Hello, my friends, Hello!!!

 

Well, hello there my old friends. It has been such a long time since I felt like sitting down and writing. (and after I published this, I saw that is has been 1 year since I've blogged. Last blog posted April 22, 2022 - eeeek) So, what's new with me, you ask?

WELL!!!!

We are now on Instagram!!! (@thinkthankfully)  I will try my best to keep that updated on a more regular basis. We are still on Facebook, but that has not been a social media platform of choice for me, so I've kind of let that slide a bit. Maybe I'll get back into that again, someday.

I'm also working on a book! Yes, you read that right! A book! Not necessarily a thankful book but a book I'm super thankful for!!! It should be hitting Amazon Kindle in the next few weeks. I'm hoping to publish a chapter a week as an episode book!

I've started a new job that has taken me out of the classroom and into a quasi-administrative role in a local school district. I'm still within the teacher's contract (hence the quasi), but hoping that after additional certification on my part, it might turn into something a bit bigger. I love where I work, who I work with, what I'm doing, and all that jazz!!!

I had Achilles Repair surgery in June 2022. With that came about a whole host of learning experiences. It was tough being non-weight bearing for the entire summer, but thankfully, it is healing well (could take up to a year and a half to feel 100% better).

I did find these shoes on Amazon, that I absolutely LOVE. I have them in every color! They feel good on my heel, and still offer a stylish look (not an old granny look) for my daily work wear. They look good with jeans, too!!! Cheap, well made, and snazzy!!! Grab a pair or two and thank me later!!! (I sized up a half size because of the heel issue, but they fit well, so there's that, too)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)

For your morning, boost, try this coffee! We love it!

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Until next time!

Boy did I mess up!

 

I host a YouTube channel (Aunt Ally's Storytime) where I upload videos of me reading stories mainly for my nephew and niece, but it has garnished some other interest and a few more children seem to enjoy the weekly storytime with "Aunt Ally".

As I scrolled through Amazon to purchase more books to read, I came across one that had a strange familiarity to me. Tikki Tikki Tembo. As soon as I saw the title, I immediately began to sing: "Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo". It is a catchy rhyming phrase that has a sing songy sound to it. So, I bought the book.

It arrived yesterday. I read it. I was embarrassed that I was so ignorant about the story. To be entirely honest, I couldn't remember the story and I still do not remember WHY that phrase is so sing songy in my head, but after reading the story, I decided I will NOT be using it in a weekly story telling session.

The book is touted as a Chinese folktale, but as I read the story, I quickly realized that the story seems to give off a rather stereotyped, negative impression of the Chinese culture and moreso, the family unit. I did some researching of some things presented in the 'folktale' and found them to be completely false and THAT made me sad. And while I don't think the author of the book, Arlene Mosel, meant for her story to be offensive, I just couldn't, in good conscience, use that children's book on my storytime.

Reading the story reminded me of an in-service training that we had to do about cultural sensitivity. Things that we grew up saying, things that seemed absolutely harmless in spoken words, were in fact, offensive phrases to some cultural groups. There was a lot of backlash to that in-service.

 

"We've ALWAYS said that."

"My goodness people need to lighten up."

"Watch me stop saying that just because some snowflakes were offended." (yup - that was really said.).

It stuck with me hearing people say these things. And while I, too, questioned how some of the things were offensive, once explained I could understand. When you grow up in a more privileged culture, there is no way you can totally understand the offensiveness of things to other cultures and in NO WAY should you be diminishing their being offended. With an open mind, you CAN begin to understand their point of view, their feelings.

I messed up. I took a sing songy phrase that I remember from somewhere in my childhood and thought nothing of it. It never even phased me that it MIGHT be derogatory in nature. I ordered the book and eagerly awaited its arrival, planning to use it next week on my channel. I failed to look it up more before diving in.

There is nothing wrong with admitting a mistake, admitting you've messed up. While there was no harm done with my mess up, but there could have been. If you believe you can never be wrong, you’re actually wrong - very wrong. We all make mistakes, and it’s okay. In fact, that’s what makes us human.

