9 Lies We Tell

Let's face it.  Everyone Lies.  We may not think of it as a lie, but we do it, even without thinking.   Why do we do it?  Mostly to protect ourselves or to spare someone's feelings.  How many of these are you guilty of telling?

How are you?  Fine, thank you....and you?

Truth:  I'm terrible and I'll thank you NOT to ask me that again.   I don't care how you are, please just leave me alone.

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How is your business?  Great - having a good year.

Truth:  You just HAD to ask.  Did you want to rub it in my face that you are doing so well?  It has been our worst year on record and we are hoping to keep the doors open at least another year.

Saying Goodbye To Our Dog, Our Friend

Willow.  Six years ago this baby girl was tied to a fence with a coat hanger waiting for the "dog disposer" to pick her up.  Who could imagine the rejection this gentle creature must have felt?  It was obvious she had been abused.

It was Easter four years ago.  Rochelle was visiting us when she got the call from her hubby who was working in the Arctic North.  "Now, please don't be angry with me but I got us another dog."  I watched Rochelle's mouth tighten and the air was tense.  She had three dogs and a cat and certainly did not need another one.  They argued about it for a few minutes.  When she got off the phone, it was clear she lost the battle.

Great way for a Husky to cool off

What Is Your 'If Only' Moment?

How many 'if only' moments do we get?  If only I had not said that.  If only I had not gone there.  If only I had made a better choice.  If only I had called them.  If only I had made the effort to see them one last time.  If only.......

Once we have said it..... it is spoken.
Once we have done it.....it is done.
Can we take back the words, undo the deed?  No.

Sure-fire Solution to Combat Depression

Depression. Hopelessness. Battle Weary. Despair. Many of us have used these terms to relay our feelings. I have been on this road.....a lot.

In light of Robin Williams' death, we have been encouraged to support the depressed. Pretty hard to do if you don't know if someone is in need of help. Personally, I think one of the worst things you can say to a depressed person is "Don't worry - Be Happy!" which empathizes the point that they should not be blue and creates an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

I encourage you to watch David Letterman's tribute to Robin Williams linked here.  David shared his relationship with his close friend of many years. As close as they were, Mr. Letterman had absolutely no idea of Robin Williams' pain.

Rich or Poor? A Matter of Perspective

A Lesson in Appreciation.  I was raised to count my blessings. No matter how tough life seemed, my parents showed me that I could always find someone who was hurting more, owned less or who was not as fortunate or healthy as myself. They explained that by throwing pity parties, we will rarely accomplish more than underscoring how we already feel - hard done by.

The lesson my parents taught me carried me through a rough life. No matter how much I had to endure, if I found a way to encourage someone who was hurting; in turn, I would be encouraging myself.  I think the following story speaks volumes to this end.

What Would Spiderman Have Done?

Stealing goes far beyond the actual act.  When the victim is a child, it is an even greater crime.  Many of you will remember my recent posts on taking care of my daughter's sheep, six dogs, and a cat while they went on their first family vacation.....to Hawaii. The morning Rochelle, Thomas and their two-year-old William left for Hawaii, I helped William pack his new Spiderman Bag from Gramma.

The bag carried as many Thomas the Train vehicles it could possibly hold, along with a small track. This would certainly provide entertainment on the long airplane ride.   William also packed an iPhone that had a few of his favorite movies downloaded. He was ready to go and excited.

The trip to Hawaii proved to be a wonderful vacation for Rochelle and her family.  They used William's iPhone to take almost a thousand pictures and were excited to have all those wonderful memories recorded.  

Forgive them? Are You Crazy?

Unforgiveness...  to forgive or not forgive, it is your decision and your choice!  Period!

“You have no idea what he did to me!” Ever hear someone say that? Did you ever say that? Or have you ever thought it while justifying your choice not to forgive the one who wronged you?

Recently, a dear friend told me he has stage 3 cancer. It is a type of cancer that is aggressive in nature. The saddest part is he complained of symptoms for over a year which his doctor chose to ignore and dismissed as insignificant. If the doctor had taken tests when asked, more than likely it never would have progressed to this stage. 

Letter To My Aging Dog

Dear Precious Mercedez:

When we went for our walk today, you YAWNED.  I couldn't believe it.  Walking was always your favorite pastime.  I looked at you and realized you were tired - aging and BONE tired.  It was hot outside and you wanted the coolness of your room. 

Was it that long ago when I came home from work, you would run in circles with great anticipation of a walk?  Didn't matter what the weather was like -- didn't matter if it was dinner time. What mattered was Mom was home and you could now go for a walk. Weekends were even more exciting. Weekends meant a trip in the Jeep to the mountain where you could run until you were ready to collapse.  The last time I took you on one of those runs, three wolves crossed our path and I decided we would rethink this weekend trek.

Then it happened.  I came home from work one day and the throw rugs in the entry way were askew. When I walked into the kitchen, the rugs in there were in a pile.  What on earth happened?  And where were you?  You didn't come running to the door, leash in your mouth, tail wagging.