William wrote a song today. Pretty sure it's gonna catch. Goes a little something like this...
Yome yome yome your feet
Yome yome yome your feet
Yome yome yome your feet
I don't like raisins
I don't like raisins
I don't like raisins
I don't like raisins
In the mooooooooorning
Repeat as necessary.
I can hear Justin Bieber now!
Nov 30, 2012
Nov 28, 2012
Back by Popular Demand
I got a LOT of response for the lack of William Wednesday, and I do apologize it's been so sparse lately. The third year of life (or at least in William's case) isn't nearly as jam-packed full of new things and "firsts" and "oh my gosh he learned ..." - so sometimes I feel like all I'm doing is being one of those obnoxiously annoying bragging moms. I just go on and on about how fantastic and brilliant and funny and sweet and brilliant he is. But, apprently everyone likes to hear how fantastic and briliant and funny and sweet and...brilliant...he is. So - don't say I didn't warn you - let the bragging begin.
With a couple of very painful exceptions, William has had a very happy and successful few weeks. I'll start with the bad: his opinions and desires have gotten stronger (did you think it was possible?) and his will to win a battle has grown exponentially. Candace and Herb were in town for Thanksgiving and the day before Thanksgiving he fought with me for over an hour about taking a nap, then for an hour about dinner! He didn't want to take a nap, and he wanted to eat dinner at his little yellow table in the living room. Period. And he was pretty damn sure he was going to win the fights. I won't lie, there were brief moments in there when I heard a voice in my head say, "Is he going to win?". But, he did not and he's lucky he gave up on dinner when he did because that little yellow table was about 2 minutes away from mass destruction by dada. If this was a window into the dreaded 3's....Lord help us.
As the dinner fight was winding down, and I realized I had exerted every ounce of energy in my body into winning the war, I looked at him and said, "William, one day I will be sitting in Cici's chair. You will be sitting in my chair. And I promise you, I am going to laugh my tush off." The thought alone was enough to give me the energy to finish the night.
Aside from our brief meetings of the minds, he's been an exceptionally good and happy boy lately. Maybe he's making up for the horror moments with times of elation, I don't know - but I won't argue! His teachers have commented that he's been in an even better mood than normal and genuinely excited by everything. And they are really starting to catch on to his intelligence.
A few weeks ago we got his semi-annual performance evaluation, which is done in May and November. He was "proficient" (the top mark) in about 95% of the categories and "master" in the other 5%. And the teachers were sure to note how amazed they were by his speech, vocabulary, and complexity of his sentences. And do you know what my little math brain child can do? He can count to 20.
Cici said he's the future president. Pop said he's a budding engineer. I think he's just a genius!
But, he's not entirely out of baby-hood...mommy can still hold on a LITTLE bit...
Despite the fact that he speaks in amazingly complex sentences and has a vocabulary that rivals some middle schoolers (sad, but true) he still has some baby words that I cherish. (big thanks to casey for helping me keep them in line!)
wemdade. his favorite drink. also known as lemonade
NM's. his favorite candy. the candy that melts in your mouth, not your hand.
chlocate. the substance inside NM's.
Besides his cute little words and the moments when he runs into my arms for security when he's scared, hurt, shy, or sad he's really not resembling a baby or toddler at all anymore. But don't be fooled by the lack of writing - just because he doesn't have milestone after milestone for me to gloat about, he makes my days busier and more full as time goes. He's the greatest thing on this earth.
With a couple of very painful exceptions, William has had a very happy and successful few weeks. I'll start with the bad: his opinions and desires have gotten stronger (did you think it was possible?) and his will to win a battle has grown exponentially. Candace and Herb were in town for Thanksgiving and the day before Thanksgiving he fought with me for over an hour about taking a nap, then for an hour about dinner! He didn't want to take a nap, and he wanted to eat dinner at his little yellow table in the living room. Period. And he was pretty damn sure he was going to win the fights. I won't lie, there were brief moments in there when I heard a voice in my head say, "Is he going to win?". But, he did not and he's lucky he gave up on dinner when he did because that little yellow table was about 2 minutes away from mass destruction by dada. If this was a window into the dreaded 3's....Lord help us.
