The boy and I have some of our best conversations in the car. We also have some of the strangest. We spend a lot of time in the car, so there's no shortage of words... good or bad.
While driving home from karate a few days ago, he asked me,
"Why do stores have that sign on their doors... the one that says
NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE?"
I said, "Well, believe it or not, some people would try to go into a business or a restaurant without shoes or a shirt. Gross, isn't it?"
Instead of agreeing with me, (because all 13 year-old boys agree with their mothers) he said,
"The next time I go into a restaurant, I'm going in with no pants on. The sign does NOT say
NO PANTS, NO SERVICE
I want to see if I will be served. They have to serve me."
"You'll be served with an arrest warrant," I said.
"Then they need to be more specific on those signs," he said.
My friend, Y, also has a 13 year-old son. She and I often talk about the strangeness that comes with having 13 year-old sons.
We have no answers; we just hug and pray for each other.
We've promised to call each other if one of us sees the other's son anywhere without clothes.
Mine will be obviously be trying to buy some lunch.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
My Word
Lately, I've noticed a trend. At the start of a new year, people are choosing a single word to live by... A word to inspire. A word to motivate. A "word of the year."
Some of the words I've seen are:
"BREATHE" "HOPE" "HEALTHY"
I like the idea of choosing a word to guide me through the year, so I've been thinking and thinking.
All I can come up with is "OVERWHELMED."
Go ahead and laugh; I did.
I really tried to be more positive and creative. But, "OVERWHELMED" keeps coming back to my mind. So I decided to go with it, and here's why.
At the end of 2012, I was overwhelmed with sadness. The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut made evil glaringly real. I was overwhelmed by the brokenness of humanity.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, I was overwhelmed with traveling. Military families don't usually live close to relatives, so when there's a holiday, you either celebrate alone or hit the road. We logged a lot of miles in the car, and it gets old. I was overwhelmed with gas station receipts, cricks in my neck, and a car-sick kid.
When January came, I was overwhelmed at the "things to do" list that hadn't been done. I was drowning in laundry from the trips, we had no groceries in the house, and there were piles of things to be put away. I was overwhelmed with all I needed to accomplish.
I am still overwhelmed at the amount of junk I consumed between December 1 and January 1. If I drink only water until May, my body will be able to live off the stored calories. As the new year started and everyone jumped on the weight loss/fitness bandwagon, I was overwhelmed with my lack of motivation to join them.
To celebrate, I ordered some Girl Scout cookies.
I am currently overwhelmed by the newest addition to our family. We have a new puppy, and I have dark bags under my eyes. She is only 9 weeks old, and she has a bladder the size of a pea. (No pun intended.) When I take her out in the freezing cold 38 times a night, I am overwhelmed. I am also reminded WHY I have only one child. Newborn people and puppies are overwhelming.
So my word for 2013 is OVERWHELMED, but I have decided to turn it around.
Well. I am going to TRY to turn it around. There's another side to "overwhelmed" I like better.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the brokenness of humanity, I want to be overwhelmed with the good I do see. I want to be overwhelmed by God's grace. I am overwhelmed by His love for us.
Instead of being overwhelmed by all the traveling we will do (again) this year, I want to be overwhelmed by the blessing of family. I will be overwhelmed with thankfulness that we all get along and want to spend time together.
I want to be overwhelmed at the abilities I have and the opportunities I have to get things done.
I want be be overwhelmed enough at my good health to not loathe myself. I want to be overwhelmed enough to get healthier.
I will be overwhelmed by gratitude when those cookies arrive.
I don't want "OVERWHELMED" to be a bad thing.
And, as soon as she's totally potty-trained and sleeping though the night, I will be overwhelmed with love for the new puppy. In the meantime, I'll settle for being overwhelmed by her cuteness.
Some of the words I've seen are:
"BREATHE" "HOPE" "HEALTHY"
I like the idea of choosing a word to guide me through the year, so I've been thinking and thinking.
All I can come up with is "OVERWHELMED."
Go ahead and laugh; I did.
I really tried to be more positive and creative. But, "OVERWHELMED" keeps coming back to my mind. So I decided to go with it, and here's why.
At the end of 2012, I was overwhelmed with sadness. The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut made evil glaringly real. I was overwhelmed by the brokenness of humanity.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, I was overwhelmed with traveling. Military families don't usually live close to relatives, so when there's a holiday, you either celebrate alone or hit the road. We logged a lot of miles in the car, and it gets old. I was overwhelmed with gas station receipts, cricks in my neck, and a car-sick kid.
When January came, I was overwhelmed at the "things to do" list that hadn't been done. I was drowning in laundry from the trips, we had no groceries in the house, and there were piles of things to be put away. I was overwhelmed with all I needed to accomplish.
I am still overwhelmed at the amount of junk I consumed between December 1 and January 1. If I drink only water until May, my body will be able to live off the stored calories. As the new year started and everyone jumped on the weight loss/fitness bandwagon, I was overwhelmed with my lack of motivation to join them.
To celebrate, I ordered some Girl Scout cookies.
I am currently overwhelmed by the newest addition to our family. We have a new puppy, and I have dark bags under my eyes. She is only 9 weeks old, and she has a bladder the size of a pea. (No pun intended.) When I take her out in the freezing cold 38 times a night, I am overwhelmed. I am also reminded WHY I have only one child. Newborn people and puppies are overwhelming.
So my word for 2013 is OVERWHELMED, but I have decided to turn it around.
Well. I am going to TRY to turn it around. There's another side to "overwhelmed" I like better.
Instead of being overwhelmed by the brokenness of humanity, I want to be overwhelmed with the good I do see. I want to be overwhelmed by God's grace. I am overwhelmed by His love for us.
Instead of being overwhelmed by all the traveling we will do (again) this year, I want to be overwhelmed by the blessing of family. I will be overwhelmed with thankfulness that we all get along and want to spend time together.
I want to be overwhelmed at the abilities I have and the opportunities I have to get things done.
I want be be overwhelmed enough at my good health to not loathe myself. I want to be overwhelmed enough to get healthier.
I will be overwhelmed by gratitude when those cookies arrive.
I don't want "OVERWHELMED" to be a bad thing.
And, as soon as she's totally potty-trained and sleeping though the night, I will be overwhelmed with love for the new puppy. In the meantime, I'll settle for being overwhelmed by her cuteness.
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