LSNED – day 9

day 9-

good friends are hard to come by.

I'll admit it, i don’t have a lot of friends (friends as in hanging out and talking about nothing.  Of course i have many acquaintance type “friends” but that’s not what I'm talking about here).  However, i am lucky in the aspect that the few that i do consider friends, they are good friends.  They are the people that have my back through thick and thin.  I don’t see them regularly (or even at all in that aspect), and i don’t normally talk with them daily, but it is those people that i would do anything in my power for them, and vice versa.  Granted, if i were to get my friends all in one room together, they’d be cordial, but they wouldn’t exactly get along or see eye-to-eye.  But i consider myself lucky to have that handful of unconditional friends.  Being able to have that connection with such a variety of valuable friendships makes me who i am, and makes my life that much sweeter.

LSNED – day 8

day 8-

tough love tends to be harder on the giver than the receiver.

I hate doling out tough love.  I hate being the mean guy, it absolutely kills me.  I had to sit my oldest down and explain to him that if his grades (already after the first week of school *sigh*) don’t improve, that there will be some pretty serious consequences to follow (might i add, for both of us).  He’s struggled since first grade and things have consistently gotten worse and now he’s so behind in understanding concepts that he’s falling behind even faster.  I know it’s not all his fault.  Part of the blame rests on my shoulders for not holding my ground in the first place.  But it is his responsibility to try his hardest.  So while i am giving my son tough love, i am also giving myself a good dose of it too. That’s a tough cookie to swallow.

LSNED – day 7

day 7-

There’s nothing like talking with someone less fortunate to put things in… perspective.

(yes, it looks as though I've misspelled perspective, but the “e” is on the other side of the envelope)

Lets face it, there is always someone less fortunate than yourself no matter how bad you think you have it.  I’ve been dwelling on the fact that times are tough.  We have no jobs coming in, my job search has come up with nothing, and the little bit we do have goes straight to the bills with nothing left over (thank goodness for a productive garden and a freezer full of meat!).  But after talking with a friend on this day, I saw that, really, in some ways, i do have it better than a lot of people out there.  We have a home that is ours.  It keeps us sheltered.  It has enough room in it for us to spread out and live in comfortably, and then some.  We have a skills and knowledge to sustain ourselves, even in the hardest of times (everyone needs a plumber right?).  And the biggie, we are healthy.  In hindsight, we don’t have a lot to complain about.  It’s all about perspective.

LSNED – day 6

day 6-

Education.  it’s worth the time and effort…

…and might i add in: it’s also a good thing to do it right the first time.

Now that I'm in full swing of school again, and the kids are in school themselves, education has come to the front of my thoughts again.  I’m struggling with trying to teach the kids that they need to sit down and consciously learn and take it in.  Education is worth the time and effort, even at my age when it seems that I'm not sure where to go in life.  And the added bonus of doing things right the first time around?  It is directed to me.  It would have been so much easier to go to school before i had kids.  But honestly, I'm thankful that i get a second chance here.  Technology has made it so much easier to fulfill my goals, and truthfully, I think i “get” it better now with a few years on me.  However, it’s a lesson learned that I would not change if given the chance.

LSNED – day 5

Day 5-

genuineness… it goes a long way.

There’s nothing more comforting knowing that there is a bit of genuineness out there.  For me, it goes a long way.  I tend to look at the whole picture instead of taking things only by word.  I like seeing the real part of people, not all that fake and for show stuff.

LSNED – day 4

day 4-

there is nothing wrong with a little hard work

This was the day of our yard sale.  It took a lot of hard work putting it together.  We didn’t get rid of everything we wanted but the effort and time we put into it helped us sell better than throwing it together in a rush.  Hard work does pay off.  It’s important to remember that sometimes.

LSNED – day 3

day 3-
hope can come from unexpected places.

it’s been pretty tough financially around here.  I (we’ve) been stressing out about where our next paycheck is going to come from, if we will have enough money to let the kids be kids, etc.  I’ve been out looking and applying for jobs for the last few months, with no luck at all.  Just on a whim, i happened to read my horoscope (one of the many i follow on occasions on Facebook) and saw something that gave me hope.  I will be putting this on the inside of my envelope:


it says:  Your self-confidence may be a bit low and you could doubt your abilities right now, Leo.  Don't get depressed or disheartened.  Your skills are excellent.  Try to look at your situation objectively and pinpoint why you aren't progressing in your career as rapidly as you'd hoped.  You may be worried about money, but know that everything will work out in the end.