Monthly Archives: February 2012

Last Saturday night, my family tried a new pizza place.

We had just been seated and were awaiting our food when a father and daughter walked through the front door.

The dad was dressed in a suit and tie but it was his little girl that caught my eye. She was around 6 or 7 years old and she was all dressed up. She wore a fancy burgundy dress and a matching bow sat atop her blonde curls. She walked into the restaurant holding her daddy’s hand, looking as if she was bursting with pride.

They sat in the booth right in front of us. The little girl was having trouble sitting still due to her excitement. A fellow diner leaned over and asked what the occasion was. She was thrilled to announce that her daddy had taken her to a father/daughter dance and now they were out on a “date.”

At that point, she jumped out of the booth and twirled around in front of her father, her skirt making a delightfully full circle of fabric.

“Do I look pretty, Daddy?” she asked, eyes shining.

Her dad smiled and said, “Oh sweetie, you look BEAUTIFUL!”

She clapped her hands, jumped up and down, then scooted into his seat, where she promptly latched onto his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder, a blissful smile on her face.

Throughout their entire meal, her daddy gave his daughter his full attention. He listened to her near-constant prattling, occasionally asking questions. She laughed often and every now and then would feel compelled to leave the booth to jump up and down and clap her hands.

She was a picture of sheer happiness.

It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen.

I would venture a guess that that little girl will remember that night for the rest of her life.

It was just an ordinary Saturday night in a small-town pizza place.  Yet, it was so much more.

For that moment in time, a little girl had her daddy’s full attention and felt like a princess.  They had seized the moment. Would that more fathers would do the same.

As for my family, we too were appreciating the opportunity to be together. Since my husband works in Vermont during the week, we do not take our time together on the weekends for granted. Even routine things like going out for dinner is a special occasion. Time is such a precious gift.

Life was being celebrated that night in a family-owned pizza place.

And it was beautiful.

My daughter just finished her first season as a basketball player for the JV team at her high school.

After four months of sitting in the stands to cheer the team on, I have learned a few things:

1) Attitude is everything.

This year’s team did not win a single game. They came close several times but were never victorious. One loss was particularly distressing. Our girls were leading by one point with five seconds to go. At the very last second, an opposing teammate stole the ball and sunk a three-pointer just as the buzzer sounded.

Agonizing.

After their last game on Saturday morning (and one more loss), the team went out for a late breakfast at a local diner. Julia said everyone was in high spirits, despite their dismal season. Later, I saw  that several of her teammates had posted on Julia’s Facebook wall, congratulating each other on a great season where friendships  and memories were made and lots of laughter was shared.

We can’t be winners all the time. It’s easy to win graciously…but what about when we lose? Can we count the blessings anyway? Can we be grateful for the experience?  Can we separate our identity from our performance?

2) Don’t be afraid to try new things.

My daughter had never played organized basketball before but she was willing to give it a go. I admire her courage. She rose to the challenge, learned all she could, tried her hardest, and made new friends.

Life is short. Don’t let fear stop you from truly experiencing it. Get off the sidelines. Challenge yourself every day.

3) Know  your strengths.

There is one girl on Julia’s team who is around 5’1″. At first glance she was an unlikely basketball player, but she became one of the team’s best guards. She was tough, tenacious, and relentless. She got the ball and passed it to the point guard every time. That was her role.  She didn’t try to be a point guard, a center, or a power forward. She was a guard and she was the best guard she could be.

You are the only you on this planet. No one else can fill your shoes. No one else can make the contribution you make. Whatever you are best at, do it. Don’t get sidetracked by trying to fill another person’s role. Be the best you can be.

4) Don’t let limitations stop you.

Another one of Julia’s teammates has Down’s Syndrome.  Her mother had told the coach she had no interest in her daughter riding the bench all season. She expected her to play. And play she did.  Nobody worked harder than this young lady. She gave her all in every game and made several 3 point shots.

Make a decision today that you won’t ride the bench. If there is something you want to do, try.

5) Don’t pay attention to the people in the stands.

There will always be naysayers; those who are with you when you are winning but who are only too happy to point out your flaws when things begin to go south. They are not out there on the court. You are. So focus on the task at hand and do what you are there to do.

Life, like basketball season, is short.

Stop riding the bench.

Get in the game.

Take your place and know your role.

No more half-hearted efforts. Play your heart out. Just like basketball players leave it all on the court, pour your energy into living all the life out of this day.

Don’t run from a challenge. Meet it head on.

If you get knocked down, get back up.

Celebrate the wins. Learn from the losses.

Then, when the game is over and the lights are turned off, you will know that you seized your moment on this earthly stage and made an impact.

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”—Michael Jordan

Whitney Houston’s music provided much of the soundtrack of my high school and college years. Her songs always made me think of carefree days,  a time when life was bright with the promise of happy tomorrows.

It has been sad to watch her decline through the years as she was ravaged by drugs and alcohol abuse; her exquisite, soaring voice  ruined.

