Reflections....

This is it buddy...the end of another year. Time for reflection or not. Time for change or not. But as I look back on the lives of myself, my family and my friends I see a huge quilt of life with many squares. There are happy colorful squares and then sadly there are darker squares. There are squares of vacations, and weddings and births. There are squares of health and wealth and good fortune. There are also squares of darkness and sadness. There are void squares that contain loss. There are squares of success and those of failure. We each have a quilt and we spend every day carefully stitching our squares together. Some of us achieve more than others. Some of us are given more than others. Some of us seem to always have confrontation or troubles or sadness.....both by choice or by the happenings of life. Some of us seem to walk under a rose colored glass that shines bright bits of color on us. We reflect the goodness of life, good fortune and shiny dreams that are realized. Some of our quilts are faded by time. Some are small and some quite large with years of tiny stitches that piece by piece mirror long years of life. I don't know how each and every person feels about their quilts. I don't know the emotions behind them. I'm assuming these emotions are varied....happiness, sadness, jealousy, regret, envy, determination, laziness, faithfulness, guilt, bitterness, love...the list can go on and on. I don't know if your quilt is stiff from neglect or indifference to your circumstances, or if your quilt is soft and supple and comfortable. What I do know is this.......you will continue to expand this quilt. You will deal with each square in your own individual way. That's what makes your life yours. And as you begin to add a new year to your Quilt of Life, I would hope that you look back and reflect on the squares you have before you and learn, reminisce and reflect. Happy New Year to all who read this. May your quilt be warm, and sustaining and most of all reflect the life you want to live.

Package...

Thought of the Day...... Life is a mystery. It's a huge package with a big red bow. Do you carefully unwrap it and keep the paper neatly folded? Or do you rip it open in your haste to see what's inside? How blessed that you woke up today and can make this choice. Never take the package of life as simply a given. Never put off kindness, love, the giving of blessings until tomorrow. There is a song to life..every day has its tune....maybe a slow languid waltz or possibly a symphony. Whatever your life package is today, whatever song you hear in your head makes no difference. What makes a difference is that you have the package to open and you have the song to hear. Grieve when it is time to grieve, love when it is time to love, laugh whenever you can and always hold that package close to you and sing your exact song of life. Whether you rip or fold, whether you waltz or tango, makes your life unique to you. This day is yours to use as you will. My hope is that when you sleep tonight, you have lived today to the fullest.

Resolutions....

Blah blah blah........resolutions. It's that time of year for reflections on the past and turning your eyes toward a better new year. Time to sharpen that pencil and put a big ole PERIOD at the end of 2012. So, are you a resolution kind of person? Do you put yourself out there? Do you succeed? Here's my thing...I'm NOT. I don't want to set myself up for failure. I don't make resolutions. But as I think about it, maybe that is a failure in itself. Not going to do it because I know I'll fail. Hmmmmmmmm. I think I'm already failing. Isn't it a failure to not test yourself? Not because you are afraid of not succeeding but because you know you won't and so why try? I think maybe it is. I think it's a non-test of yourself.....(I'm pretty sure non-test isn't a word, but I'm using it anyway). It's complacency at it's best. It's laziness. It's just plain old sitting on the fence. There are things I've always wanted to do.....accomplish.....succeed at that I have never really pushed myself to finish, do, accomplish. I have major character flaws that need fixing, mending, erasing. So, I'm spending the last few days of this year contemplating Resolutions. I may just be brave enough to step on out of my comfort zone and make 2013 the year of challenges and changes. I may be able to make my fence I've been lounging on into a barbed wire fence. I really hope I can....do you hope you can? If so, then Resolve to meet those challenges and changes head on. Bring it 2013!!

Thought of the Day..........

How can I let today pass without a thought....ok, I can't. Here is my thought. On this day......If you were surrounded by those who are most important to you.......whether in person or by phone or internet or thought or prayer. If you acknowledge that it's NOT the WHAT but the WHO. If you know that what connects you to yourself is not a car or a ring or a house or anything that came with a price tag. Then, my friend, you have at some point gotten life, understood meaning and honored yourself and others with your being. And finally, and I think most importantly, these acknowledgements and knowings must happen everyday. This Season awakens feelings that should endure. Merry Christmas....give yourself the gift of joy.....no price tag, no status, no keeping up.....just JOY!