As the dinner fight was winding down, and I realized I had exerted every ounce of energy in my body into winning the war, I looked at him and said, "William, one day I will be sitting in Cici's chair. You will be sitting in my chair. And I promise you, I am going to laugh my tush off." The thought alone was enough to give me the energy to finish the night.
Aside from our brief meetings of the minds, he's been an exceptionally good and happy boy lately. Maybe he's making up for the horror moments with times of elation, I don't know - but I won't argue! His teachers have commented that he's been in an even better mood than normal and genuinely excited by everything. And they are really starting to catch on to his intelligence.
A few weeks ago we got his semi-annual performance evaluation, which is done in May and November. He was "proficient" (the top mark) in about 95% of the categories and "master" in the other 5%. And the teachers were sure to note how amazed they were by his speech, vocabulary, and complexity of his sentences. And do you know what my little math brain child can do? He can count to 20.
Cici said he's the future president. Pop said he's a budding engineer. I think he's just a genius!
But, he's not entirely out of baby-hood...mommy can still hold on a LITTLE bit...
Despite the fact that he speaks in amazingly complex sentences and has a vocabulary that rivals some middle schoolers (sad, but true) he still has some baby words that I cherish. (big thanks to casey for helping me keep them in line!)
wemdade. his favorite drink. also known as lemonade
NM's. his favorite candy. the candy that melts in your mouth, not your hand.
chlocate. the substance inside NM's.
Besides his cute little words and the moments when he runs into my arms for security when he's scared, hurt, shy, or sad he's really not resembling a baby or toddler at all anymore. But don't be fooled by the lack of writing - just because he doesn't have milestone after milestone for me to gloat about, he makes my days busier and more full as time goes. He's the greatest thing on this earth.
Nov 27, 2012
I Guess It's Time
One of the highlights of moving to California for me was the close proximity to Disneyland. But, having never been, we weren't sure (still aren't!) what the best age would be to take William. This summer they opened a new Cars exhibit which I know he'd go crazy for, so it's just been a matter of finding the time and making the plans - we've just had lots of other things to plan ahead of this!
This weekend during the aggie game, though, William somewhat pushed the item toward the top of the agenda.
During the Aggie game on Saturday the announcers were making all sorts of rookie comments. Our move to the SEC means we have some TV commentators who are unfamiliar with aTm and seeing/learning/saying things for the first time. In some ways it's fun - a fresh look on timeless traditions, focusing on traditions that have long gone unnoticed - it's fun. But Saturday the announcer showed his inexperience when he made a comment about "aggieville".
"Where did these announcers come from?!" I asked, "It's not aggieville it's aggieLAND".
Then William chimes in, "Aggieland mommy? What about Disneyland?"
Darned school - educating him on things I'm not ready for him to know!
Guess we better go!
This weekend during the aggie game, though, William somewhat pushed the item toward the top of the agenda.
During the Aggie game on Saturday the announcers were making all sorts of rookie comments. Our move to the SEC means we have some TV commentators who are unfamiliar with aTm and seeing/learning/saying things for the first time. In some ways it's fun - a fresh look on timeless traditions, focusing on traditions that have long gone unnoticed - it's fun. But Saturday the announcer showed his inexperience when he made a comment about "aggieville".
"Where did these announcers come from?!" I asked, "It's not aggieville it's aggieLAND".
Then William chimes in, "Aggieland mommy? What about Disneyland?"
Darned school - educating him on things I'm not ready for him to know!
Guess we better go!
Nov 26, 2012
New Year's Resolutions
Surely I have shared my thoughts/feelings on new year's eve celebrations and resolutions - yes? In short, I have somewhat of a cynical view and take on it. I think it is somewhat silly to celebrate the "new year" in such a fashion yet not greet each new day the same way. Thinking about it, it's kind of contradicting that I see it this way seeing as I find birthdays and anniversaries to be of the utmost importance - but, it is what it is. I also think new year's resolutions are a bit off the mark.
For instance, in 2013 I'd like to get back to blogging more. But we still have 35 days in 2012. So why should I waste 35 great days just for the sake of setting a 2013 goal? No day should be wasted, and so I have decided to set a "November 26th Resolution": I will get back to blogging more.
