Nablopomo

Courage and Strength or Day 12

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 2 Comments

I like to think of myself as being a strong person, a courageous person.  But sadly, I don’t really know that I am.  Last night I watched A Mighty Heart.  It is the story of Daniel Pearl’s disappearance and the investigation that ensued as well as a close look at how his wife coped, dealt, and fought to find out who was behind her husband’s kidnapping, all while 5 months pregnant.  I enjoyed the movie as I really felt like I was on this journey for truth and justice with her.  It was a very personal movie based on her personal memoir about the tragic event.  I know that Angelina Jolie–who played Mariane got to know her well during the making of the movie and by all accounts I have heard Mariane Pearl is very happy with the movie.  I am in awe of this woman’s strength and courage as she spent weeks not knowing the fate of her husband and having to trust the Pakistani CIS (intelligence) and others.  It is a raw look at what it is like to lose the one you love and to suffer a fate that no one could imagine.  She eventually in the end decided to watch the video of her husbands beheading as she feels she must in order to come to terms with what had happened and to move forward.  To be able to find hope.  She wrote the memoir so that her son would know the truth of what happened.  Her strength inspires me. 

Another incident of a woman’s strength is that of  Jocelyn who days before her court date for the adoption of her 6 month old daughter was told that the babies parents decided not to relinquish her.  I do not know the details of how her agency receives children, etc.  But I can only imagine how devastating this is.  I don’t know what I would have done if days before Minnow’s court date something would have happened.  I feel for her. 

Where do we pull this inner strength from? How do we make sure that we have it? 

To Give? To Take? or Day 11

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

This morning hubby and was playing with Minnow and pondered out loud how Minnow could love him so much.  I told hubby Minnow loves us so much because we love him so much.  Kids at that age give what they get.  It was a moment for me as I thought back to the kids that I had taught and interacted with.  So many of them didn’t know love and were therefore unable to give love.  It was part of my job as teacher to give to them and to give to them more than they ever gave to me.  I had been given too and it was my turn to give. 

Our society has become more about taking than about giving.  I think that is one of the chief differences politically between the dems and the reps.  Dems want to give and the don’t necessarily worry about getting back.  Reps want to take what is theirs and keep it without sharing what they have been given on the backs of those who built their multi-million dollar mansion or their thousand dollar suits. 

When I was a kid I had to work for what I got.  I had to give before I got.  If I worked hard and got good grades that I would be given some token–money, clothes, etc.  To often today kids and even us adults don’t have to do much to get what we have.  We have become a selfish nation.  We have a generation of folks who have forgotten what it is to give–(not everyone.  I know plenty of folks who give and give greatly).  But we are in general a greedy society and if we can take without giving we will. 

Take for instance our growing workforce and the number of high educated young folks who cannot get a decent job.  We have people who are healthier and who are living longer and who in turn are working longer in their high paying good jobs.  In past generations these jobs would have been retired from and some young college grad would take the place given up and on and on.  Well, now we have folks who aren’t giving up those jobs and are working years longer.  Yes it is good for them but it is bad for those who depend on attrition and retirement for their future.  At some point it is time to stop taking (the paycheck, the job) and to start giving back (volunteering, etc). 

Our societies balance between giving and taking is out of whack.  We need to get that balance back. 

What have you given lately? 

Friends or Day 10

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

I just got home from a great lunch with a few of my girlfriends.  We meet once a month for lunch, as life is busy.  We all met over 5 years ago when we were teachers (many of us first year teachers) and have stayed friends since.  It is nice.  I think as I get older I have underestimated what friendship really means.  Once you get married and then start to have kids, unless you make time for friends relationships fade and it is hard to get them back.  So, today I will make it a point to contact some old friends, who are important to me, but whom I just haven’t made time for.  Friends are too important to let life push them out. 

Thanks to those of you who are new friends.  It is nice to have you who share similar experiences.  New friends are just as necessary as old and I want to sent to shout out to my new friends.  You know who you are. 

Who have you forgotten lately?  What have you not taken the time for that adds to your life? 

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! or Day 9

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

At least 8 families ahead of us on waiting list for an infant girl.  We still have a long wait ahead of us……(Maybe we will add another son.  Don’t. Know. How. Long. I. Can. Wait.)

We will wait for a girl–as I bought a really cute pair of girl pants and Minnow already gets mistaken for a girl, I certaninly cannot dress him in the girlie pants.  Besides, I want a girl and have my heart set on it.  Anything worth having is worth waiting for…I don’t like waiting. 

(Promise this will be the last post this month whining about waiting for a referral–I’ll save the whining for January).

Sickness Be Damned or Day 8

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Our house has been cursed.  Or should I say I have been cursed.  No I am not the sick one.  I am the punished one who has to take care of the sick ones.  Hubby and Minnow are both sick.  I love my hubby to death and think that he really is the greatest man/hubby/father, but SERIOUSLY he is the WORST sick person I know. He has been home sick for FOUR long days.  Minnow has had a bit of the sniffles himself and is also beginning to throw tantrums.  So I have a whiny 40 year old man and a crabby I will just throw myself on the ground and kick and scream until you let me stay up until 11pm watching Spongebob son.  It is pure hell here at casa de la sickos.  Please send help–wine, liquor, flare gun, chocolate…Anything.