Alright, so I was taking a nap in the middle of the day last week when I woke up DRENCHED in sweat!!! I quickly realized that my A/C wasn't working (I live in South Florida, it was 90+ degrees outside), as I walked through the house, I realized that ALL the electricity was out. I opened the front door to find a slip from the electric company that they have shut off my power for a late payment of $103!!!! I remembered that last month the bill was $433 (yes, for one month) and that I had paid $330. to LCEC (Lee County Electric Co) and that I had figured I'd pay the rest with the next bill. WRONG!!!!! Apparently it doesn't work that way! When I called the electric company and asked why the person placing the slip on my door didn't knock and tell me what was happening,the person on the other end of the phone kindly explained that it wasn't their job. I had no cash on me and very little in the bank, so I opted to do the only thing that I could..........withdraw what I did have in the bank and knowingly allow a check to bounce. It was either that or go without power until payday (Friday). I paid the bill and shut off the main line, so that the electric company could turn the power back on. As I dripped sweat and cursed the electric company AND myself for allowing this to happen.........I realized that my son would be home from school soon, what in the world would I tell him? He came in the house and promptly told me I was crazy for not paying the entire bill when it was due, silly mommy, I wanted to feed him that week. Oh well, when he ranted and raved about "Now what am I supposed to do?!?!?!" - there was no tv or video games, a horrible thought for a 10 year old. I pulled out a board game and we sat near the open front door for light and air, we played Trivial Pursuit Jr and he won. Just as the game was over and we were cleaning up, the electric company pulled up to turn our power back on........we jumped up and down, yelling "Hurray" and when the power was back on, my son looked at me and asked, "Hey Mom, You wanna play again?"

October 23, 2007

The day I gave birth to my first son at age 17, I was filled with nothing but love and fear. "Was I going to be a good mother? Was I really ready for all of this? Could I provide this child with all the things that he will need during his life?" Now 21 years, 4 more children and many a sleepless night, I can honestly say it was all worth it, especially when every time we speak or see each other, he tells me how much he loves me. Anthony has moved out and in with his fiance and sometimes I wish he was still just living with me, as crazy as life was with 3 teenagers at one time in the house, I long for those "simpler" times. It has become real to me that my child will soon be married and raising a family of his own.......I want to say to him, "I hope someday your child puts you through all the things that you put me through" but I won't...........because I don't ever want him to think for a second, that I didn't love being his mom.

THOUGHTS TO THINK ABOUT


Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've every had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back! Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours.

It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE


-- I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

-- I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

-- I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

-- I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

-- I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

-- I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

-- I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

-- I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

-- I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

-- I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I didn't write this, but it stands to be repeated............What a wonderful lesson!


How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee or coworker ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly they can get back there focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

You'll be happy you did.

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck."

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me?
And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks."

I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks ruin their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet. You'll be happier.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so....

Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!

Thoughts of a Mom

Thoughts of a Mom

Many of you, I have never met face to face but I've searched you out
every day. I've looked for you on the Internet, on playgrounds and in grocery stores. I've become an expert at identifying you. You are well worn. You are stronger than you ever wanted or wished to be. Your words ring experience. Experiences you can recall with your very hearts and soul. You are compassionate beyond the expectations of this world.

You are my "sisters". Yes, you and I, my friend, are "sisters" in a
sorority. A very elite sorority. We are special. Just like any other sorority, we were CHOSEN to be members. Some of us were invited to join immediately, some not for months or even years. Some of us even tried to refuse membership to no avail. We were initiated in neurologist's offices, NICU units, obstetrician's offices, in emergency rooms and even during ultrasounds. We were initiated with just a somber telephone call, a consultation, routine blood tests, x-rays or during heart surgeries.

All of us have one thing in common. There was one day things were fine. We were pregnant, had just given birth or even playing with our toddlers. Yes, for one minute everything was fine. Then, whether it happened in an instant, as it often does, or over the course of a few weeks or months, our entire lives changed. Something wasn't quite right.

Then we found ourselves mothers of children with special needs. We are united, us sisters, regardless of the diversity of our children's
special needs. Some of our children undergo chemo. Some need respirators and ventilators. Some are unable to talk or walk. Some eat through a feeding tube. Some live in a different world.
We do not discriminate against those mothers who have children that are not as "special" as our own child. We have mutual respect and empathy for all of the women who walk in our shoes.

