Child’s Discipline

From all the things that parenting entails, discipline is the one that comes hardest to me (are you with me parents?) Yes, I’ve read all some books about the subject: “To spank, or not to spank: that is the question.” While some specialists swear that spanking leads to psychological trauma, there are seasoned parents who think that it’s all poppycock. I’ve been a parent for five years and still have no clue who to believe? I don’t want to mess up my children, yet there are times when a slap in the rear end is very much called for.

I honestly think all responsible parents have a hard time with this one, yet we all strive to perfect a system that works for us. We can all agree that discipline should be delivered with deep respect and love for the child.

I myself was never spanked. My mother never lifted her arms at me to throw me anything or belittle me (God bless her soul.) Her way of getting my attention was with LOTS of talk and patience. My dad (wrongly but thankfully) left most of the disciplining to my mom. Have I seen her angry? Indeed I have! Yet she had a way of relieving herself before she taught me a lesson. That was her way. Maybe that’s one of the many reasons I have trouble with spanking my own children. I admittedly have less patience with my children than my mom had with my brother and me. I am SO working on this one!

“Being a parent is a huge privilege, and I’m learning that a true mutual respect is what we’re here as parents to create—a deep respect that is built, over time, within us and between us”- Elena Brower

The Parents’ Tao Te Ching:

When your children behave,
give them respect and kindness.
When your children misbehave,
give them respect and kindness.

When they are hateful,
love them.
When they betray your trust,
trust them.

Believe this difficult truth:
Showing respect in the face of disrespect,
love in the face of hate,
trust is the face of betrayal,
and serenity in the face of turmoil,
will teach your children more
than all the moral lectures
since the dawn of time.

When I have found myself lashing out at my children, I then feel an insurmountable amount of anguish and guilt (welcome to parenthood!) that does not let me rest. And I feel proud to say that I have asked my children to forgive me for the unreasonable ways I’ve reacted at times; I immediately feel a sense of relief both in me and them (because children will always find a way of making themselves guilty of our anger rage.)

As parents, we get to write in the blank slate of another human being. We have A LOT to say in the kind of people our children will become. What a HUGE responsibility! Much to our dislike, parenting, as everything else, is a trial and error approach, and one size does not fit all. Discipline is a MUST! But HOW? is the question. The Bible has many a thing to say in this regard, for example:

“Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”- Proverbs 13:24

This verse leaves a lot to interpretation. Does it!? For instance:

The word “rod” is translated from the Hebrew word shebet. A shebet is a shepherd’s staff or a king’s scepter, and it symbolizes authority. A shebet was used to guide sheep and to protect them by fighting off predators – not to strike the sheep. Using the word shebet, God gives parents the authority and responsibility to discipline – a word meaning to teach – their children.

I ask myself: “When it comes to spanking, whatever happened to: “Love is kind, love is patient… love is not easily angered…” how does this apply to rearing a child?

I am no expert, I am just your average christian mom trying to make sense out of this difficult yet necessary endeavour called discipline. One thing I truly and honestly feel from the bottom of my heart is to NEVER discipline in anger. This is very hard to accomplish yet absolutely necessary when it comes to helping our children to adjust from their natural misbehaving ways to an adequate demeanor.

I bet that when we TRULY understand the ways God loves and disciplines us, we will have a clearer perspective on how we should discipline our children.

I am ambivalent about spanking my children. I trust God will speak to my unrelenting heart. Amen!

Let light shine out of darkness

“The faith that is born in the light is often developed in the dark”- Adrian Rogers

What do we, children of God, do when the lights go out & darkness, despair, fear, loneliness, sorrow wakes us up in the middle of the night & hits us like a ton of bricks? When nothing around us makes sense… do we question God? Do we find ourselves asking why? And if so, is it wrong to do so?

No, it’s not. But the better question is how. The former question might never be answered; the latter will, if & when we ask diligently. Yet, in the midst of our sorrow most of us tend to tell ourselves, “My pain would be more bearable if I only knew why!” So then, why isn’t God eager to answer the why? I believe pain has a divine purpose, for it takes center stage in the drama of our spiritual growth & emotional maturity. 

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- Matthew 16:24

Ergo, to follow Christ without bearing our cross is impossible. If we choose to follow Him & let go of our cross, what we are really following is our own will disguised by His will.  But what is ‘our cross’ exactly? I’m going to take a shot & say it’s letting go of our ego which is to - deny oneself.