Thought

My Thought for the Day..... The day you begin to think you're better than most, your life becomes a testament to pride. The day you are sure that your child is better than most and you turn your back on destructive behavior, you're laying that first brick down their path of failure. Start today by looking into a mirror that reflects not only you but the generations to come. But before you do, take off your blinders....they do not serve you well. We should all love ourselves and our children unconditionally, but not without direction and boundaries.

There Are Times

There are times in our lives when we just need to be who we are.....and that time is EVERYDAY. I think t'is the season to appear to be more than we really are. Is our tree big enough...is our house decorated enough? Will our holiday meal be impressive enough? Have we spent enough on gifts? Is our family going to be the envy of friends? Hey now.....slow down. You have just missed the entire meaning of being who you are. You've now turned into.....'Look at me cause I"m sooooooooooooooo Good'. I'm so good I don't even like myself anymore because I"m too tired to like anything. Hustle and Bustle is now your middle name but your eyes are crossed and you can't see the words. Here is my Thought of the Day......give yourself time. Give yourself friends and family. Give yourself sighs and yawns and stretches. Give yourself the Art of Being You! Merry Christmas my friends!

No Words............

Well, you know I can't let this one go by. I can't fathom what would make a person walk into an elementary school and begin a massacre. The only words that come to mind are insane, empty, hateful, evil. But I really don't think that explains it. It is the unexplainable. Was there a hole so very big and wide and void of any good in this man that the only way he could try to fill it was to stuff it in such a horrifying way? Was there such a cruelty deep in his soul that he couldn't handle life? How horrible that in an hour our insular world disappears and we think to ourselves that it could have been one of our friends or family that became the object of his wrath. How terrible to contemplate an average mother or father who in the blink of an eye became non-average because their child was the victim in such an unimaginable act. I have no answers, and frankly I doubt you have answers either. We seek understanding, but do we really want it? We cry out for those truths, but then do we turn away rather than delve into such pain? I think though we must take the following on our shoulders.......we have to go forward with a better understanding of peace, and security and goodwill that is ours. And then if we do, in fact, have these three things, we are called to pass them on. Be that person that with a smile, or a nod or a wave acknowledges there is goodness in this world.......and that you are part of it.

Faces.....

I love faces. The different mixes and matches and expressions are priceless. I particularly love the emotions that play across faces. In my profession I get to see a lot of young faces every day.....and the same faces. And at their stage of growth and age they can literally change overnight. But the most fun is just watching those faces. Now, I've said before I'm a devout people watcher. So I get to have one of my most enjoyed activities everyday.....all day. I can see excitement, boredom, curiosity, sadness, rage, indifference...every emotion imaginable plays across those faces I see daily. Eyes dart, eyebrows raise or lower, mouths pucker, jaws slack, noses twitch........faces are dead giveaways to the emotions behind them. We're so NOT interested in this Spanish verb conjugation.......Hey, that's a pretty cool way to say something in a different language......You have GOT to be kidding if you think I"m gonna do that.......You're mean.......Don't you realize I have a basketball game tonight........I really rather not be doing this......What do you mean I have to get up and speak SPANISH in front of the class.......I wish it was lunch......I wish it was Saturday......I wish it was summer......I wonder if I could get by with trying to text my friend on my cell......Hey, I think I'll ask to go to the restroom so I can call in my lunch order to Ernie's.....She's gonna say no, I've tried it before and it didn't work. I get to watch a movie every day in Room 11. Same cast of characters, but I promise you a different movie every minute, hour and day. I wonder what the movies will be today? It's Six Week Test day so I'm not hopeful for comedies.

You are Not.......

