash browns, and well, you get the idea. Dad even built his own food dehydrator and dried veggies for stew. I know the stew had beef in it, but I don’t recall if he dehydrated it himself or if it was purchased dried. Of course, we hoped we would catch fish to supplement or replace what we were bringing. You can’t go with no food and just hope to catch fish because sometimes, there are NO fish! Literally. One of my favorite lakes had been completely fished out. One trip we were there, we watched airplanes fly over and drop fish into the lake to restock it. It would be awhile before those fish would be big enough for a meal!

Anyway, we made sure to have enough food and we spent the night before loading up our backpacks. Dad usually carried most of the weight when I was 12, but as I got older I carried 35 to 40 pounds.  I carried my own sleeping bag, clothing, and other personal items, and some of the food items. We packed the trail maps, the compass, flashlights, a tent (sometimes, we just slept under the night sky), and of course, we needed plates, pots, pans, cups, and utensils. Bare minimum, mind you.

We usually chose lakes and streams that were off the beaten path because you know….people. We wanted to be away from people. (Who in their right mind wants some group of idiots camped right next to them?) So, after the drive to where we would leave the car, we were off to the trail that would lead us to several sites. There were streams, and creeks, and other lakes that would be filled with people who either rode in on horseback or made the horses carry in their camping gear. (Pfftt…) We would stop and rest a bit, maybe have something to eat and drink, then be on our way. It might take us a couple days to get to our final destination, so we sometimes spent the night along the way.

When we finally got to the lake, it was a relief to be able to drop that backpack and just relax! At this particular lake, and I don’t recall which one, we felt completely alone in the world! It was beautiful and peaceful! Dad strung our backpacks up on a rope and hoisted them up over a tall tree limb so the bears wouldn’t be able to get them during the night. (Bears get hungry, too!) We slept long and hard that first night, nursing our aches and pains prior to ducking into the tent for the night!

The next morning, while dad was making coffee and breakfast, I decided to go for a bit of a walk and I took my fishing pole with me. I found an awesome spot on a huge boulder at the edge of the lake. It overlooked some pretty deep water. I made sure not to look down or get too close to the edge! I cast my line out thinking maybe we could have some fish for breakfast! I could see the fish jumping so I was hoping for a bite! I reeled my line in a few times, but then the last cast out I got lucky! I caught something and that sucker was strong as hell! It had to be big, I thought. I fought that sucker, and I finally pulled him up on that boulder! The problem was that he was flipping and flopping all over the place and there was some brush just to the left on the boulder. That stupid trout got my fishing line all hung up in the brush. I was struggling to get it untangled when I heard Dad calling for me that breakfast was ready. I hollered back as loud as I could, “OK! Caught a fish! Need help!” Well, he didn’t hear me and kept hollering for me. I kept hollering back at him. I’m thinking, I hope he comes looking for me soon! Geez, I could really be in trouble!

He did finally come looking for me, and we got that fish and line untangled. We saved the fish for lunch if I recall. That trout was the biggest trout I had ever caught! It was 16″ from head to tail and was pretty hefty in weight too!

That was a proud moment for me. I EARNED that trout, after the fight it put me through! I think I was about 15 or 16 at the time. I’ll never forget that trip! Those were the good ol’ days and days that will never be forgotten. I’m so thankful to my Dad for sharing his love of backpacking and nature with me.