It’s that time of year when school reunions are being held. That leads to alumni “creeping” Facebook pictures to remind ourselves of our classmates and the good times.
A couple of years ago I uploaded pictures of my childhood. Among them were a couple of group pictures of school classes and Vacation Bible Schools.
Over the last few days, people have been commenting on those pictures and naming some of the children. That has lead to comments to each other.
One of the comments I received today was something I would have appreciated knowing when I was a child/teenager. I won’t share that comment here, but I definitely did not know anyone had ever thought that way about me!
I did not have any feeling of worth or self-confidence - or very little. I don’t think it was anyone’s fault; I doubt they knew I felt that way because I rarely talked about myself. But I felt invisible. I now realize there was no need to feel that way, but I did. I guess because of that I have tried very hard to instill positive attitudes in my own children and grandchildren. I am very proud of the way they are taking the world by the tail and accomplishing something worthwhile with their lives. I’m sorry to say I don’t tell them enough. I hope to change that. (To my family - if you are reading this, please know how much I love you and admire you!)
Back when I was young, females did not have many options. I only aspired to work as a secretary until I got married and had children, and that’s exactly what I did. The other choices were teacher or nurse.
My daughter has a very good work ethic and has made a name for herself in the public arena of politics, along with bringing up two daughters and a son. Her husband is very supportive of her endeavors. I admire him, too.
My son also has a good work ethic and has “climbed the ladder,” succeeding in his chosen field and has guided two girls into womanhood. He is a very responsible person (although I often wondered in his youth whether he would be or not. LOL)
So, my advice today is tell people, especially young people, how much you admire them, even if it is only the fact that they are in your life. There’s got to be something about them you admire. TELL THEM!
Until next time . . .
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Trip Down Memory Lane
I decided recently to transfer some cassette tapes I had collected to CDs. As I was copying them, I did a little listening. Oh, my, how the memories came flooding back to me!
The main memory I want to share today is of Russ’s Aunt Kitty.
She was a treasure. She was honest, but gentle in her reprimand and approach. She taught school even past her official retirement. She had moved to be with her daughter in Nashville and found a Child Care organization that needed a helping hand, which she gladly gave.
Kitty had played the piano for the Fredonia Cumberland Presbyterian Church for more years than anyone wanted to admit remembering. It was not long after moving that she once again got the opportunity to use her talented ability in her new church. When she decided it was time to give that up, at age 82, the choir director arranged for her to come and play a selection of songs while he recorded them. That recording was what caused me to reminisce.
Kitty was a little bitty thing, but always a ball of fire, and that carried over into her music. I had forgotten how talented she was and the speed with which she struck those keys, making sweet music.
I am so blessed to have this collection of songs to help me remember a wonderful lady, who always loved me from the time I joined their family. She exemplified God’s love in her life. She was a strong defender of her family. She was a giving person.
I doubt many of us will leave the same level of inheritance that Kathryn Rachel Harmon Quertermous left. But then, we can always hope and strive to be a better person.
The main memory I want to share today is of Russ’s Aunt Kitty.
She was a treasure. She was honest, but gentle in her reprimand and approach. She taught school even past her official retirement. She had moved to be with her daughter in Nashville and found a Child Care organization that needed a helping hand, which she gladly gave.
Kitty had played the piano for the Fredonia Cumberland Presbyterian Church for more years than anyone wanted to admit remembering. It was not long after moving that she once again got the opportunity to use her talented ability in her new church. When she decided it was time to give that up, at age 82, the choir director arranged for her to come and play a selection of songs while he recorded them. That recording was what caused me to reminisce.
Kitty was a little bitty thing, but always a ball of fire, and that carried over into her music. I had forgotten how talented she was and the speed with which she struck those keys, making sweet music.
I am so blessed to have this collection of songs to help me remember a wonderful lady, who always loved me from the time I joined their family. She exemplified God’s love in her life. She was a strong defender of her family. She was a giving person.
I doubt many of us will leave the same level of inheritance that Kathryn Rachel Harmon Quertermous left. But then, we can always hope and strive to be a better person.
"Ms. Kitty" - August 2, 1914 - November 19, 2003
Monday, June 06, 2011
Stress - Is it always bad?
A friend was talking today about how her family member was dealing with stress - well, actually, NOT dealing with the stress in her life.
That conversation reminded me of the kijillion episodes of stress I have dealt with over the years. There were the times as a child I was told my parents’ divorce was my fault; there were the times during my teen years I struggled to be liked by the “right” people, the popular kids, and the people who wielded power. There was stress of school, the stress of employment, the stress of work. There were times as a young adult when I did not meet the expectations of my family, or myself.
There were also times of stress when, as a young bride, I tried to do everything “perfectly” - cook, clean, entertain, etc. After having children, the stress level became higher when we moved away from home, family and friends, trying to find new friends with the same goals and values as mine.
