Squirt was an awkward, featherless, mess whose mother was MIA, so my mother found him and took him under her wing because that’s the kind of thing my mother did. Squirt soon became family, riding on whomever’s shoulder or finger was available. One day we were working in the yard–I can still picture the scene perfectly in my head–Mom turning dirt with a shovel, Squirt perched on the top of the shovel blade, jumping into the freshly turned earth whenever anything juicy surfaced. The moment was golden. Until the neighbor’s cat came. Squirt trusting, and not a seasoned flyer, sputtered across the lawn with the cat in pursuit. I was closest. Mom yelled, “Grab the cat, grab the cat!” But the cat didn’t need saving. The bird did. So, I tried to rescue the bird but the cat caught him instead, ripping his frail body... Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the ‘anger’ Category
David’s Story – Two more days
Continued from Thursday’s post… Scott and Kelly, David’s friends from Wright-Patterson A.F.B. arrive sometime on Thursday. Seeing David for the first time, with all those medical bells and whistles attached is sobering. I remember my own shock through their eyes. Scott and Kelly turn out to be some really good friends and we enjoyed getting to know them and reminiscing about David. It did my heart good. Mental note to myself: Never underestimate the power of a few kinds words and the gift of simply your time and company! The ICU nurses think David will regain consciousness around noon today while they take his ventilator out. We’re all excited. In my head, I’m weighing all the thoughts and emotions best to express to David for the first time. I settle on the simpler ones like “I love you” and “glad you’re OK”… Our anticipation turns to deep disappointment when David has to be sedated again. Have you seen the movie... Read the rest of this entry »
Assertive Anger Expression for Kids: Arguing vs. Disagreeing
Do your children bicker? Mine sure do. In fact, asking if they bicker is like asking if they breathe; it comes so naturally to them that some days it seems like a life-sustaining function. I try to remind myself that sibling rivalry, while not actually critical to survival, is at least a great teacher for kids, as they practice life skills like assertiveness, negotiation, and forgiveness. Though I put great effort into not being a constant family mediator, one of the most effective lessons I was ever able to pass on mid-conflict was teaching my daughters the difference between disagreeing and arguing. Yes, one weekend afternoon, my kids were actually fighting about…wait for it…whether they should go to the same college or a different one. Did I mention that my daughters are ages 5 and 7?I’m thrilled that college is on both of their minds and delighted that they feel so strongly about it, but an argument a full decade in advance of the event seemed premature.... Read the rest of this entry »
Negative Thinking Patterns
It wasn’t until my mid 40′s that I discovered I was a negative thinker. I would NEVER have described myself as a negative thinker, even thought of myself as upbeat and positive. I was raised in a very negative environment. Hadn’t I overcome that upbringing? After all, I was nothing like the parenting style I was raised with. In fact, I often patted myself on that back for that large, gravity-defying step upwards. And that was the benchmark i compared myself to, my former family culture. Then, with the help of some observations from a dear sister, I realized that my quieter, subconscious, background thinking did tend to interpret the motives and characters of others negatively and heavier than needs be. And when this reality hit, I was shocked to face the depth of it. How could I have missed that in myself? Maybe it is because I hold Christ up as my benchmark now. The gap between where I was and what was true, positive, faithful, spiritual thinking shone clear... Read the rest of this entry »
If All You Have is Anger, You Don’t Have Enough
Some years ago a certain bumper sticker was popular among those opposed to the policies of the Bush Administration. It read, “If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.” Such a statement spoke to the frustrations of millions of Americans who, seeing their government act in absolute opposition to their wishes, without even paying attention to their protests, felt a volcanic sense of outrage. I would imagine that members of the Tea Party movement feel much the same way now, in reaction to the policies of the Obama Administration. While moral outrage at perceived injustice is both understandable and certainly justified, the idea that anger alone is necessary to enact meaningful change is a dangerous and pernicious lie. Rage is a potent but limited tool. It works marvelously to mobilize masses, directing them to tear down old and decadent edifices of a rotten society, yet it is wholly inadequate to build anything else up afterward. Consider for a moment the nature of... Read the rest of this entry »
simple, brilliant
I stumbled upon this and couldn’t resist posting. Enjoy! Tagged: anger, frustation, humor, stress, stress management Read More →
Can I ask if you’re Temply Worthy?
I offended a guy yesterday pretty bad and am still confused as to how. We’d been txting and calling on and off for about a month and a half. Only once or twice a week and he was extremely busy with school so we were having a hard time finding a time to actually meet in person for the first time. I met him online and he seemed like a nice guy, but within the first couple dates I like to know if the guys I’m dating are temple worthy. It’s important for me to know since if I were to get serious with a guy, he’d have to be. I plan on getting married in the temple someday. Online dating makes it easier most the time since a profile will say right up front if the guy I’m looking at is or not. However, his profile did not. So yesterday, since we’d been having so much trouble meeting and even getting a hold of each other, I decided to just ask him straight out what I was wondering. I asked him if he was temple worthy, and this is basically the txt I got back: “You... Read the rest of this entry »
Can I ask if you’re Temply Worthy?
I offended a guy yesterday pretty bad and am still confused as to how. We’d been txting and calling on and off for about a month and a half. Only once or twice a week and he was extremely busy with school so we were having a hard time finding a time to actually meet in person for the first time. I met him online and he seemed like a nice guy, but within the first couple dates I like to know if the guys I’m dating are temple worthy. It’s important for me to know since if I were to get serious with a guy, he’d have to be. I plan on getting married in the temple someday. Online dating makes it easier most the time since a profile will say right up front if the guy I’m looking at is or not. However, his profile did not. So yesterday, since we’d been having so much trouble meeting and even getting a hold of each other, I decided to just ask him straight out what I was wondering. I asked him if he was temple worthy, and this is basically the txt I got back: “You... Read the rest of this entry »