Look for the good

Recently, after a flight home, a tablet was inadvertently left behind on the airplane.
This was not realized until the next morning. Panic ensued and my husband and I quickly sought for answers on how to best track it down.
We were prompted to visit the airlines web page and found a lost and found claim form. We filled it out, adding every detail about the tablet that we could think of. We sent a signal to the tablet, and forced it to lock and set a password to keep personal data safe. And then we waited… each of us expecting different outcomes. A couple of weeks passed and then an unexpected email was received.
The tablet was located! Faith in mankind was restored!

I couldn’t help but wonder, what caused us to expect such contradicting outcomes.
Was it a male/female thing?
Do each of us view the world (and people) differently because of external influences? (Work, media, etc.)
Have our past experiences impacted our way of thinking?

Abraham Lincoln once said…

“If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.”

While that may be true, it stands to reason that the opposite is also true.
If you look for the good in people, expecting to find it, you surely will!

the recovery

[part two]

As expected, the surgery lasted an hour. We received the news at 1:15 AM that it was a success. A rod and two pins were holding her delicate hip in place. I went home to catch a couple of hours of sleep before heading into work. Evan stayed by his mothers side. He wanted to be there when she came out of the anesthesia. He paced a lot. He worried constantly. He napped as mush as he could. When she awakened, he was relieved... she was a survivor. She was taken to her temporary home, Room 408. Her pain level was relatively low, she was groggy but aware. Evan was able to break away long enough to go home, shower and pack his briefcase so he could work from the hospital.

I went straight to the hospital after work. Recovery was going along as best as we could hope for. A physical therapist was already working with her, helping her sit up and even stand. We were asked to select a rehabilitation center as they anticipated transitioning her there on Christmas eve. We chose one close to home for the sake of convenience. They had a bed and reserved it for her. Denise and Alan came down from Wyoming  and he daughter spent the second night at her side.  Connie was still in a fog and tired very easily. She slept a lot and ate very little.  There were concerns about her progress with the physical therapist. It was decided to keep her in the hospital through Christmas in hopes that she would become more alert and gain more strength.

Something kept gnawing at me about our rehab center choice, so I did some research online. I was prompted for a reason. Our first choice did not have very desirable reviews and very low health grades. I did some more research and found two other centers nearby that met our high criteria. I called Evan and shared with him my concerns and had him check for rooms at the other centers. Our first choice had a room and would be ready for her on Friday.

becoming the best

It has been said by most that their mom is the best ever.
Those words are no exception to my daughters.
I accept their statements in great humility
not because I am the best, but because I have been influenced by the best.

My mother is the first influence I ever had.
She is the most selfless woman I know.
Always looking outward.

My two daughters… so very different from each other
but equally as important to me.
They have taught me more than I ever would have learned on my own.

Denise became my fist sister when I married her brother.
She was the first Aunt to my daughters
and is full of energy and love.

Tamra, married my brother
and was the first to make me an Aunt.
She has a passion for learning and is one of the smartest people I know.

Emily, my third sister by marriage.
She has taken on the role of motherhood and has not looked back.
She is courageous and nurturing.

Many friends and neighbors… the mothers and the childless.
All of them honoring womanhood with their actions,
caring for their families and for each other.

I have no doubt that all of these women will also claim
that their greatness comes from influences as well.
But, isn’t that something we as women do so very well…
helping others become their best.

Music to my ears!

The YMAD blog was finally updated…

They made it!

Just wanted to let you know that as of this morning they were in Manali, India. Safe. They said the bus ride was long and uncomfortable…

They are working on Blogs tonight and we should hear more from them tomorrow!

Kylee and her group have been traveling since Friday at noon… a few more days on the road and they will be in Chamba, changing their lives!

Lunacy

This week has been a blah week.

Mixed in, with all of the mundane routine of work and home, was a series of lunatics on the phone.
As a side note, this (excessive lunacy) seems to coincide with the full moon.

One caller, in particular, was a top notch. He was full of colorful and vulgar insults.
The first insult toward my co-worker prompted me to immediately pull his documents
and return them in the mail.
As I was headed toward the postage meter,
I was informed that he was on his way into the office to pick them up.
In an attempt to avoid a personal confrontation, I placed the documents on the front counter.
I had hopes that he would see them and leave.
No such luck.

For protection, two of us went up.
He continued to yell and demand answers.
As we attempted to answer his questions,
he would interrupt and yell some more and then continue to demand answers (which he would not listen to).
I finally had enough and asked him to leave.
Of course, he was not listening and stayed and yelled.
After two more requests, I put my hand up, and STRONGLY insisted he leave.
By this time, all three of us were up front.
I walked towards him and escorted him out the door. but not with out getting the big F-U-B.

Emotionally, I do not deal well with confrontation.
Nausea, upset stomach, lack of appetite have been with me all week.
If it weren’t for the binging that follows, I may have discovered another weight loss program.