I've hit what is known in the biz as writer's block. What do I know about the biz? Absolutely nothing. But I imagine this is how they feel when they use that phrase. I miss writing, and I think of writing, but I'm at a loss as to about what I should write. I got to a point where my posts were all so meaningful that it's hard to go back to the light hearted, arguably meaningless posts. I had a one year old seeing the world for the first time, I had a husband in Afghanistan, I had an unexpected sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dreaded move to California...I had a lot of deep stuff to share! However, since we've been settled here I've felt a void where my heart-tugs used to be. My life seems to have been in a much needed lull, a slower pace for a bit, yet it left me with few subjects to channel my writing toward. But after introducing my blog to a new friend (and lifelong lost friend I've decided) I revisited some of my old posts and realized they weren't all long...they weren't all heart felt...they weren't all happy or sad or even funny...sometimes they were dumb and meaningless, but I enjoyed writing them and they filled the gaps in between the meaningful days.
So I will get back to writing. Not in the new year though - I'll get back to it today.
Manda is back.
Any requests?
For instance, in 2013 I'd like to get back to blogging more. But we still have 35 days in 2012. So why should I waste 35 great days just for the sake of setting a 2013 goal? No day should be wasted, and so I have decided to set a "November 26th Resolution": I will get back to blogging more.
I've hit what is known in the biz as writer's block. What do I know about the biz? Absolutely nothing. But I imagine this is how they feel when they use that phrase. I miss writing, and I think of writing, but I'm at a loss as to about what I should write. I got to a point where my posts were all so meaningful that it's hard to go back to the light hearted, arguably meaningless posts. I had a one year old seeing the world for the first time, I had a husband in Afghanistan, I had an unexpected sometimes-exciting, sometimes-dreaded move to California...I had a lot of deep stuff to share! However, since we've been settled here I've felt a void where my heart-tugs used to be. My life seems to have been in a much needed lull, a slower pace for a bit, yet it left me with few subjects to channel my writing toward. But after introducing my blog to a new friend (and lifelong lost friend I've decided) I revisited some of my old posts and realized they weren't all long...they weren't all heart felt...they weren't all happy or sad or even funny...sometimes they were dumb and meaningless, but I enjoyed writing them and they filled the gaps in between the meaningful days.
So I will get back to writing. Not in the new year though - I'll get back to it today.
Manda is back.
Any requests?
Nov 17, 2012
Love Train
One of my coworkers, Jessica, got married in September. I think I probably started working there right as she was finalizing her guest list, so as the day was approaching I never wondered if I'd be invited - we hardly knew each other! But about a month before the wedding she asked me if we'd like to go and asked for my address to send an invite. I was so excited! She said she had already sent invitations but would really like us to go. I think I've been clear about how much I love weddings, and about how much I missed having friends, so it meant a lot to be invited.
The wedding was beautiful. The central coast of California sure offers some of the most beautiful scenery! It was Austin's first time to meet my coworkers(besides Casey) so I was hoping they'd like each other - never know how that's going to go. But once the dance started I remembered how social Austin can be in new settings and realized I had nothing to worry about! Austin and Casey had a mutual unspoken agreement to start trends during the dance and they did not fail. Here we were, the couple who literally barely made the cut to be invited, starting the train at the reception. And people latched on! I was anxious that people would see a train of 'who's that guy with the unrecognizable girl behind him?' And just laugh...but no! Almost the entire crowd joined in and we had the most successful wedding reception train I've been a part of!
Wedding crashers turned train crafters. Nice work!
And if that wasn't enough, Jess came to work recently and told us that she got her wedding video back and who's in the center of it? Austin with his grocery store shopping dance and the love train. We're carved in their lives forever :)
The wedding was beautiful. The central coast of California sure offers some of the most beautiful scenery! It was Austin's first time to meet my coworkers(besides Casey) so I was hoping they'd like each other - never know how that's going to go. But once the dance started I remembered how social Austin can be in new settings and realized I had nothing to worry about! Austin and Casey had a mutual unspoken agreement to start trends during the dance and they did not fail. Here we were, the couple who literally barely made the cut to be invited, starting the train at the reception. And people latched on! I was anxious that people would see a train of 'who's that guy with the unrecognizable girl behind him?' And just laugh...but no! Almost the entire crowd joined in and we had the most successful wedding reception train I've been a part of!
Wedding crashers turned train crafters. Nice work!
