To be Loved

I received the sweetest love note from a stranger on Facebook and I just have to share it:

“I saw something in your face, something that made my heart pause to read you, something that tickles in the heart, could it be love at first sight? Maybe we could find that out,lol.

I'm talking about faith here when feelings are so powerful it's as if some force beyond your control is guiding you to someone who can make you happy beyond your wildest dreams.”

I obviously wrote back and told him I was married, but I also thanked him for the lovely note, which came at a time when I desperately needed an emotional boost.  Sometimes it’s the words of a stranger that carry you through.  Sometimes the people closest to you are too close to see what you’re feeling and it takes someone standing far off to realize that your heart is in need of attention.

Sometimes we get so busy with our schedules and activities and deadlines and meetings that we stop noticing people.  We see bodies but not faces.  We hear words but cease to sense the heart behind the words.  Life becomes a blur of responsibilities and something inside just dies.  We stop noticing.  We become too busy to feel.  Overwrought with exhaustion, life literally passes by and we don’t even know all that has been sacrificed.

We all have needs.  Whether male or female, we all have an innate desire to feel wanted, pursued, craved, accepted, nurtured, and loved.  We all need to feel like we are a priority in someone’s life…like what we feel matters and matters enough that they’d stop the world if they could to heal your soul.  Isn’t that the magic we all seek?  

To be loved in a way that transcends logic… to be loved senselessly...to be loved entirely.  ~     

 

 

Every-Day People with Great Stories

I am currently working on a suspense story about a forty year old woman who finds herself overwhelmed by the prospect that her life is half over.  With her children now in college, her wonderfully warm home has become an empty nest…a place where her big-shot attorney husband comes only to sleep, shower and change his clothes.  She’s lonely.  For eighteen years her life has revolved around her children, their interests, their activities, and their dreams.  Somewhere along the line she lost herself in them and now that they are gone, she wonders if life is even worth living.  Her lavish home in an upscale neighborhood feels like nothing more than a million dollar shroud of loneliness.  Her hopes and dreams have all but been forgotten until an old friend reminds her of a passion once pursued, now lying dormant, but still very much a part of her heart.

If you are in this age group and have felt this empty nest syndrome…I would love to hear your story.  How did you handle it?  How is your life different today?  Email me at:  AuthorSRClaridge@gmail.com

Behind every great novel are the great stories of every-day people. ~

VIP-ness

My dad bought VIP tickets for my mom, me and my two children to see Disney’s Mary Poppins in Denver on Sunday.  First, let me say that this show was off-the-charts incredible!  The talent was phenomenal, as one would expect from Disney.  The set design was magnificent and kept the crowd amazed.  The overall production was above excellent.  We enjoyed every single moment, leaping to our feet at the end to give a well-deserved standing ovation.  All that to say this:  if you have the opportunity to see this show in a city near you, go.   It is well worth the time and money spent.

While we were there a funny thing happened.  The usher took our tickets and led us to our seats, third row from the orchestra pit.  At which time, my mother informed him that we had VIP tickets, which meant the kids were to receive a special gift.  The usher must have been new because he didn’t recognize that our tickets were the designated color for VIP status; thus, he instructed my mom to go to the box office and get some sort of voucher that would prove we had paid for the VIP upgrade.  Off she went. 

The usher then turned and said, “You’d be surprised how many people try to fake their VIP-ness.”

“Their VIP-ness,” he said in front of my ten year old and twelve year old, who somehow managed to contain their laughter until we got home.  You see, at ten and twelve the word “penis” is comical.  Hell, I’m forty-two and the word still provokes a comedic response in me.

So, as we were getting ready to go to bed that night, my son says, “We learned something very important tonight.”

My daughter and I pause and look to him, as if something deep and meaningful is about to come forth.

He grins and says, “Never fake your VIP-ness.”  We all laughed until it hurt.  And that’s how inside, family jokes are born.  ~

 

 

The Nagging Pays Off

This weekend I had a very proud parenting moment.  I have been fortunate to have many proud parenting moments, but I don’t always take the time to write about them.  Instead, they stay quietly woven into my heart where they will remain forever treasured.

The proud parenting moment to which I am referring involved my son and the good choices he made.  As a mom, I often feel that I nag and nag and nag and wonder if my words ever really sink in and if the message is heard.  This weekend I learned that my nagging has not been in vain.  My message has been received, processed and put into positive action…and I got to secretly witness it.  Here’s what happened:  My son was playing with some friends, one of which was using extremely foul language and making some inappropriate remarks.  I was about to say something, when my son told him if he didn’t stop cursing and saying bad things that he was going to have to leave.  I stood shocked.   Later, while the boys were playing Xbox, the same child told my son he was terrible at the game and called him a loser.  I was ready to charge into the room, demanding he apologize…but there was no need.  My son calmly paused the game, looked at the other kid and said, “If you say one more bad thing about me, you’re going home.” 

I tell you, I was gleeful at how well he handled the situation.  He didn’t yell, say anything derogatory back or retaliate in any way.  He simply and politely stood up for himself. 

I am SOOOOOOOOOOoooo proud of him and happy to know my nagging pays off.  J

 

 

Mars Madness

Have you seen the story about people applying for a one-way ticket to Mars?  If not, click HERE to read it. 

Now, I have to ask myself, isn’t a one-way ticket to Mars similar in theory to volunteering to be a Kamikaze pilot or a suicide bomber or going on death row?  I mean, a “one-way” ticket implies that these people are never coming back. 

