This guy...

...is leaving us very soon.  In about 4 months to be exact.  He is going to Taiwan on a Rotary Exchange for almost a year.  He will spend his grade 12 year going to school from 7am to 5pm, living with 3 or 4 families and taking in the cultures & customs of a whole new country.  I cant help but feel pride for his bravery.  He has been immmersing himself in the language using Rosetta Stone.  He is reaching out to & connecting with other students who have traveled as he will to different countries.  Why is he doing this.  First, it is an opportunity that comes around once in a lifetime.  When else could you travel & stay with locals & live as they do & bridge gaps & build understanding of one anothers cultural differences as he can at this age.  Second, this will look amazing on a resume for future employment, education & other unsaid opportunities.  Third and maybe most important, CHANGE!  This guy has seen much change in his 16 years.  He has overcome obstacles that have weakened lesser men.  He has been brave in the face of adversity, challenged people to see & accept him or respect him at the very least.  He has held his head high when NO ONE would give him a chance, or believe in him.  His words to me not so long ago were something like this..."In a world where people make mistakes every day, mine have piled up & seem unforgivable.  I want what everyone else has and that is respect.  Granted I have brought many peoples opinions of me on all by myself but I have changed & I just need someone to believe in me.  I want more out of life than I was asking for before...  This guy is 16, as I mentioned.

What insight, but as I said, he has had to walk over coals to get to here & he deserves this opportunity.  He deserves a shot at the greatness he is inspired by & he plans to take that for himself.  Maybe he cannot articulate it right now but he is taking care of his heart in a way that many young people dont understand right now. He is ok with not doing things that will make him popular any longer but in doing what is right & necessary.  One of his previous teachers & a family friend attested to this guys character.  He said that this guy is a champion at life.  He said that this guy knows how to rise above & has a penchant for the finer things in life.  This guy is my 16 year old son who I admire so much.

When I was 16, the things that were important were having a car, having lots of friends, parties & fun.  When I was 16, I didnt read the news, nor did I care.  I am acutley aware that at 16, this guy has more on the go than I ever could have imagined possible and so I support & love him for every valiant effort to seek out the good things & make them his.

This is the Shifen Waterfall found in Taiwan.

He will see beauty that most can only view pictures of.  He will broaden his horizons & open new doors.  He will grow & change.  He will leave a 16 year old boy who plays video games & loves pop & south park & come home a man with some knowledge of the world.  I hope & pray every day for strength to accept this growth & courage to not miss him so much & understand the changes he will undergo.

He said to me that it bothers him that at his school, they will put athletes on the wall.  They will have praise for the mechanics or beauty program but they dont put an exhcange students endeavors in the lime light.  This is a huge thing he is doing.  A really BIG thing.  How many kids his age could leave the comforts of home & the safety & seurity of their parents to go out on their own like this.  To give up graduating on time & make sure to attend all of the grad parties & events that are sure to ensue.  How many kids could leave behind their motorbike that they covet or the chance at a reationship or a whole year of driving their own vehicle.  Not that many by my count. 

But this guy can & he will & I believe in him.  This guy is my 16 year old son Jordan

Where is my...

Ok...it has been what feels like a lifetime since i logged on to write anything for you me or ANYONE.  I am in a warp, a rut, some kind of pergatory & when I write my feelings down, sometimes sweet clarity follows.  I have to start working...HARD...on me.  I have let too many things pass me by.  Do you know that I believe that we can over indluge ourselves in personal betterment...we can bind ourselves to looking for the true meaning of something instead of just living & being & enjoying??  I think I might be doing that.  I tend to overthink things alot.  But you know what...I have to stop that.  I have to think of the things that matter...count my blessings & then count them again.  There is a post going around on facebook right now.  It caused me to stop & consider it in all of its brilliance...its goes something like this;  What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked GOD for yesterday?  Ya...what if??  Could I say that I spend my days being thankful for my husband, my kids, my home, my life, and everything in it??  Being happy with what you have has got to be such a peaceful feeling. 

So does it matter if I am 40 lbs overweight?  Does it matter if Kevin & I dont agree on how to parent all the time?  Does it matter when the kids dont clean their rooms, respect the rules or do a chore I asked.  I guess not in the grand scheme of things.  And so, in the grand scheme of things I am EVER greatful for all of my blessings but in those moments when someone leaves their plates in the basement & then is asked to put them where they belong & they turn up on the counter instead of in the dishwasher or the dogs did not get fed or the laundry switched over, I feel mad, frustrated disrespected...and worse...unappreciated.

I am busy making excuses instead of making progress.  I also think a slight bit of depression has set in. Kinda feel like every time I make a choice it tends to be the wrong one.  Look at my jobs & education...check out my friendships, or the way I may have handled something.  I even second guess my decor, my clothes, my hair,  my style, my artwork...ME!  WOW.  When I write it down, I realize that the ONLY thing I need to do is take a deep breathe & TRUST.  Thankfully I have found many amazing things along the way to guide me including this incredible post by Brave Girls.

And here is another thing to ponder...why do I always seem to think I know what is good for others.  When people talk about a situation...I have words or ideas for them that they seem to appreciate.  They say is helpful.  Where is that wisdom for me.  Why am I so judgemental of my own heart & mind??

It isnt what happens to you in life...its how you handle it. All the pretty words & quotes wont make anything better unless they are put into action.  So Dear Sherri, you & your truthteller need to go to a place of peace & decide what you really want & need and then come up with a plan to not only keep being you but enjoy it & love it & LIVE LIFE FULLY the way it was intended for us to do!!