News of her death at the age of 48 on Saturday night was heartbreaking but not shocking.

I thought of her death when I read this verse this morning:

Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to You. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! All his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, my only hope is in You. (Psalm 39:4-7, Living Bible).

Riches and fame are hollow victories. They provide no true peace or happiness. Nor can they save someone from their personal demons. Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Whitney are all proof of that.

What will you gain if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? (Mark 8:36)

The truth is, there is no lasting peace in this world without Jesus.

I was able to view Whitney Houston’s last (impromptu) performance which was taped two days before she died.

The devastating effects of time and abuse had altered her once fresh and beautiful face into a hardened and bitter one. However, for a brief moment or two, the old Whitney Houston shone through. The crowd screamed as she sang and she gave a playful wave before exiting the stage for  what would be the final time.

She sang “Jesus Loves Me.”

I hope she knew how very much He did.

Because you have set your love upon Me, therefore I will deliver you; I will set you on high because you know and understand My Name. (You have a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness. You trust and rely on Me, knowing I will never forsake you, no, never).  —Psalm 91:14, Amplified version

God Himself has said, “I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!” So, we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, “The Lord is My Helper; I will not be seized with alarm. I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?” —Hebrews 13:5-6, Amplified Version

It can be a scary world out there.

So many fellow believers I know are suffering right now and my heart goes out to them. I read these verses in my quiet time today and felt led to share them here this morning.

Whatever you are facing, you are not alone.

You are not without hope.

Your Savior sees. He knows. He cares.

He has a plan for your good and for His highest glory.

He is always victorious.

He is your Shield, your Defender, your Deliverer.

He upholds you and will give you the strength to stand.

You are the apple of His eye.

He rejoices over you with singing.

You bring Him great joy.

Reach out to Him and cast all your cares onto Him. He will take your every single one of your cares and bear the burden for you.

All you need to do is hold His hand by recounting His wondrous promises…and a gray day can be filled and transformed with the bright colors of  His Joy.

You are safe in His everlasting arms.

I ended up going down a Facebook rabbit trail for at least two hours last night.

It all started innocently enough. I made a comment on the page of one of my childhood friends. Almost immediately, another person commented and I recognized the  last name of a family who used to live in my neighborhood.

I had not thought of this family in years. So, I clicked on her profile to see how life had turned out for my former classmate.

Life has been hard for her. She is currently dealing with a debilitating disease and her children all have special needs. I was overwhelmed just reading about their many issues and my heart went out to her.

Yet, her status updates were all upbeat, hopeful, and encouraging. She apparently is a strong woman of faith. Her Facebook page was a sunny place.

I noticed her list of friends and saw some more familiar names from high school. In full lurker mode now, I clicked on every one of them.

I saw that a classmate who had tragically lost her high school sweetheart at a young age had happily remarried. The first thing I saw that someone had written on her wall said the following:

“I’m so glad you came through your hip  replacement surgery all right, Grandma!”

Excuse me?

Grandma?! Hip  replacement surgery?! 

This woman is my age!

Which means that I old enough to have grandchildren and a hip replaced?!

Of course, I know this intellectually. Yet, there is a part of me who still feels like I am 21.

Upon clicking onto another classmate’s profile, I was taken aback to see her latest photo album entitled: “Our Daughter’s Wedding.” My former friend from our middle school days was the mother of the bride! 

We used to sit with our  girlfriends in her bedroom during sleepovers and giggle about who we might marry one day. And now she has been married for 28 years and is now both a mother-in-law and a grandma!

And…I recognized her immediately because she looked almost the same as she did when we graduated from high school!!  Good thing I sent her a friend request…I must know her beauty secrets!

Memories flooded my mind as I clicked on name after name that had not entered my consciousness for nearly three decades.

One guy who was the life of the party in high school still appears to be partying his way all over the world, his smile as bright as ever. It was on his page that I hit the mother-lode: an album filled with photos from our 25th class reunion from a few years ago, complete with names!

The most beautiful girl in our class is still the most beautiful woman in the room.

A guy I used to have a crush on was totally unrecognizable. I would never have known him in a million years.

I was happy to see that a couple who married right out of high school are still together.

Overall, I was amazed at how many people I recognized because they have changed so little. There must be something in the water in western PA!

I finally closed down my laptop, thinking about the difference between being a high school kid in the early 80s verses today. It seemed like it was a much more innocent time.

There were still mainly 3 broadcast channels, although cable was taking off.  If we wanted to know what was on TV that night, we consulted the thick TV Guide.

We were the first family on our block to subscribe to a new thing called Home Box Office (HBO) and also the first to own a VCR.

MTV came on the scene for the first time. We watched Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at least ten million times.

Nobody had a cell phone.  In fact, phones were still attached to the kitchen wall and came with a long cord. Most people didn’t even have call-waiting or answering machines. If you called someone and they were on the line, you heard a busy signal (a sound my kids have never heard). If you left your house, no one could get in touch with you until you returned.

