Facebook Negative?

 
Facebook tends to be a source of many emotions.  Listening to a few people this last year and how Facebook effects them I decided it can, indeed, be very negative. 

Like many things in my world I have taken the time to review how it effects me, seeking positive only.

This is what I came up with:

Those that are allowing Facebook to be that negative source in their life obviously have the wrong people as their "friends".  These are the same people that choose to live a drama filled life and of course blame everyone but themselves for it.  I have found great support from my Facebook friends.  Take control of your life!  You can control your circle of friends, your family life and even your Facebook friends.  Make the courageous choice to be happy.  You will have to leave some people behind but I guarantee it is worth it.

Boys will be Boys

My son, Josh, was punched in the face by another 7th grade student last week.  Josh told me when he got home yet he made it seem unimportant, almost telling me in passing.  I did not think much more of it.  Then on Saturday I was at a 5th grade football game and three other 7th graders, two I don't even know, came over to tell me what happened.  I really was concerned, as boys will be boys, until I heard these words "he said he is going to kick Josh's ass when football is over".  This week is the final football game.  I take threats VERY seriously due to an event that occurred in the school last year.  Last year the result was that a kid was jumped by three other kids.

I am going to admit up front that my son is no angel.  I am completely aware that he is "my son" when it comes to attitude and voicing himself.

I decided that I would start with the football coach since they are teammates.  I left the coach an email that said:

Please call me before practice on Monday.  I will be contacting Dr. Bickel as well.

Dr. Bickel is the principal of the school.  Coach called me Sunday night.  He heard me out and vowed to handle this first thing on Monday.  I was completely comfortable with the fact that he had heard my concern.  I was sure to make it clear if this boy touched my kid again that I would call the police, not the school.

Monday came and I received a text from my son mid morning.  It said:

Kids are telling me that Coach thinks I threw punches too.  I didn't.

I realize that kids don't always tell the truth, however I believed my son due to a code we have in our home.  There is NO being LAZY or LYING.  Josh told me that he had called the kid names and they had been playing rough football, not touch.  I tried to address every avenue.  Josh had called the other boy names about being "big" or "fat".  My son doesn't understand how badly that could hurt as he is tall and scary thin.  So, I took a different approach.  I talked to Josh about one of his weaknesses and asked how that made him feel.  He looked right at me and said "you're right mom".  I talked to Josh about the possibility of getting hurt at lunch and not being able to play in the game.  Why take the chance, right?  I also talked to Josh about not knowing what else has happened in the other boys day.  We have no way of knowing what is going on in the other persons life.  Maybe he was already in a bad mood and Josh just pushed the right (in this case wrong) buttons.

After Josh's text I decided I needed to go to the school.  I went directly to the office and asked for Dr. Bickel.  She saw me immediately, including the vice principal as well.  I explained all that I knew to them.  I, again, made it clear that should the boy touch my son I would call the police, not the school.  I let them know that I did not feel comfortable due to a friend of Josh's being jumped last year (Dr. Bickel knew the incident I was speaking of).  And finally, I let them know that in my opinion there is never a reason for someone to put their hands on someone else.  By the end, I felt like I was heard but was unsure what was going to be done about it.

Josh came home from practice saying that the Vice Principal had talked to both boys and things were settled.  Tuesday morning the Vice Principal also called me to close the incident.  I don't think I have agreed more with an approach or been happier with a response from any school. 

Like I said, boys wills be boys, they will talk smack, act tough, protect themselves, push each other to far, etc.  I am OK with any and all of that.  What is NOT OK is taking it to the level this got to, especially when you are teammates. 

I am grateful that my son had friends to come to me and talk to me.  I am happy they felt they could come talk to me.  I am amazed how little some parents are involved with their kids.  I am taking pleasure in the fact that I taught my kids early that lying and lazy were not tolerated in our world.  My greatest wish is that they take that with them throughout life.
  

PPFS

I have spent the past 15 months working for Poudre Pet & Feed Supply.   When I originally interviewed it felt right immediately.   Let me completely honest and say that I would be paid much less than I am accustomed to if I chose to take this postion.  At the time it had the following Pros:

Close to home
Good hours
Free dog food

Obviously, I took the job.  

In the past 15 months I have realized the following additional Pros:

Family atmosphere
I can bring my dog to work
I love both my bosses like we have known each other for years
I am not only allowed time to go to zumba, but one of my bosses go with me
And finally I have witnessed the most giving spirits I have ever met

Last night 24 of the 42 employees went to a Gala/Auction event held by the Larimer Humane Society.  One of our amazing store managers had recently lost their dog.  This manager had seen the dog of her dreams upon arriving at the event.  The giving/loving owners of Poudre Pet & Feed out bid the entire room to have their choice of available adoptable animals.  Once they won the bid the "dream dog" was brought to owner Karen Horak.  Karen immediately took the leash and walked over to our newly dogless manager, Sara.  The exchange was nothing short of incredible.  Sara was in tears, Karen was in tears, I'm pretty sure all of us were in tears, as well as the entire room.

I have never met two more loving people than Karen Horak snd Karen Morris.  The relationships they build with their team is unmatched.

I feel blessed and thankful to have them in my entire families life and even more grateful to be part of their team.

Positive Ju-Ju

Have you ever had that friend that believes in the power of positive thinking so much that you start believing it also?  I have such a friend.  Honestly, it took me a while to buy into the whole deal, but I am a firm believer. 

