Jill Pertler
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You can learn a lot by walking the neighborhood, which is completely different from casing the neighborhood. Which I do not condone or recommend. In any circumstance.
Let's face it, being a parent can be taxing. Being a parent with kids in school can be exhausting. We start out strong in September — am I right? Lunch accounts are in the black. Healthy snacks line the shelves of the pantry and fridge. A dozen or more sharpened No. 2 pencils are lined up in the homework station drawer; ditto that for extra erasers and pens in working order.
Unfortunately, I'm more familiar with embarrassment than the Seven Wonders of the World. Actually, it's more complicated than one list of seven wonders. The original list was compiled eons ago, in years B.C. Most of those wonders don't exist anymore. Since then, various entities have compiled various lists of various seven wonders, so there isn't one definitive list anymore.
> Most of us would welcome a nonstop, exciting, inspiring all-expense-paid and anything-but-banal adventure. Truth is, some things are easier said than done. There are practically an infinite number of real-life non-adventuresome adventures that can — and do — interfere and impede our ability to experience the jaw-dropping, isn't-this-the-best adventures that we'd choose if given the choice.
The little pink bundle we carried home from the hospital but a blink ago is soon going to be a mother herself. My baby girl is having a baby girl. It seems too good to be true — and scarier than heck, all at the same time. I'm the one who's scared, not her. Well, maybe she's just a little bit scared.
It's a universal human characteristic; we all want to love and be loved. It may not be as essential as the air we breathe, but it's close. Love is a dichotomous entity. It's neither up nor down, but perhaps a little of both. Love is funny (seriously so) that way. It is both simple and complex. At times, it is tenuous; at others, secure. It can generate clarity and cause confusion.
Occasionally, however, I have to venture down the road 20 miles or so to gain access to a real live retail establishment located within the confines of a mall. When I do, I am bombarded by things. So. Many. Pretty. Shiny. Things. These things are enticing. They glitter and sparkle and seduce me with their newness. For a small price, or a quick swipe of my plastic, they can come home with me and be mine, all mine; forever!
In many parts of the world, people walk miles just to access it.
Of course the kitchen was a mess. The best mornings always start out that way. Dishes were piled in the sink because after dinner the night before we'd discovered the dishwasher was already full and in need of a wash cycle. Oops. I was midway through unloading the dishwasher when the crisis du jour hit.
Courage is the elderly gentleman who understands that after 16 years of love and companionship his loyal golden retriever is suffering from numerous ailments and it is time to say goodbye. Courage not only takes guts, it involves listening to them. When you see a bully and speak out even though you may be hesitant to get involved in someone else's business you are acting with a fearlessness that is inspired.