Endless Pursuit for Mom of the Year

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.   ~ Unknown ------------------------------ Have you ever spent time reminiscing the past?  How about slowing down time?  The sad thing is, in youth we are in such a rush to grow up.  Ah yes!  When we are grown up life will be so much more fantastic. Yet the truth of the matter is, adulting is hard and by far less glamorous than my high school self's expectations. I spent time with a lovely group of ladies recently that made me think about life, myself, friendships, aging, loss, love, and genuine appreciation.  You know me, my thoughts always go straight to paper and what a better way than to pen a future letter to my daughters.  Here goes... Dear "Grown Up" #1 and #2, You've arrived! It's graduation and you are standing in cap and gown, eyes wide and ready to take in everything the world has to offer.  As Robin Williams said, suck the marrow out of life, just remembe...

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love;   the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come late, when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip.   ~Jonathan Carroll --------------------------------- Dad of the year and I have been married 20 years today.  Wow!  Where did that time go?  It's been one heck of a roller coaster all those years.  Even though I tease you often, you put up with me.  At times I've been emotional, you've put up with me.  Times when I maybe made you feel inadequate, you put up with me.  People say this often but I can't really imagine my life without you.  So, here are 20 reasons why I love you (which was tough because obviously there are more than 20 reasons).  Here we go: 1.  We have been together since I was 16 years old.  I don't know of many other people who have known me through growing up, drunken college years, job hunting, child rearing and...

Sometimes I get so weird, I even freak myself out.  ~Unknown --------------- I recently took one of those leadership quiz type things and it described me as the "Maverick Leader."  Under the highest and best value of the maverick leader it says this:  You're independent, confident and perhaps a little eccentric.  We all have those moments that happen so quickly we're left reeling with the sensation of "why did I just do that?"  Well, chalk this one up as a reason to call me eccentric.  Daughter of the year #2 has struggled to get ready in the morning.  She just wants to sleep and I have tried every combination of laughs, pokes, outbursts, anything just to get her out of bed.  Every time I am met with sad brown eyes and the plea, "Will you help me get dressed?"  Ugh. She is at an age where she can certainly dress herself, she is just too tired in the morning to do so.  We made a deal on this day that she gets...

Drench yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open.   Today is, where your book begins.   The rest is still unwritten.   -Natasha Bedingfield I've sat down to write so many times I've lost track.  I get started then stop.  Something was always missing. Wittiness. A lesson. Humor. An ending that made sense.  Something!  I would always leave that writing for another day.  Another day never came.  Time after time, I'd go back to it, then scrap it and start over.   Starting over.  What a funny notion.  An empty piece of paper, a blank slate, always clean and new.  Always. I mean, who would argue the best part of school starting was new notebooks.  No writing or markings, just waiting for fresh knowledge.  Ok, so I still love a new notebook.   Losing someone you care for always makes you reflect on things, on your own notebooks of time; your blank pie...