“A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.”- Unknown

Jesus never promised life would be easy, He just said that in Him it’d be worthwhile. If we try to free ourselves from pain, discomfort, inconvenience all the time, at all costs we start to gravitate towards ourselves & therefore begin to lose our purpose, the purpose of that which we are created for. Matthew 16:24 refers to a calling for absolute surrender to Him; surrender of our will, our wants, our needs, our minds, our hearts… to His will. When all is well in our lives, this becomes smooth sailing. Our real commitment & true character manifest when troubles arise. And they will.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33

Mind you, this world is not meant to be all tragedy & sorrow. Absolutely not! If so, what would be the purpose of it all. The real tragedy arises when we do not fulfill the purpose for which we are created & choose to do as we will, thus sorrow will follow.

Allow me to illustrate the ‘purpose of our creation’ in this little story:

A man walks into a gadget store & immediately becomes surrounded by all sorts of gadgets big & small, nice & plain, soft & hard, colorful & pale, etc. He feels curious & starts looking for the one that appeals to him the most. He then says to the clerk (who happens to be the gadgets’ owner & creator) “I want to buy this nifty looking gadget, it seems multi-purpose”, “Very well,” said the clerk “I’ll wrap it up for you, the manual is in the box.” So the guy goes home, unwraps the item & dazzles by its beauty & immediately proceeds to use it in all the ways it seems useful. But forgets to read the manual. He, then gets angry because the gadget seems not to accomplish its ‘multi-purposes’ or so he thought. And storms his way into the clerk’s store & begins rambling about the ‘useless’ gadget. The clerk patiently let’s him finish & asks “Did you, by any chance, read the manual?”, “Uh, no,” said the gentleman “Ah, very well then, read it & come back,” said the clerk. Off he went to read the manual & returned to offer the clerk an apology. “Had I not read the manual, like you told me, I would’ve never used this amazing gadget to its fullest potential.” The clerk just smiled.

Guess who’s the gadget? Yep, you got it, it’s you! And God is the clerk/owner/creator. Our life’s purpose will only be fulfilled if we read our manual (The Bible) & trust our creator by surrendering to His will. The guy who bought the gadget is our will. By living our lives however we choose to, not taking into account our Manual, we are not using our lives proficiently thus, become angry (at God) for feeling so empty or useless.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”- Jeremiah 29:11

On our own & without pain, we would never unravel our purpose in life, for we need to put in the backseat our ever so present, invasive ill-disposed ego. God wants us to live out the best versions of ourselves & uses pain to catapult us towards that direction. If, we so choose to. We get to decide the direction we want our pain to lead us, it’s either up or down. But it leaves us never ever the same than before. Bar none.

We’re never alone in the depths of our sorrow, our silver lining comes from the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. God’s Spirit prays with & for us, that which God is pleased to answer, for our own enlightenment, which is always in alignment to His perfect purpose.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”- Romans 8:26

 

God is capable of changing all circumstances in our favor. But God is seldom in the business of making us happy. He wants to fulfill His purpose in our lives so we can truly thrive in this world & the next. For in the light that shines out of darkness lies the things we could not understand otherwise.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”- 2 Corinthians 4:6

Let love be genuine

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

This is the standard by which we should love. It’ll take us our whole lives & probably we won’t get even close, but our strive will make a world of difference.

“I don’t need know you too much to love you, because my love for you is not based solely on your personality, but on your humanity”- qualia for life

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’- Mark 12:31 – is a powerful statement; it’s hard to warp our minds in it & fully embrace its concept. But the fact is, it implies no less than how we should feel towards one another. How to get there, you ask me? I wish I knew exactly. My take is that being at peace & deeply loving ourselves would be a good start. We can’t really love others if we don’t feel worthy of love ourselves. Guess who makes us feel worthy? Yes, you got it! God. For He is love.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”- 1 John 4:8

Part of self-loving is admitting one’s own flaws & mistakes. It is seeing ourselves as we are as opposed of how we want others to see us. It is no easy task. No masks! Just truth. It’s allowing ourselves to be vulnerable as opposed to needy. Genuine as opposed to almighty. Few things displease me more than people who display all kinds & styles of adulation only to make themselves look good. Who are they trying to kid? It is better to refrain ourselves from this pathetic charade if we’re searching for others’ sympathy. From mine at least. People can tell the difference, maybe not at the moment but soon enough.

