A Letter to Mrs. Crocker

Dear Mrs. Crocker,

When I was a little girl, my family lived across the hall from your family.  We spent a lot of time together - your family and mine.  I can remember Jennifer, Doug and Betsy playing with me and Dana for hours.  We would sled down that big hill in the winter and play kick the can until dark (and sometimes after) in the summer.  I remember Doug jumping down the stairs to the basement and hitting his head on that pipe.  Wow! That was a lot of blood.  I remember Betsy.  Oh, Betsy.  Even though I was only 9 years old, I knew she was a handful.  Now that I have a #3, I understand.

Oddly enough, one of my most vivid memories of you is your hair.  I thought you had beautiful hair.  This is why I did not understand why you wore it in a ponytail every day - a ponytail tied with a blue ribbon.  I knew it had to look even prettier down, but never did I see it that way - not once in 3 years.  I did not understand that and I'm not sure why it was such a big deal or why it even registered with me, but it did.  And now, I understand. 

Let me explain with a story.  Sunday morning, I woke up, put on my robe, went into the kitchen and started fixing some breakfast.  I don't do this every morning, but on Sundays, I like to fix something for the family.  I put some muffins in the oven and went back to my room to dress.  As I was finishing up, the timer went off, so I hurried into the kitchen to get the muffins out of the oven.  As I was returning to finish getting myself ready, Caroline needed help with her hair, so I stopped to help.  By the time I made it back to my room, it was Mark's turn in the bathroom.  Ugh!  I lost my spot.

I returned to the kitchen to eat my breakfast, resigned to the fact that we would have to eat in shifts in order to make it to church on time.  I finished and Mark came in to iron a shirt and eat.  I took over with the shirt and he ate.  As I was finishing up the shirt, I noticed that it was about time to leave.  I rushed back to my room to fix my hair.  Of course, it would not cooperate, so for the 1,345,567th time, I, too, resorted to the ponytail.  As I was standing in front of the mirror, it dawned on me...so this is why Mrs. Crocker always wore a ponytail!  Mystery solved. 

I don't know why the image of you popped into my head the other day, but I'm glad it did.  It made me smile.  I have many fond memories of the times our families spent together.  I just have one more question - how did you keep up with that ribbon?  :-)

Sincerely,
Robin

Enclosed is my picture of the day -  my ponytail.  I rarely leave home without it!

Seeking motivation, inspiration and encouragement.

Found it!  I showed up to run with one of our training groups this weekend.  I was moving one of our daughters back to school and wanted to run with our training group there.  We showed up, visited with the team, warmed up a bit and that's when I expected to head out and get in some miles.  That's not what they do.  The last thing they do is circle up, and rally the troops, so to speak, with this chant.  How awesome is that?  It was wonderful! 

I was there in hopes of motivating and encouraging them, but they gave me far more than I brought.  Wow.  What a delightful surprise! 

In addition to this wonderful boost, I also had a great conversation with the gentleman leading the charge.  Actually, it wasn't much of a conversation.  He had a lot to say and I really did not.  It was hard to speak because I felt quite emotional listening to him.  He shared his heart with me and I appreciated that.  I was stunned by his encouragement and passion for what we are doing.  He recognizes the importance of our mission and shares our vision of getting people up off of that couch and get them moving.  Another wow moment. 

Moments like these tend to erase any of the negative experiences (not that there are any, right?).  I think God has a way of places people in our path as reminders to nudge us to stay on course.  Encouraging words are a powerful thing.  Thank you, Fred, for sharing yours with me.

I've had more than a few of those lately, so I'm glad I was able to capture one on video to share with you.  I hope it brings you some measure of the encouragement, inspiration and motivation that it gave to me.

Thank you, Team Hattiesburg!

There she goes...

....again.  It's that time again. Time for another one of my daughters to go back to school.  This isn't her first time to leave, but it is still a little difficult - definitely bittersweet.  I love having my girls around and I am always excited for them as they head out on their own.