And if that wasn't enough, Jess came to work recently and told us that she got her wedding video back and who's in the center of it? Austin with his grocery store shopping dance and the love train. We're carved in their lives forever :)
Nov 13, 2012
I was slapped in the face
The morning after the election I woke up, felt a little raw, and wrote what I thought was a very nice blog post. It was truly how I felt. But then I went to a firm-wide volunteer day at the charity where I had been assigned and I may as well have blisters all over my tongue from how much I was biting it.
I was assigned to work at a local food kitchen for the homeless. In junior high our youth group served thanksgiving dinner to homeless people and I remembered liking the experience a lot, so I thought this would be very similar. I was either very unaware or my opinions have just drastically changed in 15 years, but I did not enjoy the experience nearly as much as I did back then.
I'll start out with the high point of my day: I was randomly picked by the volunteer coordinator to organize their clothing donation closet. I walked into a room with clothes all over the floor, hangers all over the place, trash bags thrown around - it was a mess. But there were nice cubbies with size labels on them, a clothing rack , and a tall rack for coats/sweaters. So I was assigned to organize a closet? "I MUST have been sent to the right place!" I thought.
My heart was full of compassion and love for the people who would be the recipients of these hand me down clothes. I wanted them to be folded nicely, hung in a nice orderly manner, and I really took pride in trying to make their "shopping" experience a good one. I enjoyed the few people who came in while I worked, talked some, and really was enjoying myself.
After that we had the task of preparing lunch, where I was unluckily assigned to dice 30 onions. That is a LOOOOOOOOOOT of onions. I overheard one of the employees telling the chef "we have some frozen onions in the freezer" and she said "no i want fresh today". While I wished she would have opted for frozen, I didn't blame her - use the fresh when you've got free hands to chop them! Even though my eyes hated me and my hands got blisters from the knife, I did like the idea that thanks to our firm donating our time the lunch served would be just a little more flavorful with some nice, fresh sauteed onions.
Then we served lunch.
And as lunch went on my heart turned. I heard hoots and hollers about Obama. I heard people talking about running our of their welfare money as I stared at freshly inked tatoos. I saw people in designer jeans, babies in high end baby gear, and people demanding certain particulars in their lunch. They were all offered 2 cupcakes (not sure why the dessert is served first...), one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one meat sandwich, one bowl of bean and beef chili, cheese, roll, hand made salad, fresh chopped fruit, and hawaiin punch. They were eating pretty well, in my opinion, and better than I eat many days. And to hear "I don't want peanut butter, give me two meat sandwiches" just rubbed me the wrong way. Lunch is served for one hour, and that one hour felt like it lasted longer than the other 5 combined. I'm good at organizing. I'm good at chopping veggies. I'm good at cleaning tables and counters.
Apparently I'm not good at this sort of empathetic care. I walked out thinking, "I'm way too republican to be doing this" and wondering "is God trying to change my heart or light a fire in it?" because I was certain it had to be one or the other. I like to consider myself a loving person, and I feel like I can be compassionate about a lot of life circumstances. But I found a place where my heart struggles to pour out its love. I found a place where all I see is the stereotype and failed to find the possibility that maybe even just one person truly needed what they were given.
I'm still trying to churn over the experience. I don't know what I was supposed to learn from it, but I'm kind of thinking I missed the boat. I went in open minded with an open heart and I left very much the opposite. I guess that's better than not giving it a chance at all right? I went into it truly thinking I was going to serve the less fortunate. I walked away feeling like I'm a fool for paying the system that pays them. These people genuinely seemed to be just fine with their lives, some even seemed to enjoy it. If it wasn't costing our country so much for them to sustain it, I'd have no problems. And so I struggle. I see a need and a reason and I want to pour out my love, but I see so much abuse and evil that it's so, so hard. I'm really trying.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me"
I'm really, really trying.
I was assigned to work at a local food kitchen for the homeless. In junior high our youth group served thanksgiving dinner to homeless people and I remembered liking the experience a lot, so I thought this would be very similar. I was either very unaware or my opinions have just drastically changed in 15 years, but I did not enjoy the experience nearly as much as I did back then.