Let love be genuine… in its proportion… until it becomes wholeheartedly!

How I met my children

While in heaven I found myself surrounded by a multitude of childlike angelic beings, all dressed up in pearl-colored robes, singing harmonic carols in mellifluent voices. I went one by one trying to see if I recognized my children in them but to no avail, all I saw were similar looking faces. I asked God if I could pick a few of them to be my earthly children. He said no. I will pick them for you. I said to Him, “Surely you know better than I do what kind of children will best fit me.” He then gave me a gaze I’ll never forget & said, “What I know for sure is the kind of mother these children will need.” Then I woke up to find it was all a dream, yet felt so real… then I glanced at my sleeping children & sighed, “God could have not done a better job.”

- qualiaforlife

Back to the 80′s

“If I could have it over, live my life again, I wouldn’t change a single day”- Johnny Hates Jazz

 

It’s a secret to no one that I have a love affair with the glorious & infamous 1980′s decade. I decidedly won’t get into political history here. My focus about it is first & foremost what I remember & love about it nowadays. I did not care about many things back then which I now find utterly enticing. Pop culture in a nutshell.

I miss a time when…

… I could actually enjoy the Disney Channel’s programing … my only phone number was a landline … a band aid & a kiss from mom cured almost anything … “The Wonder Years” was how I learned about the ‘hard’ lessons in life … blackberry & apple were just fruits … there was less violence around … name brands did not end in dot com … I didn’t care how much I ate … I could see a kid fall down from his/her bike without a mother screaming like crazy … I watched cartoons like there was no tomorrow … sitting on the sidewalk with friends & neighbors drinking bottled soda & telling jokes was the highlight of my day …”The Mickey Mouse Club” was my favorite time in front of the tube … celebrating my birthday at a fast food restaurant was a dream come true … I didn’t waste time texting … I cried in my mother’s lap without feeling awkward … I didn’t care who I hung out with as long it was a kid … I could actually talk to people face to face (which is my favorite means of communication) … I thought playing video games in the arcade was cool … roller skating in a rink with friends was my favorite downtime …the list is endless.

I can’t help myself enough… it’s insane!!!! Love the music, the not so mainstream technology, the colors, the sounds, the food, the fashion – yes you read well: the fashion, hold the mullet – & above all the memories. I sometimes feel warped in a different time zone when I listen to its music, watch movies, TV shows, commercials, etc. The nostalgia becomes crazy at times. I sometimes wonder why I love it so much? It certainly has more to do with remembering my childhood & less to do with the actual vibe of the time. The truth of the matter is everything 80′s reminds me of a carefree time in my life. It takes me way back when in a nanosecond & I absolutely LOVE it (not that I don’t love my present life… I most certainly do!).

Remembering the 80s helps me see how uncomplicated things were (looking through the eyes of a child of course) & makes me want to truly enjoy the simple things in life. Children don’t need much to be happy. Much of what they need is our unconditional love & time. So I make it a point to pave the way for my kids to enjoy what I did have… an amazing childhood. A much simpler one than what passes around for childhood these days.

I’m not one to dismiss the benefits new technology has to offer. If anything it enables me to relive (free of charge) my 80′s rendezvous (thank heavens for youtube). But I try to parent in a way that technology will not overshadow the good stuff like good ol’ board games, for example. I think as parents we shouldn’t just focus on giving our children what we didn’t have when we were children, but on trying to provide the good things we did have, case in point: an actual childhood! I honestly don’t think that our noble attempt on making out of our children the best possible human beings ever made, should cram our kid’s schedule with a series of non stop activities, so they can hold up to the standards we never could. As Susan Powter would say: “Stop the insanity!!”

And I’m all for providing children with the best possible education money can buy & stimulating them to choose extracurricular activities, so long as they don’t feel overwhelmed. The problem arises if & when we are led by fear when enabling all those things to them. Fear of them never amounting to anything. Fear of them choosing a ‘bad’ career. Fear that they might be rejected. Fear that they may never achieve their full potential. Fear of them never truly finding themselves. The list goes on… And so we become obsessed.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”- 1 John 4:18

I leave you with a song from the 80s (of course) which I absolutely love & fully picks up my sentiment over the passing of time… alluding childhood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51NAFhGDIYw

Oh the joy of loving a boy!

