Never forget to listen

Flickr: wsimmons

Ok, I think this one might be a soap box stander. Many of my friends and peers are beginning their families. I’ve been in the game for a while so I’m totally looking forward to mine all leaving for college. I find that I have been the only person for many of these women AND men that has been truly honest about those first few years of parenthood. Yeah, you have people talking about the woman’s hormonal changes in the first few weeks and laughing about not sleeping at night but no one is telling people that it is ok to feel whatever is in their heart.

Never drink the Lemonade

When life gives you lemons….give them back.  Simply say “no thank you” and walk away.  Why waste your time making lemonade?   Now if you get hit in the back of the head with them as you’re walking away, you have every right to throw them back.  I’ve been struggling with positivity lately and well…it’s been a struggle.  You have to smile when you want to cry and keep moving to prevent yourself from becoming stagnant. I have taken the lemons that have been rapidly firing at me in the back of the head and, instead of throwing them back I’m going to learn how to make those fruit design thingies.

It's Alright to Cry

This time I have broken away from the “never” theme but the point is still the same.  We grow up in society thinking that crying is for the weak.  A society that preaches strong men (and women) should not cry.  That you have to learn to handle your emotions internally and not let the world know how you feel inside.  Well I’m here to tell you it’s all a bunch of hooie (I have no idea if that is how you spell the word).  IT’S ALRIGHT TO CRY.  You will go through things in life that may bring tears to your eyes from happiness, pain, delight or sorrow.

Never make New Year's resolutions

OK guys and gals, let’s be honest, how many of you have kept New Year’s resolutions?  I’ll wait….. OK so that one guy there in the back says he keeps his resolutions.  I wonder if that means he doesn’t make any.  Or he makes up something simple like "I will eat good (as in delish not healthy) food this year". How much stress do we put on ourselves to lose 20lbs, stop swearing, go to the gym, be nicer to people, dust more often or, keep your shoes organized? Yes, those are things that should be on my resolution list but I don’t have one. As of the past few years I have never added or created a list of things to do for the new year.

Never forget, perseverance is a four letter word!

So..The Trot was hot!!  No really, I was hot as...well...I was hot.  It was cold outside but listening to the advice of my lovely YOUNGER brother I had on too many layers.  I must say, right after stripping before the race started, I didn't think I was going to make it.  I trained hard for about 4 days total and didn't think my body was going to let me go the distance. 

I jogged straight almost to the one mile mark.  SURPRISED AS ALL H.E. DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS (um..that's "hell" if you didn't know)!!  (side note: Actually I have no idea if I jogged that far.  I think I did but it just doesn't seem possible that I made it that far without walking. Maybe I made it to the first block without walking, that seems more reasonable.  Back to the story...) I tried real hard to make it to the 1 mile marker but I couldn't hold out. As I approached the 2 mile mark I got excited because I knew that when we made it to the 3 mile mark, the race was more than half over.  It wasn't until the four mile mark that things changed.