I'll start out with the high point of my day: I was randomly picked by the volunteer coordinator to organize their clothing donation closet. I walked into a room with clothes all over the floor, hangers all over the place, trash bags thrown around - it was a mess. But there were nice cubbies with size labels on them, a clothing rack , and a tall rack for coats/sweaters. So I was assigned to organize a closet? "I MUST have been sent to the right place!" I thought.
My heart was full of compassion and love for the people who would be the recipients of these hand me down clothes. I wanted them to be folded nicely, hung in a nice orderly manner, and I really took pride in trying to make their "shopping" experience a good one. I enjoyed the few people who came in while I worked, talked some, and really was enjoying myself.
After that we had the task of preparing lunch, where I was unluckily assigned to dice 30 onions. That is a LOOOOOOOOOOT of onions. I overheard one of the employees telling the chef "we have some frozen onions in the freezer" and she said "no i want fresh today". While I wished she would have opted for frozen, I didn't blame her - use the fresh when you've got free hands to chop them! Even though my eyes hated me and my hands got blisters from the knife, I did like the idea that thanks to our firm donating our time the lunch served would be just a little more flavorful with some nice, fresh sauteed onions.
Then we served lunch.
And as lunch went on my heart turned. I heard hoots and hollers about Obama. I heard people talking about running our of their welfare money as I stared at freshly inked tatoos. I saw people in designer jeans, babies in high end baby gear, and people demanding certain particulars in their lunch. They were all offered 2 cupcakes (not sure why the dessert is served first...), one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one meat sandwich, one bowl of bean and beef chili, cheese, roll, hand made salad, fresh chopped fruit, and hawaiin punch. They were eating pretty well, in my opinion, and better than I eat many days. And to hear "I don't want peanut butter, give me two meat sandwiches" just rubbed me the wrong way. Lunch is served for one hour, and that one hour felt like it lasted longer than the other 5 combined. I'm good at organizing. I'm good at chopping veggies. I'm good at cleaning tables and counters.
Apparently I'm not good at this sort of empathetic care. I walked out thinking, "I'm way too republican to be doing this" and wondering "is God trying to change my heart or light a fire in it?" because I was certain it had to be one or the other. I like to consider myself a loving person, and I feel like I can be compassionate about a lot of life circumstances. But I found a place where my heart struggles to pour out its love. I found a place where all I see is the stereotype and failed to find the possibility that maybe even just one person truly needed what they were given.
I'm still trying to churn over the experience. I don't know what I was supposed to learn from it, but I'm kind of thinking I missed the boat. I went in open minded with an open heart and I left very much the opposite. I guess that's better than not giving it a chance at all right? I went into it truly thinking I was going to serve the less fortunate. I walked away feeling like I'm a fool for paying the system that pays them. These people genuinely seemed to be just fine with their lives, some even seemed to enjoy it. If it wasn't costing our country so much for them to sustain it, I'd have no problems. And so I struggle. I see a need and a reason and I want to pour out my love, but I see so much abuse and evil that it's so, so hard. I'm really trying.
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me"
I'm really, really trying.
Nov 9, 2012
I found it! Sort of...
Well, after I got some (less than desired, might I add, thanks for nothing people) feedback on my shopping quandries I decided to bite the bullet and go to Nordstrom's. I received a lot of emails supporting Alexis's vote for Nordstrom, and the best advice I got was from Kristine that she's found a few nice pieces are better than a lot of junky pieces. So - ok, fine. I decided I'd give the expensive stuff a try.
Let me tell you, if someone were to write a tv show based on me in the dressing room of Nordstrom, it'd win an emmy for sure. It was less than comical to me, but I'm guessing to any onlooker it would have been highly amusing.
First of all, most price tags had my jaw on the floor. I had picked up a teal cardigan and when I saw the tag said $50 I said- OUT LOUD - "you want $50 for this sheet of fabric with some sleeves???" But, then I tried it on. It was like I had just climbed into a bed at the Ritz Carlton. (or so i imagine) It was so soft! Most comfortable top I have ever put on and then I said "wow, you ONLY want $50? I'll take it!"
Second, I was pulling things on an giving myself the curious eye in the mirror, trying to determine if things even matched, if I was wearing them right...you'd think I had just come from the 1800's and was curious where the balloon skirts had gone.
And so my shopping commenced. I learned a few more things about my shortcomings in the shopping world:
I can not build an outfit (on my own) to save my life.