There are other matters of which we should be concerned:

Is there any type of medical facility up there in case of an emergency?  What is the plumbing system like and what happens if a toilet clogs? 

What do they do for fun?  Undeniably they will get bored and if they are of opposite gender, most likely, eventually have sex…so what happens if a woman gets pregnant on Mars?  Is there a doctor who can deliver the child?

If a baby is born up there do they have citizenship on Earth as well, or do they need some type of visa to visit Earth?  Also, of which Earth country would they hold citizenship? 

What happens when someone dies?  Are they buried on Mars or is their body thrust out into space?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to try and set up a colony on the moon first?  It is closer and we could probably get people back to Earth if the need arose?

I’m going on record saying this is a very bad idea.  ~

 

 

 

Big Idiot Gone Off Track

I am a heterosexual, Caucasian woman, married to a heterosexual, Caucasian man.  We have friends of all shapes and sizes. Some are Caucasian, African American, Asian, Mexican and Indian, some are heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, some Christian, some are Jewish, some are religious and some are not.  The point is our friendships are based on each individual person and not on color, race, religion, sexual preference or affiliation to any particular group.

That being said, I want to share what happened to me the other day.  I was speaking with a woman I had just met and she was asking me questions about where my children take lessons, on which teams they play, etc.  It was a typical mom-to-mom type of discussion.  At least, it started out that way…

When I mentioned one of the affiliations we have, her expression changed.  It was as if her emotions flat-lined and a disapproving glare filled her eyes.  She leaned in closer to me and whispered.  “Doesn’t it bother you to have your children exposed to a homosexual lifestyle?  Don’t you feel that’s setting a bad example for them?”

All I could do was step back in shock.  I was utterly amazed at the bigotry that faced me.  We were in public so making a big scene wasn’t an option.  I smiled politely and said, “No, these particular people are not only my friends, but they are a wonderful influence on me and my children.”  I excused myself and left; but it got me thinking…

I remember years ago when a very close friend of mine was told that she couldn’t work with a church youth group because of her sexual orientation.  I was livid then, and I’m still livid now.  This woman is one of the godliest people I know.  She’s unpretentious, she’s honest, she’s open and trustworthy.  I consider her to be one of my most reliable prayer warriors.  In fact, on 9/11 when for seven long minutes I didn’t know if my husband was on one of the United flights out of Boston, she was the first phone call I made.   I love her to death and the pastor who denied her the ability to work in the youth group made a terrible mistake.  There would have been no greater influence on those teenage lives than this woman.

Bigotry comes in many packages, but is most commonly wrapped up with a big, bright bow of religious righteousness.  What the bigot doesn’t understand is that there is nothing righteous in the condemnation or judgment of others. 

Jesus said to love others.  He didn’t say to love them only if they fit into your close-minded box of what you deem is right or good.  He simply said to love one another.  And here’s a statement that should get the right-wing religious panties in a wad:  Jesus didn’t say to try to change others.  He said only to love them.  Some religious people become arrogant about their ability to befriend a homosexual, as if the very fact that they are embracing what they consider to be a “sinner” makes them godlier.  In reality, their arrogance makes them less godly.

People…we are equal in God’s eyes.  Color, religion, race, sexual orientation…none of it matters.  We’re equal.  We all have our challenges and we all face our own demons.  Life is difficult enough without judging one another on top of it. 

What is a Bigot?  Big. Idiot. Gone. Off. Track.

I think we need to stop grouping people together and start looking at individual hearts.  ALL homosexuals aren’t bad influences any more than ALL heterosexuals are good influences.  Truth be told, I’d rather have my kids exposed to a loving relationship between two people of the same sex than a violent, hateful relationship between two people of the opposite sex.  Which one better teaches them the meaning of love and commitment?

Choose who will be in your life based on the connection you feel on the inside, not on the exterior pre-judgments of a religious society that has ironically condemned, degraded and abused more people throughout history than any other group.  

 

Love God.  Love others. It’s really that simple.  ~

 

 

 

Rail Thin is NOT in!

If you haven't read the story about Kelsey Williams, read it here.

Seriously?  I mean, SERIOUSLY?!

First of all, to the blogger who even brought up the topic of cheerleader, Kelsey Williams, weight, shame on you.  Go look in a mirror.

Second, Kelsey isn’t fat.  She’s not thin as a rail, but so what?  Neither is 99.999999% of the American population.

Third, she’s a very pretty girl and if we’re going to blog about her, why not blog about her beauty instead of her weight.

Here’s the skinny on the whole “skinny” thing:  Most men don’t like rail thin women. Men want curves. They want an ass they can grab and a pair of breasts in which they can bury their face.  I guarantee you most men look at Kelsey and think, “Wow!”

What’s more is most women don’t like other rail thin women.  Why?  Because they’re not as much fun to be around.  I don’t like to hang out with the skinny chicks who spend all of their time talking about yoga class or their next cleansing diet.  It’s boring.  I want a girlfriend who’s going to drink Margaritas with me and pig out on a plate of nachos, followed by a humongous chocolaty dessert! 

Rail thin is NOT in!

 

There’s a reason why women like Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, J Lo, Catherine Zeta-Jones, etc. are deemed some of the most beautiful women in the world.  They’ve got curves and I bet any one of them would choose to have a fun, fattening lunch over a cycling or aerobics class any day of the week.

So, Kelsey Williams, you keep on being you!  You look beautiful!   ~