I absolutely HATE being the mom of a teenage daughter. I thought it
would be loads of fun but really??? Every time I drive her to school I
manage to piss her off and then she gets out of the car all mad and I
worry the rest of the day about her. UGH. As a disclaimer, I was the
perfect child. Seriously. I didn't smoke, drink, do drugs, or even
swear. I respected my parents and did my homework. I had a busy social
life but I didn't even know there were parties going on... seriously!
I don't expect Kayla to be perfect. I don't expect for her to be me by
any means. I just don't know how to handle the rebellion. It nothing
really.... she just has a couple of friends I don't like and she plays
on her phone / itouch at times that she shouldn't. And she disappears
after school and we don't see her until she comes out to say goodnight.
I'm doing my damnedest to stop that habit. And I know its normal.
She's 14. She needs space and privacy and all of that. But how much is
too much and when do I speak up? When do I worry? I just want for her
to make it though high school alive and with a good head on her
shoulders. Its hard work raising a kid. Really hard. I remember
holding her when she was a baby and thinking of all the things I was
going to have to teach her and wondering how the hell I was supposed to
do that. And now she's 14 and there is still so much to teach her.
Its terrifying really.
Teenage Daughters - Martina McBride
I ain’t complainin’
But I’m tired, so I’m just sayin’
What I think
And if we’re being honest
Than honestly I think I need a drink
My baby’s growin’ up
She think’s she’s fallin’ all in love
And that I hate her
At seventeen, she’s just like me when I was seventeen
So I don’t blame her
[Bridge]
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do?
Do do do do
Do do do do
What are we gonna do about it?
[Chorus]
Remember when we use to be
Everything they ever need
We had them believing we were cool
It’s like it happened over night
We’re always wrong, their always right
We use to be the one’s breakin’ the rules
Now we’re just mothers, we’re just fathers of
Teenage Daughters
She rolls her eye’s when I’m funny
But she’s sweet when she wants money and her freedom
Oh my god, she’s got a car
Swears they wont go far
And I wish I believed ‘em
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
Their beautiful, wild and free
Everything we wish we could be
But their still crazy
Oh you know, the make us crazy
[Chorus]
Yeah Teenage Daughters
I ain’t complainin’
But I’m just tired, so I’m sayin’
What I think
If we’re being honest
Than honestly, I think I need a drink
Martina McBride – Teenage Daughters Lyrics
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year, New Plan
Sunday, September 4, 2011
A guest post regarding the Facebook Breast Cancer Awareness "game"
This is my little home in cyberspace and I don't have many followers but for the ones I have I wanted to share this fabulous post regarding the Facebook Breast Cancer Awareness game going around. So well said and I have to thank her for being courageous enough to put it all out there. As I read this post I thought of so many of my friends who have battled infertility (even I had to have "help" to have my babies). This is for you Tracie, Betsy, Sarah (a breast cancer survivor), Shannon, & Mollie, among many others. Thank you Christine for sharing these thoughts with the world. I hope you don't mind my posting the link to share. Dear Readers, if you are as moved as I was, please pass it on. And feel your boobies. - Betsey
Post from C.G.Ward Photography
Post from C.G.Ward Photography
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
"Life is a Special Occassion"
Most of you know I have my dream job... working for Hallmark. My name is Betsey and I'm a Hallmark-aholic. I'm about to celebrate my one year anniversary at the company although I've worked at two separate retail stores. The customers at any store however are the same - they are all just looking for some way to make an ordinary moment special. That's where I come in. I get to spend my days helping people pick out just the perfect card for a sick co-worker or just the right thank you gift for nurses who took care of a sick husband in the hospital. Its very gratifying to go home knowing I made a difference... or at least tried.
Hallmark's new media campaign is Life is a Special Occassion. I have long believed that is true. I just wanted to take a minute and share with you some of the Hallmark moments that make going to work a true joy for me.