My picture for today must be the ever growing pile of stuff that is ready to be loaded in the car and taken to school.  It seems that every time we turn around, we think of something else that is needed.

I'll miss her.  Just like I miss her sister, who is away at college, too.  I miss them because I really enjoy them.  I'm proud of the women they are becoming.  We tend to have a lot of fun when we are together.  I think sometimes that we almost speak our own language, constructed from all of the good times we've shared - moments treasured in this mother's heart.

I know that there are many parents out there saying good bye to their child for the first time.  It's not easy, and yet, it is necessary.  It is time. You have done your work and poured in what you could.  Did it take?  Yes, it did.  The good, the bad AND the ugly!  It is time for them to be on their own.  Some things they will be prepared for and some things they will have to learn on their own.  That's the way it is for all of us.

Life experience is a powerful teacher.  I pray that we have trained up our children in such a way that it saves them from the worst of heartaches and pains, while providing them the coping skills to deal with the tough stuff and critical decisions they are sure to encounter.

When I sent my first two off to college two years ago, they left as young daughters, ready to get out there, pseudo-solo, and make their way.  They have done well.  There have been ups and downs, laughter and tears.  We have walked it all together - not always easy to do when you are long distance and can only sit and listen.

It is difficult, sometimes knowing that they have to walk a road of disappointment, confusion, frustration or the unknown and the only way through is to just keep moving.  As this began to happen, I tried to assume the role of adviser, rather than parent.  Being a listener and sounding board, rather than an instructor can be a helpful, yet difficult thing, but the rewards are great.  Sure, they still need me to be a parent now and then - they're not completely grown!  The role is shifting, though, more towards that of mentor/friend than guardian/caretaker.  Now, they come and go from home still daughters, but now there is something more.  They are my friends.  I am their friend.  That is why I miss them when they're gone. 

We will continue to pack and leave tomorrow for school.  We will laugh and enjoy our day together.  I'll help her settle in and she will reassure me that she is just fine.  We will say good bye (or in our language it will be "So long!  Farewell! Auf wiedersehen....) and we will look forward to the next time we see each other.  That's the way it should be, don't you think?

Just because that's the way it should be, doesn't make it any easier.

Oh, how I love my girls!  ;-)

Do it anyway.

When you commit to being healthy, what do you do when you encounter obstacles to your workout?  You do it anyway, if at all possible. 

Obstacles will arise.  They did for me today.  I slept late because my usual Wednesday running buddy could not meet.  Once I got up, it was too hot outside to go for a run, and I was still a bit fatigued from several days of mileage this week.  I headed to the gym. 

I haven't been to the gym for a while because I've been getting my miles done outside - I like that so much better.  However, going to the gym does have it's advantages - it's cooler, I can lift weights while I'm there and I can read while I run.....IF my Kindle battery was not dead.  Ugh!  Oh well, the elliptical was working, so I got it done. 

My Kindle is now charging, so I'll be ready next time!

What do you do after 17 miles?

You sit in a tub filled with cold water.  Then you add some ice!

This had to be my picture of the day today because I may soak in a cold bath every now and then after I run, but I rarely add ice.  This is the second time I've done this in the last couple of months.

Why?  It's the marathoning thing.  A great way to reduce soreness is to sit in a cold bath for about 5 - 10 minutes.  The pushes out the lactic acid and helps to reduce swelling, thus reducing soreness. 

The trick is to get in the tub, fully dressed and prior to running the water.  It's less of a shock and eases you into the cold.  Once you are in, and the water is rising, add the ice.  Grab a good book, set your timer and wait.  Ahhh.....it really does work and you will notice a difference the next day.

Let's hope I do - I have another run in the morning!