 

Until next time......Think Thankfully

 

Monday Musings

 

The thoughts that are rambling through my mind this Monday: 

Monday Musings

This morning was truly a Monday in the most Mondayest sense of the word! My hair just didn't end up the way I wanted them to, I forgot my tea in the garage after I set it down to put my school bag in my car, I realized I left my garage door open all weekend (after putting my car in it on Saturday), and my mind just feels like it is in a fog today. I'm attributing that to the fact that I started a new medication last week and yesterday was the first day of taking it twice a day. I was warned that this could be an effect of the meds until my body adjusts. It's not terrible, it's just different for me.

All that aside, I've decided to start working this blog again. I'm going to attempt to write more! I miss it. Writing has always been something I've enjoyed doing. It's always been easier to put my words down on paper (or a screen) rather than speak them. I guess I always thought that if I write what I'm thinking or feeling, I can hand those words off and walk away, not having to deal with the fallout, whatever it may be. If I say them to someone, I'm right there to read their faces or have to deal with whatever they do/say after hearing me. I don't like confrontation. I'm a people pleaser. I don't like being in uncomfortable situations. A lot of time, speaking to people leads to those uncomfortable situations. Writing. That's the ticket for me.

My dream (since I was in high school many moons ago), has been to write a novel. I was in a creative writing class in high school and I penned a wonderful teenage novella. I worked so hard on it, ON A TYPEWRITER, many evenings at my grandmother's house. It was such a good story! BUT.....there was a fire at my parents' house and it got tossed in the clean up. I remember the title, The Brightest Star. I was so proud of that little novella. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Perhaps that is the nudge I need in order to start penning something again.

In addition to some other medical diagnoses I've recently been given (nothing too Earth shattering), I diagnosed myself with atychiphobia - the fear of failure. I think this is why I never see any writing through to completion. I fear no one will read it. I fear no one will like it. I fear failure. I do know that failure propels you to success. So, that being said, I'm going to start small - blogging again - and then I will start framing out the ideas I have for a novel. Or maybe a children's book! Or....who knows!!! I just know I really want to write.

Mondays are a good day to refocus and set our intentions for the week, for a specific thing, for anything!!! Today, I'm setting my intention to get back in the writing game.

Until next time.....

An all day every day love affair

It's the month of LOVE. February is always associated with red, hearts, love, Valentines, romance. February is my second favorite month of the year (next to November, of course - shout out to my beautiful November-born daughters).

Let's talk love. Love is a beautiful thing and I am so truly blessed to have pure and true love in my life on a daily basis. I'm not a huge proponent of Valentine's Day, but I love LOVE. I do not believe I need a special day to be showered with love and romantic gestures, mostly because I get that every single day. Read that again.....I do not believe I need a special day to be showered with love and romantic gestures, mostly because I get that every single day. I am truly blessed and I realize not everyone can say that. Before my husband entered my life, I could not say that. My first marriage was a hot mess of mental and emotional abuse. I was never truly shown what love looked like in a marriage. That all changed when Bill entered my life.

This past Christmas, Bill and I were married 10 years. Most people say that love starts to fade a bit with time. I am here to tell you, in the right relationship that does NOT have to be the case. I am still just as in love with and attracted to my husband as I was the first time I laid eyes on him. It still excites me that I am the one who is lucky enough to fall asleep next to him and wake up with him by my side every single night/day. The excitement of coming home from work to see him is still strong, the giddy feeling of him letting me know he's on his way home from work at the end of the day is still as strong as it was in the beginning. I look forward to my morning text messages each and every day. If there is such a thing as a honeymoon stage in a relationship, ours is nowhere near being over! 

I do not believe I need a special day to be showered with love and romantic gestures, mostly because I get that every single day. I remember back when things were fresh and new, telling Bill that I hoped we would never get to a point where saying I love you was just something that was automatic and said because it felt like it should be. I never wanted to get to a point where we felt as though we had to express love towards one another, because it was expected of us. All these years later, nothing has changed. Expressing love towards one another is so natural, so easy. It's one of the easiest things to do, love my husband. We truly have an all day every day love affair, and it is exciting, wonderful, intense, romantic.