I’ll be your first kiss, your first love, your first friend & you’ll be my whole world… I’m your momma & you’re my ‘sun’

When you’re old enough – my son – you’ll learn that the first woman who ever loved you, who ever thought how beautiful you were (and still are), who couldn’t stop staring at you the minute she first laid eyes on you & wrapped you in her arms, who knew that love at first sight is not a myth is, in fact, me… your mom. Yet, I know I don’t possess you & never will. God chose me to be your mom not your wife. Even if you stay single, your life is what you choose it to be. But, maybe one day you’ll meet the woman in your life (not too soon I fancy). And hopefully I will not have to compete for your love & time because I know she will have the preeminence in your life (Ephesians 5:31).

People say it’s hard to let go of daughters but it’s even harder to let go of sons. I’ll pass on this one. But, they probably say this because boys tend to immerse themselves in their own family’s affairs & seldom have time for their parents. As opposed to daughters who juggle their time between their own new family & their parents/siblings/friends as a way of life. Of course, this is not written in stone. But, as of right now, all I know is that you’re mine for the time being & I don’t intend on wasting it!

“To a son, his mother is the first & most constant expression of what a woman is”- Ron Elmore

People often tell me how beautiful & lovable you are and they leave me wondering, “Can they really see what I see in you or are they just being nice?”… I will make myself happy & go with the former. “Will they ever understand the power of your smile over me?” I know not. And probably never will. All who are mothers may have a hint.

“My son, watching you grow has been a delight. I look at you & wonder what dreams you will dream, what mountains you will climb, what joys you will have. I know there will be tears, but my prayer is that you will grow into the man you are meant to be.”- Unknown

The day your dad & I were scheduled for the appointment to get a 4D ultrasound & find out your gender, I was a nervous wreck. Yes, I’d rehearsed a gazillion times in my mind that either way I couldn’t go wrong. If I had a girl she’d be of great company to your big sister. If I had a boy I’d have both sexes, yippie! I was honestly rooting for a boy, but knew I’d be perfectly OK if I had another girl. Yet, I couldn’t understand why my mind was making such a big deal out of it, but it did. I mean it’s not like the physician was going to tell us: “It’s a martian for you guys.”

Our mind has a way of making us feel things we don’t properly understand at the moment. Now that I think of it, it was probably due to the fact that if I had a boy I would have to adjust many things into place, from the color of the crib’s bed sheets to overcoming my insecurities of the right ways to bond with my son – which clearly are different from my daughter’s. I was so used to “raising” a daughter (for a year & ten months) hence my focus on pink purple. That after the female physician said “boy” my mind started racing at the speed of light, picturing all the things that I will go through in life with a son. From the way I would potty train you, to your first date & those hairy strong arms that would wrap around me every time you’d said hi or bye. I can’t wait for them… Oh yes I can!

When I broke the news that my second child was going to be a boy, I was bombarded with all sorts of comments such as, “You’re going to fall madly in love with your little boy”… but I’m madly in love with my daughter, how is that any different? – I thought … “Little boys love their mommies”… ok, just as little girls do - I assumed. I’ve heard that mothers & sons have a special bond… Boy, was I in for a treat!

My love for you & your sister is amazingly different… yet astoundingly equal.

“Help me raise a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak & brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat & humble and gentle in victory.”- Douglas MacArthur

Turning 5… again

“There’s something awe-inspiring & holy about the circle of life. Rarely an experience astonishes me more than watching my kids grow up & get to remember my own childhood along the way.”- qfl

I can’t describe with words how I felt when I recently watched my little girl turn five in her Montessori school with her parents, teachers & classmates all cheering while singing “Happy Birthday” & a big fat cake in front of her. It was probably due to the fact that it was in the same exact way I turned five in my Montessori school with my parents, teachers & classmates all cheering while singing “Happy Birthday” & a big fat cake in front of me! I remember it vividly (heck, I remember all of my birthdays since I was 5). I was wearing my usual blue jeans with a pink sweater tucked inside.

What a wonderful memory that was & to get to relive it through my daughter is astounding. An utter privilege to say the least! I couldn’t stop staring at her birthday cake without remembering mine; the carefree joy I felt to be getting older (I wish now time wouldn’t go so fast). Oh the irony! when I was a kid I couldn’t wait to grow up & feel “free” to do whatever I pleased… now that I’m older I discovered I was freer as a kid and therefore would like to go back (at least for a moment) & experience all the emotional freedom I used to have. Daunting, I know.