OK friends and family.....time for your reality check. You are NOT superhuman. No, No...you're not. This is the time of year when we tend to run around doing 100% and more. What to do....what to do....what to do. How to make it better? How to be more extreme? More, more, more. STOP IT!! So you don't have a million twinkling lights. So you don't have every food known to modern man cooked for your family. So every surface of your home isn't covered in garland and berries and whatever. At some point you have to stop and just enjoy. You know....I bet your kids, family and friends will not notice if that one little thing isn't done.....or maybe the last 1,467 things aren't done. Please just stop. Enjoy this season for what it is....and that's NOT MORE!! Be aware of what you're teaching your children. If this Season is all about what we GET......what we BUY.....what we HAVE and DON'T have, then your lesson plans need altering. Why not this year give yourself the gift of just being aware that life is precious. That one day.....what will be remembered is the gathering of your people....not the mound of gifts, food and decorations. Please be kind to yourself. I promise you that your time is more precious than your overworked, overspent, overstressed self. We live in the most materialistic world imaginable and where the heck has it gotten us? In debt....stressed out.....keeping up with those Jones's.....out of sorts......too tired to walk......intent on impressing....my list can go on and on. Look at yourself.......a good hard look. Again......you are NOT superhuman and if you're trying to be...then darlin' you're missing the point of each breath you're given. And you ARE GIVEN each breath.....you haven't earned them.....they are each a gift to be taken and used and used WISELY. Please just STOP IT! Be you, enjoy you, nobody can take you away from you. Don't let this wonderful season steal your joy by trying to put 38 hours in a day. No matter how hard you try to do that.....you lose!

Today.....

My Thought of the Day.......... Today you have a job to do...do it! Today you have responsibilities to meet.....meet them! Today you have a place.....fill it! Today you have an opportunity for good.....succeed! Today you have a life.....live it! Today is a gift....open it! Today is not a guarantee.....nor is tomorrow. What if today you miss that job, responsibility, place, opportunity, life or gift, and there's no second chance? Take today and shake it until it's empty and your arms are tired......squeeze it until it's dry........get out there and live!!

My Thought of the Day......

If someone NEEDS to outshine you today, let them. Be confident enough in your own soul that you can allow yourself to sit back. Sometimes it is necessary to let other's sparkle so you can shine through them. Be that person today. As you allow friends and family to bloom around you, you strengthen yourself. Let's all look out for our fellow man this Friday. Let's all smile at their talents and the wings they are spreading. Just for today....be a fan, be one who encourages......rest in their flight, soar with their wings. Give a pat on the back. For it is truly the way we shape not only each other, but ourselves.

Jolly...or Not

Word of the Day....... Jolly...adj.....merry, happy, cheerful. T'is the Season and all that. Now before you think I'm all Bah Humbug, let me assure you that I love this time of year. Divorce of the Christmas Tree Lights seems to have been avoided for another year. If you're not my friend on FB, then you've missed that point entirely...but okay, fine. Let's be Jolly.....Let's be Thankful.....Let's be Grateful....but most of all Let's be Giving. If you all could see what I see everyday; if you could only know the needs some of our kids have, your heart would shatter. We have great kids in our little community and some are great against ALL ODDS. We have children dealing with adult issues daily. We have hungry kids, and kids who sleep on the street. We have kids who feel the most safe at school and dread the time that holidays come around and their safe place is gone and in many cases, their daily food is gone as well. We have kids who just need a break, a hug, a helping hand, a mentor. And while I'm in no position to offer names, nor would I if I could, if you feel led to help in anyway, please find a way. This situation is not only happening in my small West Texas town....it's in your village, your town, your city. You CAN help wherever you live. When you help a child, you help the future, you help the next generation, and whether you realize it or not.......you help YOURSELF. Be selfish that way......help yourself by helping a child. T'is the Season.

Filled.....