I wear solid colors not because I'm boring, but because I know how to match solid colors. Stripes and patterns scare me.
I am more comfortable in a world where shoes are just black and white, but I really want someone to come show me how to rock out some bright, bold shoes.
Expensive pants really do make curvy butts look better.
I went into the day telling myself I was allowed to spend $500. I left after spending $300 and that was begrudgingly. Baby steps I suppose. But thanks to their half-yearly sale and an awesome salesperson, I got a few real steals! $40 used to be my magic price - anything above that is too expensive, and half of my items still fell in that happy range. I was quite pleased.
All in all, I am a fan of Nordstrom clothes on a sale day. The shoes, however.........
no, can't do it. Back to DSW I go.
Let me tell you, if someone were to write a tv show based on me in the dressing room of Nordstrom, it'd win an emmy for sure. It was less than comical to me, but I'm guessing to any onlooker it would have been highly amusing.
First of all, most price tags had my jaw on the floor. I had picked up a teal cardigan and when I saw the tag said $50 I said- OUT LOUD - "you want $50 for this sheet of fabric with some sleeves???" But, then I tried it on. It was like I had just climbed into a bed at the Ritz Carlton. (or so i imagine) It was so soft! Most comfortable top I have ever put on and then I said "wow, you ONLY want $50? I'll take it!"
Second, I was pulling things on an giving myself the curious eye in the mirror, trying to determine if things even matched, if I was wearing them right...you'd think I had just come from the 1800's and was curious where the balloon skirts had gone.
And so my shopping commenced. I learned a few more things about my shortcomings in the shopping world:
I can not build an outfit (on my own) to save my life.
I wear solid colors not because I'm boring, but because I know how to match solid colors. Stripes and patterns scare me.
I am more comfortable in a world where shoes are just black and white, but I really want someone to come show me how to rock out some bright, bold shoes.
Expensive pants really do make curvy butts look better.
I went into the day telling myself I was allowed to spend $500. I left after spending $300 and that was begrudgingly. Baby steps I suppose. But thanks to their half-yearly sale and an awesome salesperson, I got a few real steals! $40 used to be my magic price - anything above that is too expensive, and half of my items still fell in that happy range. I was quite pleased.
All in all, I am a fan of Nordstrom clothes on a sale day. The shoes, however.........
no, can't do it. Back to DSW I go.
Nov 7, 2012
America Won
So as not to confuse, let me start by saying yesterday's election did not go the way I would have liked. However, America won yesterday.
12 years ago I had one of the best teachers in my school-years. She taught World History and American History and I was fortunate enough to have her two years in a row. She was passionate about her subjects and students and genuinely cared that her students learned. She was crass and sarcastic, at times intimidating, but I loved her. (never crossed her either!) One of the lessons she loved to teach was that a president could win an election by electoral college while not carrying the popular vote. To date, it hadn't happened but she was so eager to see the day. And we did! - one year later. I think she instilled in me a bipartisan interest in election day. Based on her background one would think she would vote democratic; based on some of her comments one would think she would vote republican. But come election day, she was passionate about the fact that democrats and republicans alike could exercise their right to vote. The problem was, in the recent years, far too few had been choosing to do so.
Yesterday we saw that change. Four years ago we saw an emergence of a new voting class and yesterday we saw that energized even more. Obama and Romney both were able to reach voters who had not before been reached and were able to grab the interest of more Americans than other candidates. We are in struggling times, and there were so many issues with wide variances on the table. A lot is at stake right now. But maybe it is at these times, when times aren't good, that we can truly grow. In a plush economy, when presidents are riding the economic policies of presidents past and boasting success in their own favor, it is easy for people to sit back and care very little. But when everything is on the line, we have seen people stand up and face the fight rather than retreat and run away.
This makes me proud.
I have my own concerns and worries for the next four years, but I can appreciate that had the election gone the other way there would still be nearly half of America sitting in my shoes. Legitimate concerns. Legitimate worries. All coming from two very, very different sides of the playing field. We can argue all day, and in my very opinionated brain I am confident I would win, but that's not the point. The prevailing fact is that our country is very divided, yet we are still united. So I pray that as people sit happily and comfortably with the results, they do so humbly. There is no need to boast or brag. I pray that they are able to truly understand that we are a country built on different beliefs and views and that the other side is valid. I pray that they can pause and realize that they, too, would be licking their wounds today had the election not turned out in their favor and they would appreciate some grace and humility on the other side.
