This week, I’m thankful for:
I threw out my kids‘ old backpacks and my son’s winter boots…and I feel horrible about it. Despite the holes in the backpacks (there was barely any bottom left) and my son’s winter boots didn’t do up anymore, I still feel like a bad mom.
I grew up in a family where we believed “help thy neighbour”. It’s probably part of why I became a fundraiser (when I worked outside the home). How better to help thy neighbour than raising funds and/or items for those who need them?
I’m also raising my kids with the same philosophy. Whenever they aren’t using something anymore and/or have outgrown something, we give them to friends we know as hand-me-downs or to a charity. (It really helps me logistically that there’s a Goodwill literally right beside my son’s IBI therapy so I don’t need to make an extra stop, but I digress…)
But the backpacks and boots were so far gone that I just couldn’t donate them or give them away. Putting them in the garbage bag this week and taking them to the dump felt so…wrong. I have thrown away stained clothing before and broken toys, and not felt bad about it but this was a gut-wrenching experience, and my reaction surprised me. I had to stop myself from taking them back out before throwing the bag into the dumpster at the dump.
Even today, 2 days later, I still feel bad about it. I had bought the boots at a second hand store and I got the backpacks off of a “Recycling Kindness” group on Facebook (where all items posted are free, in the efforts of keeping them out of the landfill) so the three items were well-used and had blessed at least two families for the purposes they had been designed for. I also bought replacement backpacks at Goodwill before I threw out the old ones. I’m not going to replace my son’s winter boots until closer to next winter as his feet are growing by the second right now.
I still feel bad though. : (
Hmmm…in this day and age, it’s hard to drift away from someone other than in person. Friends and family know what I’m up to, and vice versa because of my personal Facebook page. I do have a couple dear friends though who aren’t on Facebook so I don’t feel as connected to them in their daily lives, but there’s this new invention called a phone (and/or email) that keep us in eachother’s lives. 
If it wasn’t for Facebook or Twitter, I wouldn’t have any idea what is going on in the world! Having said that, I read about a Remembrance Day Service being cancelled in Catholic school in Ottawa.
The reason given is because replicas of war-items are brought in from the local museum. From what I can gather, the event has been happening for 20 years and the students look forward to it every year. Can you imagine being able to look at and touch replica items, and interact with and learn directly from veterans about their experiences and the tools they had at their disposal, while defending our Rights?
I was fortunate to get both of my grandfathers back from WWII…some of my friends weren’t so lucky. One of my grandfathers retired at the age of 75, moved across England and went to university. One of his courses was History of War, and he happened to be taking it on the 50th anniversary of WWII. Basically, the professor (who was about 40 years old) just sat back and let my grandfather talk about his experiences in WWII…can you imagine the learnings those university students took from that class, hearing it first-hand??!!!
Thankfully the reporter included part of the School Board Weapons Policy in the article as well. Some questions are circling around in my brain after reading this article and the Policy.
It seems to me that the School Board has covered their due diligence by stating “any unauthorized person…” in the beginning of the Policy:
“The Board shall not tolerate the use, threat of use, or possession of weapons or replicas thereof by any unauthorized person on its property or in buildings or at Board-sponsored activities. The Board shall not tolerate the presence of weapons or replicas thereof in lockers, schoolbags, handbags, vehicles,or in any other place on its property.”
Give these amazing Veterans written “authorization”, send home permission forms for each student, and let these kids learn about something they hopefully NEVER HAVE TO EXPERIENCE FIRST HAND.
Must be nice to have the freedom to discuss this type of issue, rather than have to worry about whether we’ll be killed by a landmine on our way home from school or work.
Lest We Forget
Day 5- Favourite Quotes
So many to choose from! I’ve been seeing tons of wonderful quotes on friends’ Facebook pages too recently…so many in fact, that I’ve started Motivational Mondays posts to help capture them. Having said that, here are ones I live by.
“I loved you the minute you were born. Then I saw your face and fell in love some more. You were only a minute old but I knew I would die for you. To this day I still would. When you choose to have a child you make a conscious decision to allow your heart to walk around outside your body.” ~ Unknown
“A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” –Agatha Christie
“I am who I am. Your approval is not needed. Thanks.” ~ The Female Truth (from Twitter; I am a redhead after all…gotta have some spunk in me!)
“Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do!” ~ Tracy Lynn (I’m blessed to know her IRL)
“Snort…giggles…snort” ~ Opti-mom (another fantastic woman I’m blessed to know IRL…her snorts and giggles are CLASSIC!)
What words to you live by?
I’ve been seeing some great quotes, and inspirational stories on friends’ Facebook status’ recently so I thought I would jump on board with “Motivational Mondays” and start sharing these quotes and stories with you, to give a “thought for the week” to contemplate, and hopefully inspire.
What better way to start this series with the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOl4vwhwkW8&feature=youtu.be
An inspiring way to solve a practical problem…living in complete darkness.
Would love to hear your comments and how this video inspired you to “shed light” on those around you this week.