While witnessing my “little” girl’s delightful anticipation to get older my joy was insurmountable… but so was my anguish.

It’s a feeling I’ve been shunning away but fall helplessly prey of as I see my little one transform from a vulnerable little baby, to a precocious toddler, to an independent wannabe five-year-old girl. Try as I might, I cannot change the hands of time. And soon I have to face the fact that she is growing & never coming back to her former self. I can’t help but weep whenever I look at my children’s baby pictures & wonder: “Where are they?”…”I miss them!”…”Who took them away from me?”…

Silly, but true.

It’s hard for parents to catch up with this fact. We’re always caught off guard. We want our children to be self-sufficient yet we cling to the last thread of their constant need for us. I sometimes whisper to my three-year-old baby boy: “Please, don’t grow up” & he looks at me like I’m insane.

He who says parenting is easy, clearly is not a present parent (or a parent at all).

But when push comes to shove we’re always left with our memories. Come what may, we (parents) have our own ways to bottle all those sweet moments we’ve spent with our young’uns just to relive them once again. Thank you Picasa, Youtube, Shutterfly, Facebook, Flickr & the likes for making this transition less rugged.

As parents we become much more aware of our flaws as we fail to be the “perfect” individuals we want our children to be. But I’ve learned that this is a good thing, because we now cease to live in denial.

What I do is try my best (with a very good dose of common sense & a little reading)… pray, trust & expect things will turn out for the best, disregarding my expectations (Romans 8:28). Parenting, as life, is a trial & error journey. There’s nothing I’m more sure of than the knowledge that I cannot do it alone. I’d be nothing without the ever so present help of my Lord Jesus.

A note to my daughter on her 5th birthday:

Being a mom is not easy, this you’ll learn later in life if and when you choose to become a mom. There are those days when I dream of reading a book all day long without putting it down to glue a broken doll or wipe somebody else’s tooshie. Long days when I ask myself: “Am I doing it ok?” Because the on & off again feeling of being so far from the type of mother I want to be is appalling! or “Is it just in my head?” Who knows. Nevertheless, I cherish the good times, that - dare I say – are much much more frequent than the bad ones. I appreciate the way you apologize when you hurt my feelings & wrap your arms around me, I can tell it’s heartfelt…

I am proud of how you wake up every morning with a big smile & can’t wait to go to school (sure hope it lasts). I love when we talk about our feelings, wants, needs, hopes, desires, etc. like old friends (despite your age you have quite an impressive lexicon). I love you’re outgoing & curious nature, you’re always asking me questions to the point of exhaustion, but I always try to answer. It’s hard to keep up with how fast you absorb things & it’s always my duty to keep your imagination afloat.

I will always hold my arms wide open for you whenever you need a hug. Remember you can always come home. My love for you is endless but my power is limited. Your heavenly father who has your best interest at heart is limitless in love, patience & power. Seek Him with all your heart & you’ll never be disappointed (even though at times you might think so).

Love,

Mom

I Asked God…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, “No, I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.”

 

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said, “No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares & brings you closer to me.”

 

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, “No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to  make you fruitful.”

 

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.

God said, “No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.”

 

I asked God to help me help those weaker than myself.

God said, “Ah, you finally got the idea.”

 

- Unknown

 

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3

52 things about me

On the eve of my first year as a blogger I decided to write 52 things about me, so that readers can know me a little bit better. Writing this post has been a soul searching attempt. It took me a while to figure “me” out, even in the small stuff. I wanted to make it absolutely legit… no fancy taglines here, just raw honesty. Surely I’m not done yet (it truly takes a lifetime to know oneself).

The purpose behind it is to get to know me better & share a bit about myself. Duh! Don’t I know me already? Well, the truth of the matter is that as evolving beings, we are in constant change (hopefully for the better) & I, for one, can’t keep up with myself so I have to think (real hard) about the things that no longer serve my purpose & the things that currently do. Thus, becoming fully aware of my likes & dislikes helps me deal with everyday life. Writing them down & sharing them is the next best thing I could think of. I urge you to try it, if not writing them down, think about them, you’ll be surprised about what you find out about yourself!

I…

1. tend to cry very easily. Not sad cries. But during commercials, songs, etc., & for some strange reason I cry when I see corny stuff (surely, out of spite).

2. walk really fast, all the time.