One especially touching moment came when a woman needed help picking out a birthday card for her ex husband. She had a few specifications which included not too mushy, not too simple, and nothing that talked about birthdays in the future. You see, this would be his last birthday. He was in Hospice and the family was getting together that weekend to celebrate him before it was too late. She was not invited to the gathering though as the new wife had forbidden her to see him. Its amazing what you can find out about someone in just a few minutes if you take the time to listen. We searched several cards and finally found the perfect one. It was a beautiful card that spoke of how he had touched so many people in his life and how she just wanted to let him know she was one of those people. It was a sale that ended with a hug.
In my job we are supposed to walk the customer to the section of cards they are looking for. A man came in one day needing an anniversary card for his wife. I started to walk him over to those cards when I noticed a woman standing by just that section with a very surprised look on her face. Turns out they were married to each other! We all had a great laugh and they decided to go to lunch together instead of shop for cards. So, I didn't sell anything but it was worth getting a glimpse of this couple's life and knowing they would most likely have many more happy years together.
Last week a woman came in and purchased one of our Disney plaques that featured one of Walt Disney's most famous quotes, "If you can dream it, you can do it". She picked it up so quickly I asked her if there was a significance to the purchase. She told me that her 7 year old granddaughter had a dream about learning to ride her bike without training wheels. She told her grandma, "If I dream it, I can do it!". What a special moment!
A young man named Mario asked for my help finding a few special gifts for his baby sister who was headed off to college. He had a very small budget to work with but we found some fun things in the clearance section of the store. By the time he left, he was quite happy with his special gift bag for his very special sister. His eyes teared up when he thanked us for helping him and told us how very much he was going to miss her.
This job has even brought me three new friends who started out as customers, reunited me with an old school teacher, and most importantly, makes me feel like I'm living my purpose. I know it sounds silly... I don't make the big bucks, I don't have a college degree, I don't even have benefits since I'm part time. But to me its not "just" a retail job. Its a mission if you will - a mission to help others connect, to make memories, to love, to laugh, to heal.
When is the last time you sent a card? When is the last time you found something in your mailbox with your name on it that wasn't a bill? There are cards for every occasion you can think of - birthdays of course but also anniversaries, get well, potty training, thinking of you, sympathy, hi / hello, entering the military, going off to college, miss you, congratulations on your job, new house, new pet, even blank cards so you can create your own occasion. Next time you pass a Hallmark store, stop in. Make today a special occasion. Just because you can. The smile on someone else's face will be well worth your time.
Hallmark's new media campaign is Life is a Special Occassion. I have long believed that is true. I just wanted to take a minute and share with you some of the Hallmark moments that make going to work a true joy for me.
One especially touching moment came when a woman needed help picking out a birthday card for her ex husband. She had a few specifications which included not too mushy, not too simple, and nothing that talked about birthdays in the future. You see, this would be his last birthday. He was in Hospice and the family was getting together that weekend to celebrate him before it was too late. She was not invited to the gathering though as the new wife had forbidden her to see him. Its amazing what you can find out about someone in just a few minutes if you take the time to listen. We searched several cards and finally found the perfect one. It was a beautiful card that spoke of how he had touched so many people in his life and how she just wanted to let him know she was one of those people. It was a sale that ended with a hug.
In my job we are supposed to walk the customer to the section of cards they are looking for. A man came in one day needing an anniversary card for his wife. I started to walk him over to those cards when I noticed a woman standing by just that section with a very surprised look on her face. Turns out they were married to each other! We all had a great laugh and they decided to go to lunch together instead of shop for cards. So, I didn't sell anything but it was worth getting a glimpse of this couple's life and knowing they would most likely have many more happy years together.
Last week a woman came in and purchased one of our Disney plaques that featured one of Walt Disney's most famous quotes, "If you can dream it, you can do it". She picked it up so quickly I asked her if there was a significance to the purchase. She told me that her 7 year old granddaughter had a dream about learning to ride her bike without training wheels. She told her grandma, "If I dream it, I can do it!". What a special moment!
