Saying Thank You

Today I heard something somewhat rare.  Something I don’t hear too often, from young children including teens.  A mother and daughter came into the Glass Bead and made a bracelet.  When they were finished and mom paid, the daughter hugged mom and said “thanks mom.”  Too often you don’t hear children saying thank you or even opening hugging their mom.  I think thats important sometimes.  I told the mom and daughter it was nice to hear a child thanking their parent for something, a special treat.

I see teens come in with their parents everyday and very few thank mom or dad for spending the 15-20 dollars for them to make some sort of jewelry.  It is refreshing to know some parents teach their children manners.  I also heard a young boy call the landlady “Ms. L….” I couldn’t tell you how long it’s been since I heard a young child call their elder Ms. or Mr. outside of a school setting.  It was so respectful and I could tell she liked the respect she got and so rightfully deserved.  I was raised to call my elders Ms. or Mr. unless they told me otherwise.  Or goodness if I address my pastor without saying “pastor” first.  I still cannot call Pastor Paul, simply Paul.  It doesn’t seem right to me.

Even when waiting on people, very rarely do any of them say thank you unless I thank them for coming into either the bead shop or the ice cream shop.  Then its like they feel obligated to say thank  you.  Is there an epidemic of people not saying thank you?  Is it too hard for people to be polite and show manners anymore or have we gotten to the point where we take everything for granted and don’t even appreciate the service we have or the things that are presented to  us?

Untrusting

Tom and I recently moved into a new place in North Carolina, I think we will stay here for the rest of the summer (last two places were horrendous.) Before we moved in, we were basically interrogated by the lady who owns the house.  After what she told me, I don’t blame her.  People who have lived here before took advantage of her kindness.  Some stole from her, some allowed drugs and alcohol to be brought into her home, others lied to her and when it came time for her to need help, no one was there to help her (aside from family, friends and church).

I felt so bad for this woman to have so many people take advantage of her kind nature and generous spirit.  She allowed them to live in her home or rather the above garage apartment, and they took advantage of that.  They didn’t treat her with the respect she deserved and now because of it she has become untrustworthy.  Thankfully she is happy with Tom and I, and we are doing everything we can to show her we are trustworthy and won’t disrespect her or her home.  Sometimes in this society that’s what you need to do.  You need to take the time and effect to basically prove yourself to someone.  Yet people don’t want to do that which in turn makes us untrusting.  Its a vicious cycle.

Drama

So in leu of things lately I have been thinking a lot on drama.  Not like the movie and television drama or even the dramas of Shakespeare.  But the drama some people try to cause and successfully do cause other people and in turn themselves.

Life is too short for drama and purposely picking fights with people and cause all sorts of drama.  I don’t understand how some people can cause drama or even feed off of it.  I think it takes too much energy just dealing with it on the outside, I can’t imagine how tiring it is on the inside of the drama.  I don’t understand how people can crave the drama and want it so badly that they need to cause it even if there is no grounding for it.  I mean why start a fight with someone for no apparent reason?  Why harm a friendship and possibly ruin it for no reason?  I don’t get it.

Drama should be left to T.V. shows like Law and Order or CSI.  I understand being upset and wanting to talk to someone or whatever but making a scene in public, talking trash behind people’s backs etc.  It’s just  uncalled for.  What’s the point?  So everyone around you can see?  What good does that do?  I am dumbfounded by some of the things I hear and have experienced based on the drama.  I somewhat expected people to act better, their age etc.  But I was wrong.  I should learn that I can’t be surprised by anyone anymore….its all to be expected.

Appreciations

We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes ‘Why did this happen to me?’ unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way.”  -- Irene Bargmann

I came across this quote somewhere I actually forget where but Irene makes a strong point.  We are so quick to say “why me” when something bad happens but when something good happens do we say the same?  Of course not.  We act as if it is about time something good happens.  We are very conceited and prideful that we think we deserve every good thing.  There are times I wonder why me with some good things.  Such as my relationship with Tom, and my family.  How did I get to be so lucky have good relationships with them?

How did I get to be so lucky to find an awesome house with an awesome landlord?  Too often we take so many things for granted that happen in our lives.  We are constantly expecting to have something good happen in our lives.  When bad things happen we ask “why does all the bad things happen to me"?” or say “my life couldn’t get any worse.”  Chances are there are ways life can get worse and we need to appreciate what we do have and appreciate when something good comes our way and say “oh wow, I didn’t expect this, I wonder why it happened.” 

I think I am going to try a test, and I hope some other people will try it with me.  Instead of wondering why bad things happen to me, I will accept them, and then in tern instead of expecting something good to happen to me I will wonder why and not take it for granted. 

