With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I know I’ve already been dreaming about pumpkin pie and loaded mashed potatoes. But Thanksgiving is about more than eating all of things on your blacklist. It’s an opportunity to think about family, and all the blessings we have in this life.
And also — what’s sometimes harder to think about — the hardships, trials and failures.
But, these too, are necessary, because without these, we would not be who we are today.
Without the dark, would we appreciate the light? Without the bad times, could we really appreciate the good? Without knowing loss, are you ever truly able to embrace life?
A life cannot be lived without ups and downs, highs and lows, successes and failures. It’s easy to get caught up in your own personal struggles and forget about the bigger picture.
Trust me, the Thanksgiving turkey himself knows this better than anyone.
Trying to brush an unwilling child’s teeth is like trying to wrestle a gator with clinched jaws. And you better watch out — they can (and do) bite.
After a lecture from the dentist about how we really need to be making the boys brush their teeth twice a day, I began to get worried.
How was I going to get this done?
The boys no longer do things just because I say they should. They question everything and anything you tell them to do. They must ask the whys, and the what ifs.
But why must we brush our teeth? What happens if you don’t eat your vegetables? Why do I have to wash my hands again after I use the bathroom?
They certainly keep me on my toes with so many questions. I now have to play out the “what happens if we don’t do this” scenarios for them. I appreciate their inquisitive minds, but it’s exhausting.
And for some reason, they don’t always believe the answers I give them. (Because you know, I’m so often trying to lead them astray.)
Now where did I put that? As I find myself endlessly searching through my house, I realize, yes, it’s true; I’m becoming my mother. I’ve laughed at her through the years because she’s always losing things; I even joked that she would lose her head if it wasn’t attached … and now my words have come back to bite me.
But I haven’t decided if I’m truly getting more forgetful in my old age, or if I just have more things to keep track of than ever before?
When you are a kid, you don’t fully comprehend how much your parents have on their plates.
Now I have a system in place to put my phone, car keys, wallet, glasses, etc., exactly in the same spot — that way I always know where to find them. And this works really well … when I actually do it. Now if I could just keep this up with everything else in my life.
I’ve always found there are advantages and disadvantages to every situation; you must make what you will of them.
I was an only child — and trust me — it definitely had its advantages.
Only children get to spend all their time in the limelight and don’t really have to share much; there is nobody to fight with, nobody to pull your hair; you become quite independent and creative; and of course, all the Christmas presents under the tree are for you.
But then again, being an only child has its drawbacks, too. Such as when you do something wrong (a true rarity), there is nobody else to point the finger at, and also no one to rally with you to sway authority (numbers always increase your odds). As an expert, I have seen the long-term side effects of being an only child include not knowing how to ask for help, being bossy and talking to yourself (when your parents ignore you, which they inevitably will do).
While growing up as an only child worked for me (for the most part — yes, I still talk to myself), when thinking about my own family, I knew I wanted to have more than one. Handling two (or more) is a whole other subject, but having a sibling always ensures you have someone to play with, and a person in your corner. My boys are close in age, and have grown up spending all their time together.
Halloween is my boys’ favorite holiday. I don’t know if it’s the pumpkins, things that go bump in the night, or the plethora of sugar they enjoy so much, but dressing up for trick or treat is even bigger than Christmas at my house. In fact, the boys have been trying to decide what they were going to be for Halloween since last Halloween.
And every week — all year long — it’s been something different. Every time I thought we’d come to a decision, they went and changed their minds again.
But with the final day closing in on us, I forced the boys to make a choice. The costumes have been purchased, and I broke the news to them that they can’t change their minds anymore.
Begrudgingly, the boys have come to terms with this. So they’ve already moved on and started planning their Halloween costumes for next year.