I don't know why it was funny

...but it was, to me.  In case you can't read the sign to the right, it reads, "Please honk your horn for service at the window.  Window sensor is broken.  Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause during your visit.  Thanks, Pizza Hut"

For some reason, I usually just hate to honk my horn.  I don't know why, I guess it's because it's so loud and I'm not too fond of loud noises.  I never have been a fan.  I also, do not like being rude, although I'm sure I am from time to time.  I feel like driving up to a window and honking my horn is rude - even when they ask me to do it.  This is what's funny to me.  Why was that such an obstacle for me?  Weird.  So we waited.  And we waited.  And then I finally consented to let Caroline honk the horn.  I still felt bad for the workers.  Oh, well.  They asked me to do it!

The times, they are definitely changing!

There was only one choice for my picture of the day today.  Does this look familiar?  Do you remember the sound of your locker opening and closing?  Do you remember the panic that you felt when you couldn't get the combination to work?  Did you ever have a bottom locker and stand up before the top locker door was closed?  Ouch!

If you have forgotten any of this, you remember quickly when you are thrown back into that environment.  Of course, this time I'm the mom.  The feelings seem to be the same for the kids getting lockers for the first time.  Fear of not being able to open it.  Standing there for 20 minutes trying to master the skill of working a combination lock.  The excitement of figuring it out and the pride and fun of showing your friend how its' done.  It's all the same.

 It's funny how some things never change - or do they?  Apparently, in some schools, lockers are a thing of the past.  Say it isn't so!  Isn't the locker a rite of passage?  For us, it still is until someone deems it unsafe. 

Until then, it will remain a pretty big deal for the 7th graders to get that locker.

Forced to stop

It's been a while since I was stopped by a train, which is rather surprising.  We have trains that pass through our town 15 - 16 times each day.  That's a lot of trains! 

As I sat there watching the train pass by I thought about something I miss.  I miss the sound of the train whistle.  A while back, our town became a quiet zone.  While I am sure that the people who live right next to the train are glad, I miss the sound.  For the past 20+ years, I've heard that whistle several times a day and every night around 11, if I was still awake, I could hear it in the distance.  I miss that.  It's a wonderful sound.

Sitting at those tracks, waiting for the train to pass, made me think about how little I stop.  There's always something to do, someone to take care of or somewhere to go.  When I stop, I can think.  It's been too long since I've done this and it is time. 

I am reminded of something I heard once at a conference.  I was in a session about time management/managing your life.  The speakers spoke of how important it is to take time out to review what's going on in life/business and how often one should do this.  The point was to be intentional about setting time aside to determine if things are working, how they are working and ways to move forward. 

Setting aside an hour a week to review the previous week and plan the next can make a big difference in productivity.  Who doesn't love to be productive?  Also, taking bigger blocks of time, like a day each month or so and perhaps a weekend or two a year to do the same thing with planning and reviewing, but on a much larger scale, can give you the time and perspective to stay on course. 

As summer comes to a close and the school year begins, routine comes back into my life.  This is a good thing.  I have enjoyed a couple of months of flexibility, working more from home and spending time with my girls.  It has been fun and relaxing.  Now it is time to focus and get back to a little more work time.

Some days you just have to take some time to relax.

The last few weeks have been particularly stressful.  There are various reasons for the stress and some of the stress was good, but it was stress.  Sometimes, it just piles up and I reach a boiling point.  When I do, I have a few things I can do that help relieve the stress.

1.  I take a bubble bath.  Ahhhh......  Ever since my precious girls came along 20 years ago, I have made time for a bubble bath.  It helps just to have a little while to myself.  There was too much going on this afternoon to escape to the tub - must wait until later.

2. I go for a run.  I love this one, but today it was just too hot when I needed it and besides, I have a long run tomorrow, so that means today is a rest day.

3.  I play the piano.  This one fit just right this afternoon - between filling water balloons for Caroline for the XC water balloon fight this evening and deciding what's for supper and writing this blog.  Nice. 