A young man named Mario asked for my help finding a few special gifts for his baby sister who was headed off to college. He had a very small budget to work with but we found some fun things in the clearance section of the store. By the time he left, he was quite happy with his special gift bag for his very special sister. His eyes teared up when he thanked us for helping him and told us how very much he was going to miss her.
This job has even brought me three new friends who started out as customers, reunited me with an old school teacher, and most importantly, makes me feel like I'm living my purpose. I know it sounds silly... I don't make the big bucks, I don't have a college degree, I don't even have benefits since I'm part time. But to me its not "just" a retail job. Its a mission if you will - a mission to help others connect, to make memories, to love, to laugh, to heal.
When is the last time you sent a card? When is the last time you found something in your mailbox with your name on it that wasn't a bill? There are cards for every occasion you can think of - birthdays of course but also anniversaries, get well, potty training, thinking of you, sympathy, hi / hello, entering the military, going off to college, miss you, congratulations on your job, new house, new pet, even blank cards so you can create your own occasion. Next time you pass a Hallmark store, stop in. Make today a special occasion. Just because you can. The smile on someone else's face will be well worth your time.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Self Conscious much?
No one can make you feel inferior without your permission - Eleanor Roosevelt
A friend of mine posted a blog this AM entitled Things I Like About Me. I thought it was a really neat idea and will probably attempt my own list. In the meantime though it got me to thinking about my 13 year old and what a miserable time she's having in middle school (according to her). She has a lot of friends but sees herself as one who really doesn't fit in anywhere. Thing is, I remember that feeling oh so well. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I still feel that way... a lot. So are she and I oddities or does everyone feel that way for the most part? Do you feel like you really fit in at your job? Your church? In your circle of friends?? Everyone sees me as a very friendly, perky person. They aren't wrong. But there are also a lot of times when I feel very alone in a crowd. Sometimes its on Sunday mornings when the praise band is hanging around the kitchen chomping on donuts. I've been a part of that group for 2 years now but I still feel like an outsider sometimes. I know if anyone knew that they would be shocked. And the above quote reminds me that they aren't the ones doing anything wrong... I'm just too scared to jump into a conversation and "bother" people. I don't feel like I dress well enough, like my makeup is right, like I don't have half the talent some of my band mates have. I don't start conversations because why would they really care what I did that weekend or what is on sale at Hallmark.
Insecurity has always been one of my biggest faults. I know my good qualities but I'm better at seeing the good in others. I'm never quite sure how people see me. Don't get me wrong, I'm no wallflower. I was the biggest fool you've ever seen at CMA Music Fest. I didn't care what people thought or said about me. I was there to have a good time and make some great memories and that is exactly what I did! I wish I could live every day with such wild abandon.
So, back to the kid... I'm trying to send her quotes every day so that she can think positively and make good choices in friends and just simply learn to love who she is no matter what anyone else thinks. So as I'm encouraging my child that it gets better and one day she won't feel so awkward, am i doing her a disservice? Doesn't life always feel like middle school? Or do we just get to the point where we don't care what others think? I don't think I'm there yet. I'm trying to be but sometimes don't do so well with it. Maybe that happens in your 50's or 60's. I hope I get there one day. Really though I'd just be happy if I can fake it well enough to fool my kids and give them hope that it changes eventually. I so want them to see what beautiful, funny, independent, vivacious, spectacular people they are.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice, please feel free to comment. Off to play Go Fish and remember when life was so simple.