There were also the years of dealing with having a husband who traveled five days a week, being gone away from home four of those nights. Don’t get me wrong. I understood, and was thankful, he was doing what he was doing to provide a good life for us, and I had agreed to take over the responsibilities when he accepted the promotion. Our friends did not understand why we did not leave the children with grandparents (who were not available to us) or hire a babysitter and go out for a fun time like they did.
Fast forward to the teen years of my own children. No need to go into details here. If you have or have had teens of your own, you know all too well how stressful that is. If you haven’t, no words can explain that situation to your understanding.
Becoming a widow at an age I had hoped to be free of obligations and responsibilities and be able to travel as a couple brought on a different kind of stress. During those childhood and teen years, I suffered with what was commonly called a “nervous stomach”. Some days I was unable to eat anything of substance or nutritious. That seemed to return for a period of time. During the first few months of being a married “single parent” as my husband built his career, I had overwhelming feelings of having the world on my shoulders. I had been responsible for making all decisions regarding the children and the home during the week. I had looked forward to the weekends, even if he was too tired to deal with the things I had handled all week. Now there was no weekend to look forward to.
Each of these things brought about stress in my life. Was it all bad? No! It made me who I am; at times, the stress was what motivated me to keep going - so I could see the end of that episode. Other times, I wanted to crawl under the covers and wait for that particular episode to go away.
Even now, I have my aging mother who needs me. That, in itself, is stressful. Since she is close to her 92nd birthday, she no longer drives. Even with the use of a walker, she is still unsteady on her feet. I am required to take her on trips to various doctors, shop for her groceries and toiletries, as well as be available at the drop of a hat as the frequent emergencies seem to occur.
I have been fortunate that the stress in my life has not caused me major health problems, such as my friend’s family member. I’m not sure whether that is because I dealt with it better or because I had a strong faith instilled in me by my family. Either way, I am somewhat thankful for the stress I have endured and very thankful I have made it through, becoming stronger after each to face the incidents that still are ahead of me.
God has blessed me more than I deserve. He has seen me through my almost 70 years with good health and an attitude that is more positive than negative.
As my pastor is always saying, “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”
That conversation reminded me of the kijillion episodes of stress I have dealt with over the years. There were the times as a child I was told my parents’ divorce was my fault; there were the times during my teen years I struggled to be liked by the “right” people, the popular kids, and the people who wielded power. There was stress of school, the stress of employment, the stress of work. There were times as a young adult when I did not meet the expectations of my family, or myself.
There were also times of stress when, as a young bride, I tried to do everything “perfectly” - cook, clean, entertain, etc. After having children, the stress level became higher when we moved away from home, family and friends, trying to find new friends with the same goals and values as mine.
There were also the years of dealing with having a husband who traveled five days a week, being gone away from home four of those nights. Don’t get me wrong. I understood, and was thankful, he was doing what he was doing to provide a good life for us, and I had agreed to take over the responsibilities when he accepted the promotion. Our friends did not understand why we did not leave the children with grandparents (who were not available to us) or hire a babysitter and go out for a fun time like they did.
Fast forward to the teen years of my own children. No need to go into details here. If you have or have had teens of your own, you know all too well how stressful that is. If you haven’t, no words can explain that situation to your understanding.
Becoming a widow at an age I had hoped to be free of obligations and responsibilities and be able to travel as a couple brought on a different kind of stress. During those childhood and teen years, I suffered with what was commonly called a “nervous stomach”. Some days I was unable to eat anything of substance or nutritious. That seemed to return for a period of time. During the first few months of being a married “single parent” as my husband built his career, I had overwhelming feelings of having the world on my shoulders. I had been responsible for making all decisions regarding the children and the home during the week. I had looked forward to the weekends, even if he was too tired to deal with the things I had handled all week. Now there was no weekend to look forward to.
Each of these things brought about stress in my life. Was it all bad? No! It made me who I am; at times, the stress was what motivated me to keep going - so I could see the end of that episode. Other times, I wanted to crawl under the covers and wait for that particular episode to go away.
Even now, I have my aging mother who needs me. That, in itself, is stressful. Since she is close to her 92nd birthday, she no longer drives. Even with the use of a walker, she is still unsteady on her feet. I am required to take her on trips to various doctors, shop for her groceries and toiletries, as well as be available at the drop of a hat as the frequent emergencies seem to occur.
I have been fortunate that the stress in my life has not caused me major health problems, such as my friend’s family member. I’m not sure whether that is because I dealt with it better or because I had a strong faith instilled in me by my family. Either way, I am somewhat thankful for the stress I have endured and very thankful I have made it through, becoming stronger after each to face the incidents that still are ahead of me.
God has blessed me more than I deserve. He has seen me through my almost 70 years with good health and an attitude that is more positive than negative.
As my pastor is always saying, “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”
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