There was no 24 hour news cycle. Television stations actually went off the air around 2 a.m.after playing The Star Spangled Banner.

We still had to use dictionaries and typewriters to write term papers. Computers were large and no one had one in their homes. There was no internet.

The “must-have” was a Sony Walkman, which was so much cooler and hip than the 8 track players that were all the rage in the previous decade.

Very few kids had their own cars. We learned to drive in whatever our parents drove. (In my case, it was a snazzy wood-paneled station wagon).

Hard drugs weren’t around in my small town. A big scandal resulted if someone got caught smoking in the high school bathroom.

Hair was huge and blue mascara was considered hip.

We did not send emails, we wrote letters in longhand.

Everyone knew their neighbors. Dads washed their cars by hand while listening to the Pirates game on the radio and moms would congregate on front stoops to chat.

Families ate dinner together. Around 5:00, we would begin to hear various moms calling their kids to come inside for supper.

Yes, it was definitely a simpler time.

As I head to bed tonight, my mind is filled with happy memories of days gone by and I know I will go to sleep with a smile.

I am looking forward to reconnecting with some of my former classmates via Facebook.

What about you? Have you gone to any of your class reunions? Do you look back on your high school years fondly? Do you think things were easier when you were a teenager?

For the past couple of weeks, I have been on a quest to discover all I can about the importance of diet since I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.

I want to be as healthy as I can be, which means that I don’t want to consume the very things that will aggravate the problem. I have already kicked my severe caffeine addiction. (I knew that salt was a major culprit for someone with high blood pressure but a  study was just released last week that showed sugar is a  big contributor as well) .

*Sob*

I have a major sweet tooth but my goal is to cut out as much white sugar as I can. Not that I won’t enjoy a treat now and then, but it has been banished from my daily diet.

While perusing Books A Million over the weekend, I found a book about eating  “clean.” It appealed to me because it is not a diet (which never works anyway) but more of a lifestyle of choosing foods that nourish rather than deplete the body.

I decided to start slow. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I chose an oatmeal recipe that the author eats every morning. I would need a few items that for some reason, I didn’t have in my kitchen cabinets: ground flaxseed, wheat germ, and bee pollen. Clearly, a trip to the health food store was in order.

Armed with my list and ever-hopeful, I entered the store. Since the owner was busy assisting other customers,  I decided to find the items myself.

Who knew there were several kinds of flaxseed, wheat germ, and bee pollen?! Whole, ground, toasted, raw, powder, capsules…I was getting a headache.

Fortunately, the owner was very helpful. I told her about my breakfast plan and she helped me find what I needed. As I was paying, I asked her about the bee pollen. I hadn’t gotten far  enough into the book to find out why I needed it.

She hauled a book the size of the Yellow Pages onto the counter and proceeded to read the wondrous benefits of bee pollen…not the least of which was that it lowers blood pressure and increases energy. That sounded wonderful to me, as I have been so tired the past couple of weeks.

I was really excited to whip up my new breakfast this morning. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I vaguely remembered the lady at the health food store  ominously using the words “strong” and “unpleasant” with regard to flaxseed, but I forced such thoughts from my mind. This was certain to be delicious!

After making the oatmeal, I dutifully added 2 tablespoons each of my flaxseed, bee pollen, and wheat germ. It looked…interesting.

Fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries were added and I must say, it looked lovely, delicious and hearty.

And so healthy!

I eagerly took my first bite.

That’s when it all went horribly wrong.

Why did this taste like sawdust and glue???

A closer look at my book revealed that if you would like to sweeten the mixture, you were free to add the following: vanilla extract, or cinnamon.

I added both.

Nothing.

In a desperate attempt to make this concoction even remotely edible, I added some agave nectar. (That wasn’t in the recipe so I was breaking the rules).

Now it just tasted like sweet sawdust and glue.

I had no idea what to do. I had spent a small fortune at the health food store and there was no way that I was going to give up and throw it away.

I added more fruit. Nope.

Then, in a moment of pure insanity, I dumped a whole bunch of Splenda over the entire thing.

(A quick check of the recipe confirmed that no, artificial sweetener was definitely not approved).

However, that was the only way I was able to finish my breakfast.

“How in the world am I going to eat this every morning?” I asked myself as I put the bowl in the dishwasher.

But then…as if by some wondrous miracle…the energy kicked in!  I could not believe it. I sailed through the morning and early afternoon clear-eyed and energetic, never even feeling the slightest bit tired. I felt better than I had in days! Weeks!  Months! Having this kind of energy was certainly worth the effort of enduring a little bowl of oatmeal!

That means only one thing:  tomorrow the oatmeal dish and I will meet at the breakfast table again.

This time, I am going to try it again without the Splenda.

Maybe I’ll just pretend I am eating a big bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Mind over matter, right? 🙂