Just think about it...

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day. Out of couriosity I had a long talk with my kids about why we recognize this day as something important, and what they think about it. To my surprise they knew so much more than I could imagine they would have. They all took their turns,Bryce, Hailee, Kaden, and Kaleb, telling me about how they felt about people being judged for the color of their skin, their ability or social status. Bryce impressed me when he began speaking about how Dr. King fought his wars with words, not violence, and how we all have that choice. How we all have a it in us to choose words that can and will make an impact, even if it is not immediate, it will over time. Bryce was using the examples of war. He surprised me when he said, "Mom, why do people kill people? Its not like anyone will remember the good things they did, only the bad things. If everyone would use their voice and words to tell people how things can change and how we can all help, they would be remembered... wouldn't they?" To an extent, my 10 year old, was right. How many people are remembered for fighting in wars? How many people remember the names of those who kill someone to "make peace"? Don't get me wrong, I love my country. I love my freedoms. I love, and am forever greatfull for the military men and women who serve and have given life and limb to protect us and keep us free. But, tell me, how many of those who have given ALL in war are remembered by name and face in history? They are remembered as a number, not a single number, but a mass number... Lost in time and given just a number. It does not seem right. It IS NOT right. Then there is the little voice sitting next to me, the voice of reason and it came form Hailee, my 8 year old little girl. She turned and looked at her big brother and said," Bryce, it might make a change over time, but words dont always win wars, and people sometimes die to make a point," very intuitive i thought, and she continued," war is a way of making the fight make its point. You sometimes have to fight to get where you are wanting to go. Right?" Where in the world do kids find the time to grow up so fast and become so strong in their own words? This is amazing to me. Not wanting to be left out, Kaden and Kaleb put in their opinions. Kaleb sitting across from us all wide eyed and innocent says," Thats what Mrs. Parks did. She heard the voice that told her to fight and she did what she thought was good." Then Kaden interjected defending his brother and sister,"Yeah! She sat in the white man seat and started a war on bus between black and white people. She didnt use words Bryce!"This just blows me away. We sat for a while longer as we all exchanged things that we have learned about people, their character, their goals in life, and how we should encourage the good in everyone. I sit here impressed by the way my children absorbed the information that they gather from books, teachers, family, friends, and anywhere else it seems to fly at them from. When your kids, aged 6, 8 and 10, speak with you about history, war, and why we should remember EVERYONE that makes an impact it makes you feel as if you are on the right track with them. They know that things have changed profusely since slavery, concentration camps, segregation, wars in the past and wars now. But still they try to find the good in each of these situations. They try to find the lesson that history has left. No matter if it was with words, actions or lack there of on any part, our children understand more than what we think they do. Today was a perfect example of that. I am proud of them for recognizing all aspects of the lessons the day brought. I always used to think," Why is it that we Celebrate MLK day? What did he do that was so great? All he did was preach and make a few speaches." Pretty sad it took 4 kids to show me the impact that was made in those words, and how it should make us all think about where we are, how we got to be where we are, and who we should thank for it. Just think about it.....

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Okay, okay! So i have 1, that's right, 1 follower, and she knows who she is. I guess that could mean a few things: Either she is the only person that actually reads this blog of mine, or there are others that really don't care for me to know that they read this blog of mine. Any way you look at i I should really do this, as in blog, more often. I guess I should take to heart some recent words that I have read, during an online chat session with my one and only "Blog Follower", that said, "At least it is something that I can look back on." So very, very, very true! So, I must say... YAY for the BLOG!

So, now that I am down to actually typing words into a blog page ( that only one person reads), I would like to tell you about a Christmas present that I received this last year, but I have to paint you a story, OF COURSE (that was just for you my one and only BLOGGY FRIEND), with words:

In June of 1998 I set out on an adventure. Most people saying that I was fact crazy, I did it anyway. I set off for Utah, moving away from my home and friends in Oregon, to meet my Fiance whom was being extradited back to Cedar City for some indiscretions he had with the law in his youth. Going against what everyone said, as I normally do, I ended up in a place that seemed to pop up in the scene of a dry church movie that your parents would make you watch when you were little. There was literally a church on every corner, or at least every three to four blocks. All I could think was "WOW!" This place was really a little nation of Mormons and Missionaries. Most of whom are out to convert you in, or cast you out. I had no idea where I was going to fit in. I was now living with a family I had never met until the morning after I arrived. This family happened to be my soon to be in-laws. I awoke to four kids ( Bre, Daniel, Shay, and Bub) giggling as their dog with sewer breath was licking the inside of my drooling mouth as I was attempting to continue sleeping. I wanted to yell "What the F@&$?!?!?!" But something inside me was tugging at my better judgement string and told me to put the breaks on that idea. So I sat up and started spitting and wiping out my mouth, making all four kids burst into gut hurling laughter. That was my family introduction, at least to the kids still living at home with the soon to be mother-in-law and father-in-law ( that's a whole other story though, and telling it would ruin this one).
After a few days i was bursting to get out of the house! I needed to find a job and be on my own. Don't get me wrong, I love the in-laws,but i needed to BREATHE!! After a week or so of putting in applications at every place that looked like they would hire non church going slacker from out of town... obviously WAYYYYYYYYYYYY out of town, I got a call back from Matrixx Marketing (now known as Convergys). YAY!!!! A new start in a place I now called my new home. So I obviously took myself into the interview and made the HR personnel swoon over my etiquette and cunning personality. Alright, alright, it didn't happen that way, but hey... I got the job anyway! WOOO HOOOO!!!!
Okay, so it happens to be my first day and I do not know anyone! UGH!!! I walk into the training room and everyone is talking and joking. I am alone, and trying to find a seat next to someone who doesn't look like they are going to judge me, stare at me, or be rude to me. AHHHH HA! An empty table, and I sit down. But wait, in walks more people and they sit next to me. UGHHHHHHH!!! Of course they start chatting with everyone around them, except me. I thought this was going to suck. Two weeks in Utah and the only people that gave me the time of day was the in-laws and the person that hired me. Man did I feel like a real F-ing winner! Oh well, I was going to make the most of it that I could. So after hours of listening to our trainer ramble on about phone sales, products, open ended questions, staying scripted... BLAH BLAH BLAH... it was time for a break. All I could think was THANK GOD!! Then the dreaded, "When we get back I want you all to get into groups for role playing!" What the F@#$!?!?!?Really? Get into groups? Role playing? I failed to mention earlier that this job was for telemarketing, and you had to learn how to talk to people on the phone. But really? Groups? I wonder who I would get stuck with? I wanted to leave. Instead I headed to the restroom to "escape".
As I sit on toilet peeing, then just sitting because I dreaded going back to training, I hear two girls talking about pregnancy tests and positives and moms that will freak out. (One of said girls is my one and only Blog reader) Hmmmmmm... now that is interesting! I wanted to see who it was and if they were in my training. I step out of the stall and look around. YEP! They were in my training! Not knowing what to say I walk over to wash my hands and I hear, " HI!!!" Ummmmmm, was she talking to me? I looked over to see a HUGE brace filled smile, a friendly face, and an inquisitive girl that introduced herself as Candyce. A little taken aback I replied with, "Hi". From then on a conversation ensued and we all introduced ourselves and went back to training where we decided to pair up and "role play" ( sounds naughty if you didn't know it pertained to vocalization training for telemarketing!)
From that day on Candyce and I were pretty close to inseparable! For some reason, in life we find very few friends that we can say are LIFERS. For what ever reason we found each other that day in training at one of the worst jobs ever. She and I have watched each other grow, change, become Moms and wives, move away and come back, hate and love, giggle and cry, among many other things. There were a few times that we lost touch, sometimes for way to long. No matter how far away from each other we were, or how long we went without talking, we are always drawn back to each other. Its almost like Yin and Yang. You cant have one without the other, they are each others balance. For instance in 2008 we "found" each other again after three years of silence between us ( because I was a moron and being lame). We finally got to see each other December 19, 2008, for a short couple of days. But man did it feel good to see her and give her a HUGE SQUOZE ( our name for a big fat hug). Now it is January 14,2010, and we ha vent seen each other again. We text and chat online every day with a few phone calls mixed in. As much as I love it, it just feels like something is missing. My Hubby, finally attempting to be on the same page as her and I, realized how much her friendship means to me and mine means to her. So, just a few days before Christmas (December 20, 2009)my Hubby told me I was going on a trip. A trip??? To where?? When he told me that I was going to see Candyce I was in shock. I didn't know if he was being truthful so i just stared at him, still in shock. He looked at me and said he was serious. HE IS AWESOME!! That is one of the bestest Christmas presents EVER!! I wanted to keep it as a surprise and just show up on Candyce's door step. My Hubby, Her Hubby, and I had it all planned out. Then New Year's Eve came around. As I was preparing to go out for the night, she sat at home with her girls missing Her Hubby and texting me. Feeling how sad she was I had to do it. I had to tell her! So i sent a picture of part of my flight itinerary to her email. Now, the countdown is on!!! we are both wiggling with excitement over my visit with her! As is gets closer we both decided that the wiggling will turn into flopping and flailing. We only have 10 days, 20 hours and 43 minutes (as of right now) until my flight take off!! I CAN NOT WAIT!!! My Hubby is AWESOME!!! I thank him every day for my Christmas present!
So my point to all of this : NEVER EVER EVER let anything stop you from finding courage to make new moves in your life! You never know who you will meet and what will blossom from it. No matter what, DO NOT let life or differences stand in the way of a real and true friendship because they are very hard to find and are often a once in a lifetime chance. Always put all you can into friendships like the one I happened to find, because sometimes that is all you have and it is all that matters when life drags you down. One last thing... even if people disagree with the people in your life, if you love them hold onto them and never let them slip away! Eventually those people who disagree will realize what you have and come around. Even if they don't... does that really matter?
Thank you Candyce for being my true Bestiest Friend... And thank you Hubby for realizing that!!
ONLY 10 DAYS 20 HOURS AND 35 MINUTES... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!