Those of you that follow me know that I talk about my ups and my downs.  Fortunately, I have not had any downs for a while.  I made a real effort at removing people from my life that are negative, drama and/or contribute zero to our relationship.  I feel like we all treat our "partners" in life that way.  We expect the give and take.  Shouldn't that be true with all relationships?  Picture each relationship like it is a tetter-totter (TT); each person being on one side of the TT.  When you give, this means effort not material items, your side goes up and the other side goes down.  When they give back your side goes back down and theirs comes back up.  There should be some balance there.  Can you visually imagine it? 

I used this process to decide what relationships in my life were healthy.  Oddly some of the relationships I thought to be the closest were extremely out of balance.  Even if you try to validate it by saying "I'm a giver", it does not make it OK.  I thought these relationships were important because of the attention I gave them, not what we did for each other.  I immediate made a decision to remove those from my life that were grossly out of balance. 

I am not claiming this is an easy process, but do you want to know a secret?  Amazing things have been happening around and to me since I began doing this.  I have surrounded myself with positive, drama-free people that contribute to my life in the same manner.  Call it what you want, but it works.

So, Michelle, my BFF, thank you for shining the positive light in my life in a consistent fashion.  I may be slow, but when I get it, I really get it.  We have been through much together, good and bad, and have always come out stronger.  You not only light up my life (everyone break into song), you also light up my heart.  I love you.

The Day After

I spent my blog time yesterday really reflecting on where I am in life.  Thinking back to where I was this time last year I had an overwhelming feeling of being blessed, grateful and thankful. 

I was in the right place at the right time when I began Zumba.  I remember walking in and feeling overwhelmed with how many people were there, wondering if they were watching me mess up (actually now I know it is just called learning) and hoping I could do it.  Let me just say now we are the overwhelming ones, I don't care who is watching and I DID IT!  This is not why I believe I was in the right place at the right time.  I talked about my Zumba family in yesterdays blog.  I am unable to find the words to explain what happened after I shared that blog.  Yes, I will still try.........

I get to Zumba early every class.  I like the "family time".  As I sit on the stage talking, sharing, laughing who appears?  My new running trainer, Meagan.  I wish I could explain what her energy does for me.  Anyone that knows me knows that I am full of fun and laughter, a bit of a goof off.  Meagan brings this positive energy that I want to bottle and sell.  She is literally just as excited for/with me.  She jumps into the seat next to me and passes me a folder.  Nervous?  I was.  Why?  I had a funny felling it is my new training schedule.  Guess what?  It was!  Meagan created something that seems so DOABLE.  I got more excited.  In addition she provided me with a gift card for my first pair of "real" running shoes.  Unbelievable, loving spirit......

Then we Zumba, after all that is why we are there.  We have a blast, especially my PIC (partner in crime), Jean, and I.  Before the final stretch song someone turns off the music and Jean gets on stage.  I assumed it was for an update from the Alzheimer's event we did with Jean and Nancy the prior weekend.  It was, but in additional Jean made a speech about me, my blog and our friendship.  Here is where the "in the right place at the right time" comes in.  Jean started Zumba the same time I did.  We have an unbelievable bond that can only be describe with one word, family.  Jean did such a fabulous job with raising money for the Alzheimer's event that she won a prize.  The prize was a cruise for two.  Fabulous right?  As we all revel in her excitement Jean says she wants to give this trip to me, me, yes, she just said me.  I would love to recite all the wonderful words Jean said about me, yet that just seems conceited, LOL.  I felt shock, amazement, love and gratefulness all at once. 

My best friend always tells me that positive ju-ju brings more positive.  She is so right!  The last year working on myself was worth it when I look around at my surroundings now. 

I love you my Zumba family.  Jean - you mean the world to me and I am forever grateful to have you and Nancy in my life.  Meagan - I am convinced you were brought into my world as a gift and I plan to keep this gift forever.  Dianne (my loving instructor) - if I could model myself after someone it would be you.  The life light that you shine is so positive.  I am forever grateful that I walked into your class.

New Goals

The last year has been full of change in more ways than I care to explain.   The most specific change within my control had been mine and mine alone, my health.  
I learned how harsh a negative surrounding can be in you inside and out.   Once I learned that it was up to me, and only me, to correct it.
To begin I only made weight goals yet quickly learned that was not enough.   It is about what is on the inside of you, as well as what is shared by the others around you.  
I found the most amazing group of woman that I now consider my zumba family.   The support they have given me had kept me strong and certain.   The leader of this family is our instructor, mama bear, Dianne.   I am positive if I had any other instructor to start I would not have been hooked so quickly.   Dianne is full of love and life. The best thing. ... she shares all of that with us.   I wake up Monday-Wednesday-Friday so excited to spend the morning with my family.  Thursday night class has become the icing on the cake.   I don't have the words to thank Dianne and my Zumba family for all the love and support they have given me.   It has resulted I'm doing 27 lbs, no longer needed blood pressure meds and searching for that next goal.
In walks another zumba family member, Meagan.   Meagan is one of those women that is gorgeous inside and out.   She is in tremendous shape and has a beauty queen face.  Meagan has taken me to my next goal. ...running.   I have wanted to do it,  but honestly was not sure where to start.   This fabulous lady,  who is a runner, is creating me a training schedule to become a runner.  Who does that?  Only the right, positive people that belong in your life.
I'm looking forward to the next year working towards my goals with my amazing support.

I'm so grateful.