We are knowledgeable. We have educated ourselves with whatever materials we could find. We know "THE" specialists in the field. We know the best neurologists in the field. We know the best cardiologists. We know the Children's Hospital phone number by heart.
We all know the wonder drugs and the best treatments. We know all of the secondary tests by heart and hold our breath while our children are tested for them. Without formal education, we could become Board Certified in Neurology, Endocrinology, Cardiology, and Psychiatry.

We have taken on our insurance companies and school boards to get what our children need to survive and flourish. We have prevailed upon the State to include augmentative communication devices in special education classes and mainstream schools for our children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome. We have labored to prove to insurance companies the medical necessity in treatments and Gait Trainers; we have sued municipalities to have our children properly classified so they could receive education and evaluation to commensurate with their diagnosis.

We have learned to deal with the rest of the world, even if that means walking away from it. We have tolerated scorn in supermarkets during "tantrums" and gritted our teeth while discipline was advocated by the person behind us in line. We have tolerated insane suggestions and home remedies from well-meaning strangers. We have tolerated mothers of children without special needs complaining about chicken pox and ear infections. We have learned that many of our nearest and dearest friends can't understand what it is like to be in our "sorority" and don't even want to try.

We have our own personal copies of Emily Pearl Kingsley's "A Trip to Holland" and Erma Bombeck's "The Special Mother". We keep them by our bedside and read and re-read them during our toughest hours.

We have coped with the holidays. We have found ways to get our physically handicapped children to the neighbor's front door on Halloween and we have found ways to help our deaf children say "Trick or Treat". We have accepted that our children with sensory issues will never wear velvet or lace on Christmas. We have pureed turkey on Thanksgiving and we have bought white chocolate bunnies for Easter. All the while, we have tried to create a festive atmosphere for the rest of our family.

We have gotten up every morning since our journey began and wondered how we would make it through another day and gone to bed every night not quite sure how we did it. We have mourned the fact that we never got to relax and sip red wine. We have mourned the fact that our trip to anywhere has required much more baggage than we ever imagined when we first visited the travel agent. We have mourned because we left for the airport without most of the things we needed most for the trip.

But at last sisters, we keep the faith always. We never stop believing. Our love for our special children and our belief in all they will achieve in life knows no bounds. We dream of our kids scoring touchdowns, extra points and hitting home runs. We visualize them running sprints and marathons. We dream of them planting vegetable seeds, riding horses and chopping down trees. We hear their angelic voices singing Christmas Carols. We see their palettes smeared with watercolors and their fingers flying over ivory keys in a concert hall. We are amazed at the grace of their pirouettes. We never, ever stop believing in all they will accomplish as they pass through this world.

So in the meantime, my sisters, the most important thing we do is hold tight to their little hands and together, we special mothers with our special children and those who's children have received their angel wings,
REACH FOR THE STARS...

-Author Unknown

DON'T MESS WITH MOM

My son came home from school one day,
with a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough,
to put me in my place.

"Guess what I learned in Civics Two,
that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today,
The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room,
don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think,
or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion,
and regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head,
and I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want,
and pierce my tongue & nose.
I can read & watch just what I like,
get tattoos f rom head to toe.

And if you ever spank me,
I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges,
with the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me,
my body's only for my use,
not for your hugs and kisses,
that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals,
like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control,
And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights,
so you can't influence me,
or I'll call Children's Services Division,
better known as C.S.D."

Of course my first instinct was
to toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson
made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully,
I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face,
he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping
at the local Goodwill Store.
I told him, "Pick out all you want,
there's shirts & amp; pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D.
who said they didn't care if I bought you K-Mart shoes
instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment
to take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. is unconcerned
so I'll decide what's best."

I said "No time to stop and eat,
or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn
to pack your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite,
and wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions,
a favorite dish of mine."

He asked "Can I please rent a movie,
to watch on my VCR?"
"Sorry, but I sold your TV,
for new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room,
you'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. requires
just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now,
I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get,
will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski,
dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights',
It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying,
Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out,
instead of C.S.D..?"

Send to all people that have teenagers or have already raised
teenagers, or have children who will soon be teenagers or those who
will be parents someday OR ANYONE WHO'D JUST GET A LAUGH
MOM
(Mean Old Mother