Say What You Need to Say

Do you have an old birthday card you treasure, or a hand-written note tucked away somewhere that you read from time to time. Why? Because it reminds you that someone special wanted you specifically to know something important.

There are never enough opportunities, it seems, to convey our deepest feelings to each other. Our lives are busy, our attention is strained, and meaningful moments are hard to come by.      

With my son starting high school this year, I decided I didn’t want to dispense my thoughts out on special occasions only, or wait until time is too short to tell him about some of the important lessons I’ve learned along the way. After all, these things may perhaps spare him some pain or provide him some encouragement when he needs it most.  So here are a few pieces of advice that I have written out for him, and I hope they will encourage you as well:

1. There’s a fine line between contentment and complacency. Always be thankful for what you have, and always stay open to achieving more. Don’t pitch a tent at a pit stop. 

2. There’s a marked difference between letting go and giving up. Take the time to evaluate your life from time to time and drop what’s weighing you down. Giving up is a result of hopelessness, but letting go results in renewed courage.

3. There’s more to life than a fancy car and a fine house. “Home” trumps all, and you can make even the smallest and poorest of dwellings rich in love and laughter.

4. There’s really no telling what the future holds. Don’t project past discouragements on the days ahead. Take time to remember how far you’ve come when life gets you down, and purposely reflect on fond and funny memories.

5.  You have unique gifts and talents. Pursue them and don’t waste massive amounts of time, energy and money on things you aren’t good at.  Pray for guidance every day.

6. Keep it between the ditches and seek out people who will help and encourage you. Find them, appreciate them, and spend time with them as much as possible. If you find yourself in the ditch, these are the ones who will come to your aid.

7. Be kind to yourself. You are what you think.

8. Serve others even when it hurts. There’s no better way to stay joyful.

9. Always remember feelings are fickle. Don’t make stupid decisions or statements in the heat of the moment that you can’t take back for the rest of your life.

10. Don’t try to be perfect in the eyes of the world. The whims of culture change like a stormy weather pattern. Seek to be all that God created you to be instead.

I hope this post inspires you to sit down and say what you need to say to someone important in your life. Happy reflecting!

Originally published in my column, 'The Upside,' in the Ellijay Times-Courier.

The Day Chica Found her Mojo

About a year ago, my family took on a rescue dog, named Chica. When we first brought her home, she was very timid, to our cat’s great delight. You see, Meow wasn’t pleased about her arrival, not pleased at all, and she exemplified her disdain with a well-placed claw to the ear upon introduction. 

Chica soaks up some lovin'.

Poor Chica’s ear bled and bled; she ran around our unfamiliar home shaking her head, splattering blood everywhere. Five minutes of this and our house looked like a crime scene. I finally cornered her, scooped her up and applied pressure to the wound. I pulled out the only band-aids I could find- neon purple- and fixed her up. It took days to heal, and she was a sad sight moping around with that purple bandage. Meanwhile the cat contentedly licked her paws from her cozy perch on the sofa whenever Chica was in sight.

Meow is a typical feline narcissist. She likes to spend her days sunning outdoors catching critters and dragging them to the porch as headless trophies. But she also likes spending her nights indoors, cozying up in my son’s room, enjoying the good life of cat food and soft blankets. She scoffs at any attempts to convince her to play, and turns her nose up at anything but name-brand cat food. As the saying goes, my dog things it’s human, but my cat thinks it’s God. 

Meow, enjoying the good life.

Chica cowed to the cat from that very first day forward. She tip-toed a wide circle around her whenever possible, and Meow enjoyed all of the fear and trembling. Sometimes she would lay by Chica’s food bowl just to be mean. This behavior continued for a year, until one day about two months ago.

That morning Chica was cleaning her brand new puppies, when Meow entered the scene. I was standing by the back door next to the cat when she looked at the box of tiny dogs cross-eyed. Something in Chica snapped that instant. She came charging towards us. The cat leapt from the floor all the way to the ceiling, just like you see in the cartoons. Then she clawed along the tops of the curtains hissing and spitting, but Chica just kept on barking and jumping after her.

It looked a little something like this. (Defoe-Photography.com)

I was tripping over the dog trying to open the door for the cat as the hilarious scene was unfolding. Finally I managed to turn the knob and swing the door wide open, cat attached. Meow snarled and pounced outdoors, where she has remained ever since. She currently takes her cat food on the porch railing, and sleeps in the shed. She won’t step foot in the house, even though the puppies are gone.

They were so cute!!

Chica now lives to chase Meow. Each and every walk we take she relentlessly sniffs her out. Sometimes she locates her, and drives her off into the woods. Sometimes the cat outsmarts her and regally sits on top of the van in victory. Whatever the outcome, Chica found her mojo, and the pet dynamics have shifted in her favor.

Whenever I think about this story, I literally laugh out loud. I have honestly never in my life seen a cat jump that high! I hope this story brings a smile to your face this week and perhaps encourages you to  find your mojo, like Chica did, and stand up to those hindrances in life that need a good chasing.