Being a SAHM to 6 year old twins can be a bit isolating, especially when we just moved back to the family farm and one of my twins has Autism. Having said that, one always needs to find humour or the positive in every situation so I thought I would share with the world my interpretation on current events. Please note, pretty much the only sources of information for me is Facebook, Twitter, a music radio station we listen to in the car, and kids’ shows. So, here are my ramblings without Googling the items first…
PRE-GOOGLING
Norway – with the greatest respect, I know something horrible has happened but, couldn’t tell you any details other than people have died.
RIM is laying off 2,000 people – so many families affected…wait, how big is this company? Crap, I just upgraded to a Blackberry.
US Debt – ummm…how is this “news”? Haven’t they always been in debt?
Somalia – what’s going on? I’m guessing it’s related to famine or AIDS. Either way, it can’t be good.
Ontario weather – I’ve stopped checking the daily weather report. It’s hot. Hotter than hell. High temperature plus humidity makes it about ten million. Glad I have naturally straight hair. Sorry curly or wavy haired girls…
Amy Winehouse died – too bad. So young. Unfortunately, with the amount of partying she did, I’m not all that surprised…wait, how many times has she been in rehab? Didn’t help her apparently.
Fabio has become the new Old Spice guy – he’s alive? I really need to see this!!
JLo & Marc Anthony split up – oh no! Another fellow family with twins bites the dust. So sad.
POST – GOOGLING
Oh Gawd. I suck. I really need to start paying more attention to the world outside of our little family but…wait, excuse me while I stop my son from pulling at the blinds again, and my daughter from climbing on the back of the couch again…
However, I gave myself a little pat on the back this morning to discover that I was already following all but 3 of this week’s 20 Mommy Bloggers List from SweetSpot.ca.
I know. I need to get out more often.
Of all the things I love about Twitter, one of the things I enjoy is reading the inspirational quotes that are aplenty each and every day.
Recent ones I’ve enjoyed are:
It only takes a minute or two to scan through tweets to find something that inspires me. Sometimes I make it my Facebook status for the day, sometimes I retweet it on Twitter, but either way, I want to share them so, I thought I would share one that @Rambling_Writer posted earlier this week. She posted a picture of the wallpaper she just put on her cell phone that reads:
I am beautiful
I am important
I am smart
I am enough
And can be viewed here… http://twitpic.com/5s2zn5.
It reminded me of the words I have told my kids every night since they were born, when tucking them into bed:
Good night sweetheart
I love you
Sweet dreams
Dream big
Before I go to bed, I also read the Daily Essay from Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book: Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. It allows me a few minutes to myself, to calm my brain and refocus from the chaos of the day, which also allows me to sleep better.
So my question to you is, where do you find your words of wisdom and inspiration?
I left my small hometown of 2,000+ people when I was 18 to venture across the country for post-secondary education. My parents “ruthlessly” sold my childhood home (How dare they?!) in the summer before I left and moved to a farm before I visited for Christmas break of first year university. So, I packed for university and packed everything else I had for their move. I left my hometown saying I would “never move back until I owned my childhood home again”. Well, never say never.
Fast forward 16 years. I moved back across the country, got married, have amazing almost 6 year old twins, am now getting divorced, and the kids and I have moved to the family farm; back to my hometown. In the past 16 years, I have lived in 2 provinces and 3 metropolitan areas, and am now getting reacclimatized to small-town living.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that library is open every day of the week, but not the number of hours in the day as it is in a city. I was shocked to see the sign on the front door of one of the satellite library locations has Wi-fi! Having said that, the family farm also has Wi-fi…but I digress…
There’s only one Early Years Centre BUT, it has OFF-SITE playgroups at various parks in the area, with staff and one volunteer from the centre to help the parents in attendance with their kids, and set up different activities. It also has a special needs-specific program offered every Thursday morning, which was nice to attend this week to start meeting other parents of children with special needs in the area. Staff at the Centre are so excited because “there’s a new family in town”. DD is even attending one of the French programs, that is run by a family friend whom I babysat for as a teenager.
I forgot that people here tend to get married and have children earlier than I did. I remember some friends were surprised that I was going to university to get an education (gasp!) rather than a husband (double gasp!). It seems that many of my childhood friends got married by 21 or 22, had their first child within a year so now that we are all in our mid- to late-30s, they have pre-teen and teenagers while I’m chasing after almost 6 year old twins. It’s a very strange realization to find out that I’m an “older mom” here. I talked with my best friend from highschool tonight, only to find that her son is now 12 years old – he’s still 5 in my mind; my almost 6 year olds are still babies in her mind.
I’m having a hard time getting used to the slower pace for everything here. Everyone works REALLY hard (my dad has cut, turned, bailed and stored more than 100 bales of hay this week, on his own…and it’s “just” a hobby farm – my parents still run their own business full time!) but the panic and stress inherent in city life just don’t seem to be here. People actually drive the speed limit or under (you mean it’s not just a “guideline”?) here, which feels very foreign to me. Having said that, you can get everywhere within a 15 mins drive so really, what’s the rush?
In the end, I think I will have to change my original “never move back until I own my childhood home again” to:
“I WILL own my childhood home again…someday”.