A friend of mine posted a blog this AM entitled Things I Like About Me. I thought it was a really neat idea and will probably attempt my own list. In the meantime though it got me to thinking about my 13 year old and what a miserable time she's having in middle school (according to her). She has a lot of friends but sees herself as one who really doesn't fit in anywhere. Thing is, I remember that feeling oh so well. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I still feel that way... a lot. So are she and I oddities or does everyone feel that way for the most part? Do you feel like you really fit in at your job? Your church? In your circle of friends?? Everyone sees me as a very friendly, perky person. They aren't wrong. But there are also a lot of times when I feel very alone in a crowd. Sometimes its on Sunday mornings when the praise band is hanging around the kitchen chomping on donuts. I've been a part of that group for 2 years now but I still feel like an outsider sometimes. I know if anyone knew that they would be shocked. And the above quote reminds me that they aren't the ones doing anything wrong... I'm just too scared to jump into a conversation and "bother" people. I don't feel like I dress well enough, like my makeup is right, like I don't have half the talent some of my band mates have. I don't start conversations because why would they really care what I did that weekend or what is on sale at Hallmark.
Insecurity has always been one of my biggest faults. I know my good qualities but I'm better at seeing the good in others. I'm never quite sure how people see me. Don't get me wrong, I'm no wallflower. I was the biggest fool you've ever seen at CMA Music Fest. I didn't care what people thought or said about me. I was there to have a good time and make some great memories and that is exactly what I did! I wish I could live every day with such wild abandon.
So, back to the kid... I'm trying to send her quotes every day so that she can think positively and make good choices in friends and just simply learn to love who she is no matter what anyone else thinks. So as I'm encouraging my child that it gets better and one day she won't feel so awkward, am i doing her a disservice? Doesn't life always feel like middle school? Or do we just get to the point where we don't care what others think? I don't think I'm there yet. I'm trying to be but sometimes don't do so well with it. Maybe that happens in your 50's or 60's. I hope I get there one day. Really though I'd just be happy if I can fake it well enough to fool my kids and give them hope that it changes eventually. I so want them to see what beautiful, funny, independent, vivacious, spectacular people they are.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice, please feel free to comment. Off to play Go Fish and remember when life was so simple.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Reunited and it feels so good
Its been a few months now since my oldest daughter and her younger sister reconnected. What should have been a very difficult situation has instead turned out to be full of joy. We expected the girls to need time to get to know each other and planned to ease them into the relationship. Instead not only have we spent numerous hours as a family but the other mom and I both agree it feels like we've always been in each other's lives.
I've always been fascinated by the stories of adults who find each other after they were separated as children. All the news stories talk about how they laugh the same, walk the same, even speak in unison. Here's a great story about long lost siblings.
The two girls are so very much alike, even though there is a 5 year difference. I'm so thankful they didn't have to wait until they were in their 30's or 40's to find each other. The bonus part of the story is that my 6 year old feels like she gained a sister too. All three of them talk about their sisters. There are no halves in this story. The three of them are whole. One day the age gap will close and they will be able to enjoy movies and music, and probably theater together. All three of them are animal lovers with the two older girls wanting to be vets and my youngest, a zoo keeper. All three of them laugh with abandon. They scrunch up their faces when they smile. They talk with their hands. They love to draw and dance and sing. I can't wait to see their relationship continue to progress. It is an adventure of the greatest kind.
I've always been fascinated by the stories of adults who find each other after they were separated as children. All the news stories talk about how they laugh the same, walk the same, even speak in unison. Here's a great story about long lost siblings.
The two girls are so very much alike, even though there is a 5 year difference. I'm so thankful they didn't have to wait until they were in their 30's or 40's to find each other. The bonus part of the story is that my 6 year old feels like she gained a sister too. All three of them talk about their sisters. There are no halves in this story. The three of them are whole. One day the age gap will close and they will be able to enjoy movies and music, and probably theater together. All three of them are animal lovers with the two older girls wanting to be vets and my youngest, a zoo keeper. All three of them laugh with abandon. They scrunch up their faces when they smile. They talk with their hands. They love to draw and dance and sing. I can't wait to see their relationship continue to progress. It is an adventure of the greatest kind.
A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison
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