I don't play particularly well, but that doesn't seem to matter.  It works.  It takes me some place else and relieves some stress.

For those of you who took piano when I did, you might remember playing scales.  That's the picture of the day.  I still have my scales book and I am still working on it.  Only, now it doesn't matter if I mess up.  I don't have to start over if I don't want to - there's no one there to make sure my posture is correct or my hands are just so.  It's just me, practicing away.

Did I stand in line yesterday?

The answer might surprise you or it might not.  I don't know.  The answer doesn't really matter, but the subject does.  The question that matters to me is, "WHY were people standing in line?".  Because they hate gay people?  I seriously doubt it - not for most.  Because they oppose gay marriage?  Perhaps - seems strange to me, but perhaps that was the reason for some.  Maybe it was because they believe in the right of free speech AND the right to believe they way we choose and not be punished for it.  I can only hope that this was the reason for the vast majority. 

I care about the reasons. The reasons say a lot about the world in which we live.  The way we react to each other is quite revealing. 

I can only speak for myself on this and any other issue.  I am a Christian.  I do not call myself religious and do not hold fast to a particular denomination.  I want to live the way Christ teaches me - with love.  I don't always do that perfectly.  In fact, I struggle daily with this.  I want people to know that God loves each and every one of us.  Period.  No question.  No doubt in my mind.  I try my best to treat everyone I meet with the respect and love of Christ.  Again, I fail miserably every day.  I keep trying.  I try to forgive as I have been forgiven.  This is a tough one.  (Like the love part, isn't?)

The thing that concerns me most about all of this the lack of love, grace and tolerance for the views/beliefs of others.  It seems as though many do not care about trying to understand another view or even respect it.  People do not seem to care unless it directly affects them, which leads me to my point.  Apathy is a terrible thing.  Apathy is defined by Widipedia as a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion.  An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical and/or physical life.

My running bud and I were discussing a famous quote the other day.  It is by German theologian, Martin Neimoller and it goes like this:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

I hope that those who stood in line yesterday, stood for our right to believe as we choose - whatever that belief.  I hope those who stood were not standing for hate.  I hope that good intentions will not be spun into evil intent.  I hope that, when the day comes for each of us - and it will - we will be able to stand for one another and protect our individual right to believe as we choose.  

As far as I know, the business in question and the person who owns it are good and positive for our nation.  I have never heard of anyone being forced to believe his way - employee or customer.  He delivers a good product with good service, generally speaking.  I will continue to support his business because I like the product and I like their service.  The day I walk in and they try to force any kind of philosophy or belief on me, is the last day I will support that business.  Somehow, I don't think this will happen.

My picture of the day is, of course: 

 

It's my picture of the day, but not for the reason you probably think.  I came close to causing a bit of a scene today in our local restaurant.  I did stand in line today because I was out with my girls, we were hungry, we like their food and appreciate their gluten free options.  As we were sitting there, enjoying our meal, we began to discuss the happenings and the fallout of yesterday and the days leading up to it.  

Luckily, we were at the back of the restaurant and I was facing the wall.  I began to think of my many friends who have felt hurt during this time because of this event and some of the things that have been said.  I felt angry because someone thinks they can read my heart according to the chicken I eat.  That's not possible. 

As I was talking, a flood of emotion rose up and I almost had to excuse myself from the table.  I gathered myself and we finished up our conversation, concluding that it is a bizarre thing this has turned into.  This is not a religious issue for me.  It is not a homosexual/heterosexual issue for me.  It is about the right to have your own opinion.  It is about free speech. I may not agree with someone, but that doesn't give me the right to shut them down.  That is scary. 

Let us not be apathetic to what's going on in our culture today.  Let's not take a stand against each other.  Let us take a stand against anyone who would force us into a society where we must all be the same.  Let us celebrate our differences and our diversity.  We will not all agree all of the time - have we ever?  No. 

We live in a free country - let's not give that up.