MOM

Well....5 years ago today on a sunny Sunday afternoon my dear mother Joy McLaws passed away after enduring 6 difficult months in the last stages of breast cancer. She found out that she had cancer when it was really too late to do much about it. Each year, my dear friend Hopie Clyde and I go to lunch (her treat) to remember my mom together. Hope knew my mom in a very personal way, practically like a daughter, so I enjoy this time we spend together sharing things. Since it fell on Sunday this year, we went to lunch yesterday. Hope always gets me a gift as a reminder of my mom. She's given me a bracelet, an ornament, a shirt, and other things usually related to breast cancer...and she always puts a lot of thought into it. This year, she again got the perfect thing and donated money to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation (yes I cried). I know she does this to honor my mom, but it is such a display of her great capacity to love others and care about them. Thanks Hopie! As I have reflected today on my mom's life and influence I have had my heart warmed by the fact that I truly had an amazing mother who taught me so much. Some of the many things she taught me were: how to be graceful when I need to be, how to laugh at myself, how to love and be loved, to enjoy beautiful music and experiences, to allow myself the opportunity to do better...hopefully I've encorporated some of this to my life. My mom really was an amazing woman to me in so many ways....talented, graceful, funny, forgiving, beautiful. I really could go on and on about her. Truly I was a blessed daughter to have her and my dad. When I asked her one day while taking care of her needs towards the end what she would do differently in life, she simply told me that she would worry less and that she would have spent more time playing with her children and not washing walls. I've tried to remind myself of these things often....hence, my home is often in disarray....but hopefully for the right reasons. I miss her being accessable, I miss her wisdom, but I know she is still very much a part of my life. One of my favorite memories of my mom was when she discovered the "butt bread" one night and how she started laughing so hard that she nearly fell to the floor....and then how she kept that piece of bread that resembled a butt and promised to preserve it and display it somehow as a funny reminder. She never got that far, but she did keep it and I found it preserved in a box of stuff while going through things one day....oh how I laughed. My mom brought such Joy into everyone's life....her name said it all.

So, my husband and men of my family have made it some kind of a tradition to go out Thanksgiving morning and shoot guns, blow stuff up, wreck old cars, etc. It's quite the display of redneck humor and fun (fun for them, humor for the rest of us). This year, however, looks like it will be a dud due to wet weather, but who knows? Anyhow, I wish y'all a happy Turkey day and hope that wherever you're at and whomever you are with, that you enjoy the time!

Good quotes to live by....

"Let us be a people of honesty and integrity, doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances. " —President Gordon B. Hinckley

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Express yourself...

So, I've spent enough time and wasted energy on others sites expressing my thoughts and opinions lately, and it has gotten me in trouble. So, I've decided to save my thoughts and opinions for those who can handle them, whether they agree with me or not, some people can actually handle not having me blow smoke up thier butts (metaphorically speaking of course). There are some things in my life that I just won't bend in, mainly my faith based belief system and that has lent me to some persecution from friends and foes in life....of course, I've never been popular so why start now. Anytime I have bent on these things, it has turned out to be a bad decision. Yes, this is a vent post...but I just want to put it out there that just because I choose to do things a certain way doesn't mean I'm just doing it because I'm not aware, or educated, or experienced, etc. I choose to live my life the way I do and believe the way I do for reasons that I have given much thought to and have had experiences to back up. Thank you very much!

The Tao of Poop

I'm reading this book right now and must say that it's a definate good read for moms. I find it funny and full of good ideas and wisdom to help us keep our sanity during the thick of things. Plus, the chapters are short and she shares some funny stories so it's entertaining too. If you get the chance, read it.

A little humor never hurt

This was sent to me, and I thought it worthy enough to share here...kind o' funny. There pretty much is a song for everything in life I believe, though.

Perspective changes everything

I've had a few opportunities this week to hear from some wise people in various ways. One of the best reminders I had this week was about perspective and that if we keep the right perspective on things it makes all the difference in our ability to learn from and deal with situations. I'd like to share the analogy:

An avid football fan was on a flight back home during his favorite team's big game that week. Unable to access the game while in flight, the fan quickly found someone upon landing and leaving the plane that could tell him the outcome of said game. He was relieved and happy to discover that his team had, in fact, won the game. Being the great fan that he was however, he had arranged to record the game so that he could view it when he arrived home that evening. While viewing the game, his family noticed that the fan's behavior was drastically different than other times. Usually, the fan would yell at bad calls, get overly excited at good plays, and generally over-react to many of the happenings during a game.

The speaker went on to point out that because the fan had learned of the outcome of the game before watching it, he was able to relax and not over-react. No matter if a referee made a bad call against his team or someone fumbled, no matter if the other team scored, the fan was able to keep it cool because he already knew that in the end, his team would win.

Life application :

If we are able to maintain a perspective that extends beyond the "here and now" we are able to respond better to situations (good or bad) in the appropriate way that will allow us to learn and grow from the situations rather than have it tear us down or destroy relationships and faith. And religiously speaking, we know the outcome of this life's game. If we keep that perspective and live accordingly, we don't need to overreact to the day to day challenges.

I thought this was worthy of posting...obviously....so I hope you find it worthy of reading. Cheers!