When my dad turned 54 years old, the date was July 31, 2000. I was 30 years old. When I turned 31, the next day on August 29, 2000, my dad died. He was 54 years old for only (less than) a month.
All tagged family
Sunday Suppers
When I was in my twenties, I would fantasize about being a mother and I always pictured myself pulling a roast out of the oven and feeding my hungry family. But in reality, I’m far from doing that. I have a hub who is rarely home for dinner and when he is home, a roast would not be something he’d eat. I have a vegetarian daughter and I have a son who will eat meat and potatoes but prefers the meat and the potatoes to be prepared by a fast food restaurant, not by his mother.
A Prayer Re-Do
Recently I was fortunate enough to go to London to watch the Broncos play a game against the Jaguars. Friends have asked me (and still are) how my trip was. I like to be transparent and sincere in my responses especially when I know that the person asking is genuinely asking. The trip itself was nice, but my life after has been forever changed.
'Tis the Season
Ho, Ho, Ho! The countdown is on. Plans are being made to spend time with family and friends because Hanukkah and Christmas are great reasons to gather. Especially since we had a couple holiday seasons under the Covid regime, I think many of us cannot wait to be within six feet of each other and without masks on this year. ‘Tis the season.
Three Wishes
I’m currently on a “Mother/Daughter NY City” trip and of course going to church on Sunday was part of the itinerary. I am so glad that my daughter didn’t fight me on this event. I think years of my efforts are beginning to pay off.
We Are Family
We are family - I got all my sisters with me - We are family - Get up everybody and sing. Hello! Since National Sibling Day is around the corner (April 10th), I thought it would be fitting to write about family dynamics. Siblings and family are subject matters that naturally intertwine. But hang on, I’m going to try to parallel it with the new Bronco’s Head Coach’s philosophy. Wait, what?
Guest Spaces
At the moment, I am deciding where to get mattresses for our guest bedroom. Exciting, I know. The price difference between two vendors is around $150-300 depending on the various specifications. I am buying two full size beds so it adds up to a minimum of $300 to consider. I wouldn’t usually discuss price details about my home decor (unless it was a steal!) but the decision about which mattress company to use is hanging on me. I am trying to live up to a thoughtful concept that involves guests.
Don't Go Changing
Recently the hub got a bump in pay which put our family in a very comfortable situation. Since then, it’s been eye-opening to see how people react to money. Everyone has a different relationship with money. For me, I’m afraid of money. It sounds dramatic but even though money helps solve many problems, I also know that money can destroy families. Our financial advisor predicted a few scenarios that would happen when my hub started getting a new paycheck and so when all of the predictions happened within months of our new situation, I decided to pay closer attention.
Lectures
Last week, when we were on a trip, there was an opportunity for my daughter to choose a family member she would share a hotel room with. She chose her brother. After the initial shock, I was quite pleased that my children were getting along so well. Until I heard my daughter say, “If I stay with mom, it will be one lecture after another.” Ouch!
Moving Prayer
Many people, whether religious or not, have heard about putting a statue of St. Joseph in our yards to help us sell our houses. Some claim it’s superstitious or think it’s a hoax. Some truly believe in this ritual. For me, I indulged my mom’s emphatic believe and buried a St. Joseph statue in our yard.
Time To Get Spiritual
I waited until the last minute to decide which habit I would work on for the 365 days in 2021. I knew that I was already going to try to ride the Peloton bike once or twice a week and I knew that I was going to try to cook more meals. But I needed something that I could do every day; a habit for 365 days. It had to be something small, almost like a “no brainer” or hard to skip. In doing this habit daily, the year’s effort would add up to be significant. More importantly, the habit should have the potential to continue for years.
The Loaded Text
When I was deciding on what thoughtful topic I wanted to write about this week, I had many choices. National Dive Bar Day (7/7), National Pina Colada Day (7/10) and National Mojito Day (7/11) all fall within my weekly parameter of Tuesday 7/7 to Monday 7/13. Lately, my posts have been very much celebratory of the national days; fun and light-hearted. In fact, National French Fry Day is on 7/13 and who doesn’t love a good french fry?