Yes, I am truly blessed to have my children so full of love, and to have so many people seek my love and advice, my church tells me "it's" a gift, to be chosen, in my field of mental health, and that to reach others outside my work.
PS: I never knew I had a bad childhood, I only knew it was sad....it was when I interacted with others, that life started to look like I was reading a book.
No, my mother would not allow anyone close to me, I was not even allowed to play outside. I never had that either, my life changed and love became real, when I left my mothers house and took contol of my own life.
My capacity to love others and especially my children, makes me wonder how anyone can take away joy from a childs life.
I am now eeverybody mother, everybodys counselor, and everybodys friend, lol.
I was the unwanted child of my parents bad marriage....that escalated to being the unwanted grandchild, and so on....never met or had any family members close to me.
My mopther would choose not to celebrate any holiday, because all she had was one child "me"...I was given lots of expensive material things, but no love.
Sometimes I feel that I am still learning through my children, what family is...the way they love their fathers, grandparents, cousins, those are connection I never learned, until I became older.
I already donate material things year round...last week, I donated my brand new weddings dress with the tags still on it....a lady has a shop that helps brides buy wedding gowns at a lower cost.
The christmas season is exploited, but the consumer allows it by giving in to their materialism.
I hear to many parents bragging about spending $500 to $1000, on each child they have, that is ridiculous.
My children recieve many gifts from family members plus what I buy them, but if they have too many gift, I make sure that they understand that some of those gifts can be donated, or be open on birthdays or other special occassion.
We can make a diffeence a little at a time if we do not give in to what everybody else wants.
I love thanksgiving, everybody is welcome without an invitation, and a great time is always had.
I think that it is wonderful what you are doing, I guess at christmas people give more so that poor families may have a little somthing, so many go without the whole year and it is very sad.
Many years ago I used to collect all the good cooked food from the restaurants and seek the homeless on the street and feed them nightly, everyday of the year.
But then the laws changed and we were not able to get that food,( precautions to health and more ) and the restaurants had to start throwing it away.
I wish you the very bestand that you be able to reach as many as possible.
I tell my daughter that her dad still loves her, and that one day she will be able to see him again...but right now he chooses to stay away out of anger at me.
When I explain that with love, sincerity, and the knowledge that she will see him when "HE" is ready to see her, she will have facts, and not hopeless expectations.
She also understands his dangerous anger towards me...and has her psychologist that help me to explain some things to her...but nothing can ease the pain of a father not caring for his child.
As individuals we give our input as to what we believe would be the best way to keep a relationship, it's a fact that we are here because we all have tried our best, and it has not work out.
I never said this would be a post of those that had "keepers" it would not make sense, as we all here are mostly seeking the same thing, good friends, or true love. * Your words: All we can really do is express ourselves in as honest a way as possible, be upfront, have sympathy, compassion and understanding, liberally laced with genuine good humor, honesty, trust and faith. And then we still have to keep our fingers crossed!
I totally agree with these words, they are very true, and make sense...but we can also read other's post and enjoy, or even enligthen ourselves, to newer ideas.
I had a great time seeing what all the men had to say.
RE: How did your grandparents affect your life...
I seen those washers, I think they were great, I wish I had an old fashion one like that....