3. truly enjoy my own company (being with myself).

4. LOVE to wear cloth & leather bracelets (more than gold ones).

5. can never get enough of caramel popcorn.

6. only eat what I like. Bar none. I’m kinda fussy when it comes to food & how it’s prepared.

7. love art work but can barely draw a stick figure.

8. don’t like to use a lot of makeup & think I will never go under the knife for beautifying purposes. I really appreciate natural beauty.

9. am really patient when it comes to the big stuff & desperately impatient when it comes to the small stuff.

10. often feel I have a lot of untapped potential.

11. make good friends easily & keep them (as long, of course, they wish to stay). Thus, I’m blessed with excellent, deep & intimate friendships.

12. am extremely fond of my childhood (which probably explains my love for the 80s, I guess).

13. take my comedy very seriously. I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. My favorite movies have to include some sort of humor.

14. my favorite junk food is milk chocolate with nuts & raisins.

15. am much more (I cannot emphasize ‘much more’ enough) attracted to people by their personalities than by their looks.

16. have excellent long-term memory & poor short-term memory.

17. consider that my most accurate means of communicating is through writing. I sometimes feel that the pencil & keyboard have a life of their own.

18. absolutely love my skin color.

19. use… (the dots) & the ampersand… a lot… maybe improperly… but I don’t care.

20. have lived in England, USA, Spain, Costa Rica & Honduras (in this order).

21. enjoy cooking a lot, it relaxes me & eating my own cooked food even more so.

22. hug, kiss & tell my children how much I love them. Every. Single. Day. Ever since the day they were born (& if they aren’t with me, I ask God to tell them).

23. always acknowledge birthdays & my usual present (specially from afar) is a prayer.

24. love watching Back to the Future I & II over & over & over again.

25. hate to shop unless it’s with good company &/or shopping for books or stuff for my kids … oh & good conversation is a must!

26. j’adore reading a good book all curled up in my la-z-boy while my kids & husband are asleep. It doesn’t get any better than that at the end of a long day.

27. love my mom. I love how she had all the patience in the world with me when I was a kid (even more than I like to admit I have with my kids).

28. am not a two-faced, bootlicker & brown noser individual. Never have been & surely never will.

29. have an unquenchable thirst for learning, specially on subjects that interest me.

30. have a scrapbook of my life ever since I was dating my husband… (14 years in the making, give or take a few months)

31. consider myself to be a very good listener & an even better talker.

32. would rather get my info. first hand. Thus, I don’t rely on gossip. I figure, whoever gossips to me, gossips about me.

33. utterly hate envy. I usually don’t feel it towards people (i’m not saying that I have never). But for some reason I despise it the most when it’s aimed at me.

34. love to talk with my husband about life in the wee hours of the night just because we’re not sleepy. There are few things that I love more than this.

35. am very proud & absolutely love my latin heritage.

36. am an ambivert. My extraversion & my introversion are split down to the middle. As much as I enjoy my time with friends & fam, I also enjoy my time of solitude.

37. love Jesus.

38. passionately like to wear jeans, flip-flops & hoodies. I root for very comfortable clothes.

39. truly think I married the best man in the world (for me).

40. am terrified of getting on airplanes. I often take pills (much to my dislike) & pray to calm myself down.

41. am enamoured of my children’s smile. It makes me have an unexplainable & amazing feeling.

42. have a passion for watching certain movies, programs, video games, etc. with just my brother.

43. remember my dreams every single day when I wake up in the morning.

44. am a big fan of accountability. I always most of the time say something only when I mean it.

45. have my own simple, well established sense of style.

46. am a bit of a procrastinator. Something I’ll work on next week.

47. dislike seafood. Love italian & mexican.

48. absolutely love to speak in public.

49. wanted a daughter & a son in the order that I got them.

50. strongly believe prayer is key.

51. like to give & be given firm handshakes.

52. admire sincere kindness & humility, above all else, in a person.

& a bonus: I can write with my both hands (ambidextrous).

Surely, I am missing a lot. In fact I wrote more than 100 things, yet I narrowed it down to 52. So there you have it. I gave you my true colors.

I’m a HUGE fan of (not necessarily famous) people’s biographies, I feel I learn a great deal from them. Hope you’ve learned something from my personal facts.

 

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”- Psalm 139:13-15

Don’t Quit

“I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life. I believe that is success”- Madeleine Albright

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Edgar A. Guest