My wish for whomever is reading this, is that YOU have a love like this in your life, that you are able to experience such an incredible love at some point, if you don't already. I realize I am blessed and that what I have is extremely special to be able to say I have Valentine's Day EVERY SINGLE DAY in my life. I wish you a forever love....the kind of love that gives YOU an all day every day love affair!

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Remembering #24

Remembering #24 - Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

As I reflect on the last blog entry I posted last week, the one about leaving a legacy, it gave me a bit of a shudder and felt eerie to reread, considering the events that occurred on Sunday, January 26, 2020.......

As a basketball player, myself, being only a few years older than Kobe, his was a name that was known whether you followed basketball or not. You knew who Kobe Bryant was. He was a phenom; a stand out at a young age. 17 years old and being drafted into the NBA from high school, beginning a legendary career at 18....unheard of in my high school years. People truly thought he would fail. He was too young. He proved them wrong and ultimately had an amazingly successful NBA career, having not just one but TWO jersey numbers retired for the LA Lakers. 

I raised a basketball player. My youngest daughter played for 12 strong years and she was my first thought when I heard the news of Kobe's passing (my dear friend, Toom was the second person I thought of....he always reminded me of Kobe!). I've truly cried many tears for a person I've never met, because I know how he influenced my daughter. She listened to Lil Wayne's Kobe Bryant before all her games, it was her 'get in the mentality' song. She respected the player Kobe was and because of him, she LOVED the sport, as evidenced by her tweet after learning of his death and a comment she left on a Facebook status posted about Kobe.

And while I am choosing to focus this blog entry on Kobe, if I'm being perfectly honest with you all, what hurts my heart the most and causes the tears to flow freely, is knowing that his 13 year old daughter, Gianna, was with him. She was the future of women's basketball. At 13, she was already a standout. I mean, come on, with Kobe Bryant DNA in you, how could you NOT be, right? The children who were on that flight with their parents, that last moment of terror, and what those parents must have felt, knowing they could do nothing to protect their children in that moment. I can only imagine what their last moments together must have looked like. No, that's not even accurate. I can't. I can't imagine those last moments.

Those who know OF Kobe, know that he had a bit of a mar on his name dating back to 2003 and allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. He was arrested in 2003 after a sexual assault complaint was filed against him in Colorado when a 19-year-old hotel employee claimed that she had been raped by Kobe. While that certainly was damning to his reputation at the time, and is still something people choose to remember about him, Kobe was STILL a man that people ended up looking up to. His lessons, on and off the court, are timeless. He showed teammates and fans what it looked like to lose with grace and dignity and win with humble pride. I am a firm believer of the idea that you have to take the good with the bad when remembering someone of his fame, but you can choose which focus you want to take. I choose to remember the basketball icon, the man who introduced the world to the Mamba Mentality, the man who's name is synonymous with success, the man who believed in philanthropy, the family man, the man who believed in leaving the world a better place.

When I heard of Kobe’s passing, the movie The Sandlot immediately came to mind (which is weird I know....that's a baseball movie, right?!?). In the movie, the ghost of Babe Ruth tells Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez "Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart kid and you can never go wrong." Kobe is a legend. He’s left a legacy for those who followed his career and his life story. Follow your heart and you can never go wrong. Kobe did just that.

I'm still struggling with this news today, two days later. Kobe was the GOAT of the NBA (challenge me, please), playing his entire 20 year career with the Lakers, winning 5 NBA championships as a Laker, being an 18-time All-Star (let that sink in....18 of 20 seasons he was an All-Star), 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, 2 time gold medalist in the Olympic Games (although I still do not believe professional athletes should compete in the Olympics - another blog for another day) and named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008,  come on. G.O.A.T status without a doubt. 

Kobe left a legacy. Years from now, people will still be shooting balled up paper into a trash can and shouting, "KOBE!!!!" as they fade away from the shot. Years from now, people will still remember the amazing legend that was Kobe Bryant. Years from now, my daughter will be introducing her child(ren) to the sport of basketball and the legacy of Kobe Bryant.

And for all that, thank you, Kobe. Godspeed and rest in power. May angels lead you in.......

