Tick Tock

As summer has flown by and I wonder where it all went so quickly, I wish I had more time.  More time to vacation, more time to spend with the kids, more time to relax, more time to be silly and have fun. 

Not long ago, my daughter and I were discussing a website she wanted to join.  I told her I felt she already spent enough time on the computer and joining this new site would just add to that time.  I tried to point out that there is little more than a month left to her summer vacation and soon she would be back in school, without the luxury of deciding when to go out and play, when she would have to be on the computer doing homework.  That the days would grow shorter and the weather colder and she would find herself longing for these summer days again. 

What my daughter wasn't understanding, what I was trying to explain to her, is that each moment, every second we breathe, is our life.  There are no do-overs.  If there is something we want to do, now is the time.  No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.  If there is an interest she wants to pursue, the time is now.  As a kid, this is her time to have fun, be silly, play games, imagine, explore, try new things, and broaden her horizons.  And I think she would be sad if she looked back on it and saw that all she did was spend all her time on the computer and missed out on other things.  As a parent, I limit that computer time.  Sure, it makes me unpopular, but it forces her to pursue her other interests and encourages her to imagine other possibilities.

Parents don't get do-overs either.  We have one shot with our kids.  We don't get to redo their childhoods when we realize one day that we wish we had spent more time with them.  Now is the time to put the computer aside and color that page with your child or let the laundry linger a little longer and go fishing together.  This is the time to leave work on time and gather around a campfire in the backyard.  Kids won't care that you worked overtime to bring in a few extra dollars.  What they will remember, what they will cherish is that you went sledding with them when you had that big snowstorm.  Or that you used to cook hotdogs over the firepit in the backyard and then tell scary stories.  They'll remember movie nights, game nights, and extra cuddles. 

Life is this moment.  It's not tomorrow.  It's not yesterday.  It's this moment.  And what you choose to do with this moment will define how your life will be.  Will you be kind to others?  Will you choose to be happy with what you have or spend your time always wanting more?  Will you love your family or hurt them?  Will you comfort someone in need or turn away because you don't want to get involved?  Will you love with all your heart?  How will you spend this moment? How will you live life? Whatever you choose to do, your child will learn from it. How do you want them to live their lives?

Hidden Truths

     It's been awhile since I last blogged.  Life got busy and apparently one of my blogs hit a nerve with a reader.  My blogs come straight from my life, but let me be clear that I was speaking the truth when I said that true names would never be stated.  I also speak the truth when I tell you, my readers, however many or few of you there may be, that I stand by every word I post 100%.

     We find ourselves in a new era, unchartered territory for many.  Information becomes public with the click of a button.  And once out there, there is no getting it back.  It can be helpful, and it can be risky, dangerous even.

     If a reader finds themselves reading a blog and reflecting inwardly, whether or not it was meant for them, then I think that's a good thing.  It got people thinking.  Hopefully it brings about positive change.  Sometimes we come across a situation, book, or article that leaves us, myself included, facing hidden truths within ourselves we would rather not see.  Things we know about ourselves but don't like to admit.

     I myself had to face some of these truths in recent months and have gained some pretty wonderful things because of it.  I have better relationships with people in my life that I didn't have before and I am a happier person for it.  Unfortunately, I am still waiting for some others to catch on.  Maybe in time they will come around, maybe they won't.  One thing I have learned, is that it is out of my control.  It is a decision and a step that those people must make.

     I was going to stop blogging, but I think I have some important things to say.  I think some of them might be helpful to other moms out there... and not necessarily just moms, but all people, like me, living through the joys and challenges of each day.  So, I am back to blogging.  No offense is intended to anyone in particular in any of these articles.  These articles are about me, my parenting, and day-to-day life.  Anything more a reader relates to these events is purely coincidental.