Don't ever be filled to the brim....not in thought, deed , actions, job, joy or sadness. Life is not about being filled. It's about being sure there is that one little tiny empty space for something else...someone else, someplace else. When you are full, you are through. Really? Can you not fit even one more wisp of gladness, thankfulness, thoughtfulness or gratitude in? Can you not give one more tiny step, inch, degree to someone, some cause, some need? IF we are all full of our own selves, problems, families, friends, needs, wants and desires, then we are useless. You are not to be SELF full-filled. Today....even if just for today....open that one last tiny part that isn't packed full. See a need and do something about it. What you do today...for somebody.....leads to a progression of kindness, dedication, willingness to help. If your cup runneth over...let it....then use the space left to fill a void that is standing right in front of you. The world is full of hurt and pain and struggle. Help where, when and if you can. Vessels that are filled to the brim splash over in haphazard ways.....dripping in puddles of waste. Those same vessels that are intentionally kept not quite full, are then used to rise with human kindness, awareness, and ultimately to the greatest gift of all....love for those who maybe,just maybe,with your helping hand, can pass along the chain of strength.

Boundaries

Hippies......I am NOT speaking of the length of a tape measure going around yours or my derriere ....of this I will NEVER SPEAK. Hippies.....those wonderfully free spirits of the 60's. I always wanted to be one......wanted to wear those long flowing skirts and have long flowing hair and do the things that Hippies did. My mother wouldn't let me. Do you think I was the only one ON THE PLANET who asked their mother IF they could be a Hippie? "Hey Mom....can I be a Hippie?" "Sure sweetie...I just spent thousands of dollars on your education at UT, but you go on and get in that van and head out to the Haight." Groovy Dude. Here's the thing. We all need boundaries in our lives. And if we're not smart enough to set them ourselves, we need to learn to allow others to at least offer opinions and then we need to consider those opinions. Boundaries don't always have to be constraints. They can be safety nets, common sense, responsible values used to make sense of our days. It goes without saying that the young need their boundaries set for them and sadly, every day I see parents turn their heads and allow their children to set their own boundaries. For the most part this becomes a TRAIN WRECK. Today I want to encourage you to see your boundaries as a part of life that allows you to live freely but in a respectable manner and most importantly, if you're a parent of a young child, to not be afraid to make those boundaries tall and strong and made of brick. Trust me when I say....at some point that child who thinks you hate them will someday know that you were right.....being that Hippie might have been fun and free and 'in the moment'....but at the end of the day, possibly, just possibly life would have been a wreck in a tie dyed van.

Well, Darn!

Today I have the Don't Wanna's. You know those days when you sit on the couch and really want another cup of coffee, but Don't Wanna get up and get it. The days when you know your dog needs outside but you Don't Wanna walk to the front door and let her out and sure Don't Wanna have to get up again and let her back in. I think about the 135 teenage souls who will walk through the door of Rm 11 on the Hill and I'm SURE they Don't Wanna and I Don't Wan them to either. No offense Mom and Dad...I love your kids, I just Don't Wanna teach today. You've had these days.....I know you have. Quit acting like you don't know what I'm talking about. So somehow I've need to turn the Don't Wanna's into the Just Hafta's. I Just Hafta get another cup of coffee or I'll never leave this couch...it will become my permanent home. I Just Hafta let my dog out or .....well, you know the end to that unattractive story. And I Just Hafta go welcome those 135 souls to RM 11 and ...By Golly.....teach them some Spanish. I will Just Hafta unglaze their eyes that will be staring at me like I have grown 4 heads and 73 ears. I will Just Hafta pull the cotton out of their ears and get them to listen to me as I Just Hafta teach.......it will not be pretty. They will be resentful because they'd much rather be glazed over, cotton eared people who are thinking about their friends, weekend and how they hate Spanish. How do I know this? Trust me.....I know. It's Monday and they'll have the Don't Wanna's and know in their sad little hearts that they Just Hafta.

My Thought for Today.....

We are all creatures of habits. Some habits are forced.....those we do without choice. Some habits are chosen. I wonder if you examine your 'chosen' habits, what would you see. Which pile would be higher? The good or the bad? What strong personalities it takes to reduce the pile of bad habits and increase the pile of good ones! Every habit you have is important because it makes up your minutes, hours and days. Spend just a minute thinking about this. What joy you might bring to yourself and others if you hacked down the bad, repeated, routine habits and stacked up the helpful, generous, maybe not so routine ones. The old saying that Rome wasn't built in a day can be applied here......build up or tear down brick by brick, word by word, thought by thought, action by action. Tip the scale in the right way. Your world will be better for it!