What's your legacy gonna be?

Legacy is defined in the dictionary as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past.”  Given this definition, a legacy is not something that we have complete control over; after all, we cannot control how other people perceive us, we can only control our own actions. We can only live our lives the way we see fit and hope that whatever we are doing leaves a mark, leaves others constantly reminded of us. Right?

I’ve been struggling with this idea lately. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it since September. I know Billy left a legacy behind. People want to be like Billy. Live a life as he did….full and free! Billy always made you wish you had what he had…..fire in his soul. Yet, he wasn’t the type to be in your face about it. What we must do is inspire through our own actions much like Billy did. Billy didn’t just think about doing things, or tell others to do them; he went out and got things done on his own! He epitomized the Maya Angelou quote referenced at the top of the blog: "If you're going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark in the world that can't be erased."

That has gotten me to think about my own life. What legacy will I leave for people who knew me? What mark am I leaving in the world? Right now, I’m quite frustrated with work. While I am thankful for my current position, I feel unfulfilled. Listening to a former classroom aide (and friend) of mine talk of what it was like being in the classroom with me, hearing former students recall favorite moments with me, parents who still tell me they miss me teaching their child…..it all adds up to a frustrated me at the moment. I do not toot my own horn, but one thing I do know is that I am a damn good teacher. And I do miss teaching. I do not miss the lesson planning, the grading, the dealing with behaviors, etc….but I miss delivering lessons with a certain savoir faire. I miss seeing the 'lightbulb' moments. I miss the excitement that my teaching brought to my students which in turn made them excited about learning. My husband says, there's always two sides to every situation. He's right. While I am no longer being hit, kicked, spit on, bitten, assaulted, verbally abused, etc and I am thankful for that, I feel as though I am also no longer really teaching. Not the way I enjoy teaching, that is.

Today, I found out that a girl I played basketball against in high school passed away after two bouts with breast cancer. She was 46. I read articles about her and again, my heart sank. She made her mark, on and off the court, first as a player, then as a coach. And in between all that, she was a very respected Special Education Teacher. She made such a difference. I’m sure she knew it, too, but yet like Billy, she wasn’t in your face about it. She just did it. It was how she lived her life.

I often wonder if I’m doing this whole ‘life’ thing right. I watch news stories and movies, read books and articles about teachers who make a difference, deliver ‘hard love’ to their students, tell students what they NEED to hear, not what they want to hear, make a difference. Sometimes it is super frustrating because that has been the premise of my entire teaching career (which began in May 1995). I feel like I never have it right, though, never landing the ‘dream job’, never being fully recognized for what I do and how I do it. Sounds like I’m looking for praise and accolades, doesn’t it? That’s not it. Not at all. Please read this as a reflective piece, an entry where I am searching for myself rather than a pity me post looking for praise and adoration.

I’ve recently started to dive into astrological horoscopes, birth charts, etc. I’m not saying that I believe in them fully, but I do find it funny that today, one of the changes to my chart noted that I’m struggling in the area of self, specifically a desire that is creating constraints. That area of my astrological chart spelled out that I find myself frustrated in the field of my natural talents (subsequently prompting this blog after one I had wanted to write fizzled out before my eyes). It went on to say that the frustrations I’m feeling will see their beginnings in the new ideas and experiences I’ve been craving along with circumstances surrounding my career or social life. An endless array of irritation and obstacles will affect finding not just a new job, but a new industry. Begs the question of how real is this astrological stuff.

Will I leave a legacy behind me? Will I ever reach my full potential in the areas of my natural talents? I guess time will tell…..but I will always have Billy in the back of my mind, pushing me to do better, be better, live life with zest, and never settle for mediocre when I can be AMAZING!

In addition to half-assedly reading the astrological outlook for my day, I also receive angel messages from Archangel Michael every day at noon. Those I believe in wholeheartedly. As I am finishing up this blog posting, today's daily angel message was delivered to me: 'Speak with optimism and faith about your finances, health, and relationships as your outlook does affect your outcomes.' Hmmmmmmmm. Timely reminder today. And so I shall.......