Be.

The Push.

By David McNally

The eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her persistent nudging. “Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?” she thought. This ageless question was still unanswered for her.

As in tradition of the species, her nest was located high on the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings of each child.

“Is it possible that this time it will not work?” she thought. Despite her fears, the eagle knew it was time, her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task – THE PUSH.

The eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their wings, there was no purpose for their lives outside the nest. Until they learned to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege it was to have been born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her supreme act of love.

And so, one by one, she pushed them and they flew.

Happy Mother’s day!

1:30-Random Thangs.

The idea.

1.  List 20 random facts about yourself.

I can give you 100 or 20 new ones.

20.  My first couch was purple.

19.  I feed off of other peoples energy.

18.  I prefer salty savory foods over sweet.

17.  I scratch my head when I’m frustrated.

16.  I stutter when I’m angry.

15.  I act on emotions first before logic.

14.  I cannot stop smelling my kid.

13.  I wish I can be a stay at home mom.

12.  The sight of cottage cheese makes me nauseated.

11.  I put at least 1/3 cup of sugar in my coffee.

10.  I’m pretty amazing at multi-tasking.

09.  I’m probably staring at your veins determining what gauge IV needle I can stick in you.

08.  I get through my work day by eating sour gummy bears.

07.  I will listen to a single song on repeat until I get sick of hearing it.

06.  A patient once told me “eating chocolate is like falling in love,” forever explaining my obsession with chocolate.

05.  In 8th grade a neighborhood kid told me I had ‘hammer toes,’ I’m still self conscious about my feet.

04.  Not only did I buy Ken a drink first the night we meet, but I handed him a wad of cash to buy it himself.

03.  I notice shoes first.

02.  Ken & I once broke into my dream home.

01.  I’m living my happily ever after.

30 Questions.

While wandering aimlessly on pintrest the other day I came across this challenge to answer these 30 questions Jessi has conjured up.  The idea I guess or so Jessi says, “is to record different parts of my personality for my posterity.”    Brilliant, I was in the mood for some self-evaluation, also my writing muscles need a work out & my neglected tumblr site needs a little action.  However, because life sometimes gets in the way, the whole one question a day is overly ambitious, so my goal is to just get through the list, which may take awhile.  Thanks again Jessi for the inspiration. 

So, lets do this! Who’s with me? 

The questions.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.

2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

3. Describe your relationship with your parents.

4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?

7. What is your dream job, and why?

8. What are 5 passions you have?

9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.

11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.

12. Describe a typical day in your current life.

13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.

14. Describe 5 strengths you have.

15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?

19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?

22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.

24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?

27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?

28. What is your love language?

29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?

30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Dear K4,

I’ve been sitting at the foot of your bed, for the past 30 minutes watching you fight your nap.  You’ve been singing  “Happy Birthday” for Uncle Diwang & Snoopy for the last 15.  Every time you see me look at you, you close your eyes to pretend that you’re asleep and then laugh hysterically. 

But, there is an undeniable heaviness about your eyelids & I know that soon sleep will win & this is will be another successful(ish) attempt to have you fall asleep without being rocked in my arms.  For the record, it’s killing me not just swoop you up, carry you to the rocking chair, & rock us both to sleep.  But, I’ve got to fight the urge (I know there is a lesson in this somewhere, I’m just having a hard time deciphering it right now).

 Each little giggle, each little question, each little factoid, that comes peeping out of your mouth right now is clearly reminding me how ‘2’ you are.  It’s also reminding me how exhausted I am, but in the most proudest & happiest of ways.

27 months old is quickly turning to 28, so before I forget here is a list of 27 things you absolutely love at 27 months into your amazing life.  

1.  Thomas & Friends.

2.  Gaga.

3.  Pushing your truck in the backyard.

4.  Travel Town.

5.  Singing.  

6.  Blues Clues preferably with Joe.

7.  Llama & his drama.

8.  Jelly Beans.

9.  Pirates.

10.  Staying up late.

11.  Sleeping in.

12.  Sun Glasses.

13.  Spiderman Intro circa 1967.

14.  “Round & Rounds” aka Merry Go Rounds.

15.  YaYa Jonah.

16.  Swimming.

17.  Hide & Seek.

18.  Saying “no.”

19.  Being contrary.

20.  Birthday cake.

21.  Will.i.am & sesame street.

22.  French toast.

23.  Wednesday mornings with MyMo at MyGym.

24.  Basketball.

25.  Leaf collecting.

26.  Trucks.

27.  Cooking.

Sleep well, Bubba-At least long enough for Mommy to finish the laundry.

Love,

Mommy

Dear K4,

Mommy realizes there will be a day when you don’t reach up to grab my hand and that your hand will be bigger than mine or that I will have to stand on my tiptoes to give you a kiss on the cheek.

There will be a day when you won’t crawl up in my lap and put your head on my chest or pull me in closer so my nose fits in your cheek and the hair on your head tickles my nose. 

Mommy also realizes that there will be a day when the sweetest sound of “Mommy” will turn to “Mom” and be full of teenage angst. 

Bubba I wonder every second of the day if your Daddy & I are doing this right & every second of the day you remind me that we are doing just fine.  It’s in the way that you smile & the way that you laugh, the way that everyone and everything gets a kiss. 

The world is your stage & at any given moment you break out into a song and dance.  You laugh hysterically at your own jokes and love imitating a frog.  You are most comfortable outside & love running through puddles, kicking leaves, climbing trees, & running, running, running. 

You can eat grown man portions of spaghetti at a time and can eat your own weight in applesauce.  You’re favorite place in this world is the train park & you request to go there EVERY.DAY.  You say goodnight to the moon & hello to the sun.

You ooh & ahh at any thing that has wheels and point out circles at every turn.  You like being told secrets but don’t like to tell.   When given a choice between a cookie or a popsicle for desert you request a “cookiepopsicle” which winds up getting you both. 

In the beginning we pushed you to socialize with other kids, turns out you don’t want to have anything to do with them and that is okay too.  It’s who you are & a lot like how Daddy & I can be.  You have your daddy’s way of putting things away aka ferret skills, but you also have his passion for drawing.   You prefer crayons over paint though, less of a mess, which you get from me.  You’d rather vacuum than open presents. 

You remind Mommy every chance you get that you can do things on your own & we argue on a daily basis about this. 

2 years ago Daddy & I along with Uncle Kuya & Auntie Manang witnessed you take in your first breath of the world around you, and it was to say the very least AMAZING.   

Bubba, I thank God every second of the day that he made me your Mommy.  It has been the best & most challenging 2 years of my life & for as long as you’ll let me I’m holding on tight & stealing kisses every chance I get.

Love,

Mommy

Risk.

to laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
to weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
to reach out for another is to risk involvement.
to expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
to place your ideas, dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
to love is to risk not being loved in return.
to live is to risk dying.
to hope is to risk despair.
to try is to risk failure.
but risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
they may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
only a person who risks is free.
~ author unknown