30 Days of Friendship

FRIENDSHIP: friend·ship  /ˈfrendˌSHip/
Noun

   1. The emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.
   2. A relationship between friends.

  Lately, through the tragic occurrences in the world playing out before our eyes on the news, web and in our own lives, instead of dwelling on those tragedies, I have chosen to focus on the positives in my world.  To be aware of how very grateful I should be for the support and love I have in my friends. Some of them have been around for decades, some just a few years, but all of them have touched me in such a positive way that I can't help but thank the universe for sending them to me.

  But I also want to thank them directly.  However, I am what you would call "geographically-challenged", too far from many of my friends that a walk or drive over with a bouquet of flowers and a big HUG to show my appreciation (well, unless I pull a Forrest Gump and just keep run'in).  So, I am challenging myself to 30 Days of Friendship.

  30 days dedicated to spend a moment, every day, to show my love to all of the people who I have been lucky enough to call "friend". Near or far, in my small way, I will devote a breath or two to friendly gratitude; to enjoy laughter and hope.

  30 days of LOVE (friends or family or work mates)... call it an experiment in karma, but I wanted to make my time here on earth brighter. Even if it takes a million teeny-tiny steps, I will make each one count toward making this little life BETTER. And I think it all starts with gratitude. 

  And I issue the same challenge to you.  We can all seem to find the time for all of life's duties that are less than satisfying (cleaning, bills, errands, etc), but we don't always find the time for what makes this life so sweet...

  One friend a day.  One person who makes the days here on earth worthwhile.

  Ready? Set?  Love.

Let's Not Make Kim K. the Poster Girl For Pregnant Women Everywhere

  The only reason I get sucked into any reality star argument it is this one:

"THEY CHOSE AND CONTINUE TO CHOOSE TO GET PAID FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE THAT THEIR LIVES BECOME PUBLIC."

  And they did this in the time of mass media, social media; in a time of instant information in the palm of your hands. It is not the Hollywood when celebrities had private lives with an amount of, well, privacy.  There were not a film crews at their weddings. Nor any television networks that were willing to PAY them to televise their daily lives for millions of strangers.

  No one will argue that Kim K. is PAID HANDSOMELY to be in the public eye.  But should her pregnancy body come under scrutiny?

Well, riddle me this... did she allow the public to view her per-pregnancy body?  Did she make money off of that body?  Yes. Yes. An $18 Million dollar net worth YES.  And guess what? She's making money off of that body right now! It's free press. It's not kind, but it's free and it is making her money AND will likely do the same with her postpartum body. 

SIDE NOTE: prepare yourselves for a birth with advertising sponsers and Kim K and -insert baby name that begins with a K here- workout DVD.
 
Pregnant women like you and me, let's embrace THEM. Let's open doors for them, offer help with chores to them.  And let's have "stork parking" and family bathrooms.  And let's put down the People Magazine and stop paying any attention to the Kardashians.

Never Alone

   I have noticed that the boys are much, much braver than my other three offspring ever were. They will venture down dark hallways, up steep steps and open any door they can pry their little fingers into. And it should have been obvious why that is the case, but it took my Pops to point it out: "They are never alone. Life is probably much less scary with your best friend by your side."

I mean, duh, right?

 "If you slip and tumble downwards, aim right, brother. Aim right."

 "If this ever gets out, we can deny it ever happened. Photographic evidence be damned! It's two against one."

 "No, no... I won't lock it. I'll just close the door. Go on. Get in."

 "If we don't look directly at her, maybe she'll go away."

Life with your best friend by your side...   not a bad life if you ask me (or them).

The Apple? Yeah, It's RIGHT NEXT To The Tree.

This one? She talks. 

 Non. 

Stop. 

(She's a tad bit like her mother that way.)

 

After all, silence is overrated. 

And talking with your kids is the sweetest noise.