Father’s Day

When I was younger I wasn’t a fan of this day, in fact I don’t think I really understood it because my own father was never present.  Then it became a day to just honor dads I knew..  But now that I am almost 30, the day has a new meaning.  A better meaning.  Throughout my life as I mentioned the man who gave me life was never a father.  He was never around, I barely knew him and in fact I don’t remember much about him.  What I do remember are bad things about him.  BUT (there’s always gotta be a but) when I was 13 or so God blessed me and my brother with someone who goes above and beyond the roles of a dad.

The man I call Daddy is the most amazing man I ever known.  He gives without asking for anything in return.  When someone needs help, he is there.  Daddy is the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him too.   He did what he could to try to understand the interests of my brother and I, and was at pretty much all my chorus concerts and Brandon’s wrestling matches.  He wasn’t asked to be daddy, he assumed the role the moment he started dating my mom.  It takes a strong man with a HUGE heart to accept a woman’s teenage children as his own and nothing less.

Being a father takes a whole lot  more than genetics, its about being a part of the child’s life.  Being that positive role model and doing what it takes to bring them happiness and help nuture them into great people no matter the sacrifice.  Its about being strict!  Yea Im saying part of being a dad, or a mom is to be strict to put limits and restrictions on the things kids can do…My dad took us in as teenagers and raised us into two fine adults.  We had restrictions and limits and we respected him and my mom for it.  It taught us more than allowing us to do what we wanted.  I love my dad and he is everything and deserves every honor that Father’s Day gives.

Thankfulness

I know I normally do a weekly thanks post on Fridays, but I was thinking why should I wait until Friday to do my weekly post on thankfulness and things I am thankful for?  Why not randomly give thanks for things in my life and the things that I appreciate in life?  So today I am going to give thanks for things I have been experiencing that I wouldn’t otherwise.

Sunset over the sound..over water.  The sunset here is a lot different than the sunset in Pittsburgh.  Then the night sky, I am in love with because it is so clear and the stars are so much brighter.

Watching the sting rays swim around.  It was such a joy to see them swim and play the other and wonder to myself, why can’t I be that carefree?

Taking chances and learning something new.  If I fall down, get back  up and try again.  Unless I get hurt pretty bad like the other day.

Meeting and talking to people from different areas of the country and learning about them.  Its a joy talking to my customers especially little kids.

Ice cream any time I want.  Who wouldnt be happy about that??

The wind blowing at night.  During the day it is so nice in the sun that the wind at night is wonderful.

There are so many things to be thankful for and I sometimes wonder why some people don’t spend the time to be thankful for what they have no matter how big or how small.  I think we need to appreciate everything in our lives from having safe homes and clean beds to sleep in to being able to watch T.V or even worship any way we desire.  Be thankful for what you have.

Beach Life

so we have been at the beach for a little over a week, almost two weeks.  Tom and I both have jobs and spend has much time as we can at the beach or doing random things.  Today at the beach we saw sting rays playing in the surf.  It was probably one of the neatest things we seen so far.

One even got up on the shore close enough to us to take a picture.  It was neat to see them let the waves push them around and them flip their fins around and swim around us and a few little kids.  There is nothing like seeing nature, in well nature where it belongs.  Too often we try to take things out their habitat and it gets harder and harder to appreciate wild life for the way it was intended.  I have seen skates and sting rays before at zoos and sea world, but watching them today was completely different.  It was almost like watching a child play in water: swimming and splashing around.  It was simply beautiful.

When I came here a week and a half ago I was somewhat depressed, I missed everyone back home and while I still miss everyone, I am experiencing a lot of things I wouldn’t have if I didn’t come.  I have swam with sting rays, boogie boarded, started to learn to skim board that is until I got hurt, I might try again soon.  At work I am letting my creative side run free with making jewelry, hemp necklaces/bracelets, wire wrapping sea shells and glass.  The sense of adventure and desire to explore more of the island makes me wonder what else could I experience?  I know one day we are going to a lighthouse, one day I am going to spend at the sound, and we both want to learn how to scuba-dive.  There is a lot of different things I want to learn and so little time we will spend here hehe.

Beach

Last night and this morning/afternoon Tom and I were at the beach.  Now Ive been to the Pacific coast and didnt like it.  Too crowded, waves were huge and I was left alone, boo.   But here is different.  I didnt believe Tom when he said there is a difference, there is a huge one.  I actually was in the water and boogie boarded.  That was fun.  All a part of trying new things and overcoming fears.

The ocean/beach is so beautiful!  I could sir there for hours and watch it crash on the shore and the waves build up.  It provides a unique love for nature and the Earth.  I saw some litter and it made me sad that prople would dirty such a beautiful place.  A friend went to costa rica and said Ameticans were the ones throwing trash on the ground. 

Why do we do that?  Why do humans as a whole destroy things of great beauty and take it away from future generations?  Are we,that lazy and inconsiderate?