As for the people who happen to sit in the camp with me, I pray that we can lick our wounds lovingly and kindly. I pray that we can accept that we live in a country where just over half of our neighbors wanted and chose the candidate who won. Regardless of your views of him, he is not a villain who stole votes - he was chosen. I pray that we can accept that for the next four years, as long as we freely choose to live here, Barack Obama is our Commander in Chief. Love him or hate him, he is our president and we are fortunate enough to live in a country which operates in such a manner that the majority was heard.
There were a lot of disappointing aspects to the elections last night (can I say I'm glad - for the first time in 6 months - that I don't live in Colorado????) but personally, I looked inward at the most disappointing fact of all. Yesterday I prayed without ceasing for the two men who were fighting for the right to run our country. It occurred to me, as I started to see the writing on the wall, that I hadn't prayed for Barack Obama as much in four years as I did in one day. That's on me. This is my country and my home, and I will pray endlessly that she will be blessed and prosperous. As for Obama - while I do not agree with him on the majority of the issues, he is my leader and I will pray for the next four years in ways I failed to in the previous.
12 years ago I had one of the best teachers in my school-years. She taught World History and American History and I was fortunate enough to have her two years in a row. She was passionate about her subjects and students and genuinely cared that her students learned. She was crass and sarcastic, at times intimidating, but I loved her. (never crossed her either!) One of the lessons she loved to teach was that a president could win an election by electoral college while not carrying the popular vote. To date, it hadn't happened but she was so eager to see the day. And we did! - one year later. I think she instilled in me a bipartisan interest in election day. Based on her background one would think she would vote democratic; based on some of her comments one would think she would vote republican. But come election day, she was passionate about the fact that democrats and republicans alike could exercise their right to vote. The problem was, in the recent years, far too few had been choosing to do so.
Yesterday we saw that change. Four years ago we saw an emergence of a new voting class and yesterday we saw that energized even more. Obama and Romney both were able to reach voters who had not before been reached and were able to grab the interest of more Americans than other candidates. We are in struggling times, and there were so many issues with wide variances on the table. A lot is at stake right now. But maybe it is at these times, when times aren't good, that we can truly grow. In a plush economy, when presidents are riding the economic policies of presidents past and boasting success in their own favor, it is easy for people to sit back and care very little. But when everything is on the line, we have seen people stand up and face the fight rather than retreat and run away.
This makes me proud.
I have my own concerns and worries for the next four years, but I can appreciate that had the election gone the other way there would still be nearly half of America sitting in my shoes. Legitimate concerns. Legitimate worries. All coming from two very, very different sides of the playing field. We can argue all day, and in my very opinionated brain I am confident I would win, but that's not the point. The prevailing fact is that our country is very divided, yet we are still united. So I pray that as people sit happily and comfortably with the results, they do so humbly. There is no need to boast or brag. I pray that they are able to truly understand that we are a country built on different beliefs and views and that the other side is valid. I pray that they can pause and realize that they, too, would be licking their wounds today had the election not turned out in their favor and they would appreciate some grace and humility on the other side.
As for the people who happen to sit in the camp with me, I pray that we can lick our wounds lovingly and kindly. I pray that we can accept that we live in a country where just over half of our neighbors wanted and chose the candidate who won. Regardless of your views of him, he is not a villain who stole votes - he was chosen. I pray that we can accept that for the next four years, as long as we freely choose to live here, Barack Obama is our Commander in Chief. Love him or hate him, he is our president and we are fortunate enough to live in a country which operates in such a manner that the majority was heard.
There were a lot of disappointing aspects to the elections last night (can I say I'm glad - for the first time in 6 months - that I don't live in Colorado????) but personally, I looked inward at the most disappointing fact of all. Yesterday I prayed without ceasing for the two men who were fighting for the right to run our country. It occurred to me, as I started to see the writing on the wall, that I hadn't prayed for Barack Obama as much in four years as I did in one day. That's on me. This is my country and my home, and I will pray endlessly that she will be blessed and prosperous. As for Obama - while I do not agree with him on the majority of the issues, he is my leader and I will pray for the next four years in ways I failed to in the previous.
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