Be An ANGEL, Sunday, January 18, 2015

 I've often said on my Facebook page that I tend to THINK I should TRY harder to post something MORE INSPIRATIONAL on Sundays...ANYBODY who follows my Facebook Page knows that I don't try to hide the face that I am a Christian.  I am NOT ashamed.

I do my best to be a reflection of the LOVE that has been poured on me, but sometimes I fail miserably...sometimes I actually get it right!  The bottom line is that I TRY to do what is right and to apply the principals that I have been taught...

 I was a lucky girl to be raised on a farm.  Sure, times were hard and money was scarce, BUT we ALWAYS had what we needed.  I BELIEVE with my whole heart that is true BECAUSE of the way my parents lived.  They didn't just TELL me WHAT I needed to do and load us with a BUNCH of rules, they LIVED what they taught me.  Mother's favorite thing, it seemed to me, to tell me was LITTLE EYES ARE WATCHING YOU.  

My parents SHARED what they had.  If we had something and someone needed it, then they shared.  Daddy was forever picking something from the garden and taking it to someone and you know what, people did the SAME for us!

One of the most touching things I witnessed was when my Daddy's sister died.  Daddy had just cut hay and bailed it when he got the word about his sister.  Of course, he had to stop what he was doing and went and took care of the arrangements.  WHEN he got back, our neighbor and his sons had picked up EVERY SINGLE bail of hay for Daddy...He cried...I was BLESSED to be able to see my Daddy cry and let me tell you...HE WAS A MAN!

 We were not LOADED down with rules.  We KNEW what the expectations for us were.  NEVER did my parents tell me NOT to do something that they did, so I trusted them to know from experience WHAT worked in living a successful life, and it had NOTHING to do with MONEY!

I KNEW that on Sunday morning, no matter HOW LATE I stayed out on Saturday night, that I was to get up on Sunday morning, get ready and be at Sunday School and then church ON TIME and DRESSED as a lady with the best I had. I never questioned it.

We didn't have curfews.  Mother would say that she did NOT understand WHAT could be done AFTER midnight that couldn't be done BEFORE midnight.  She asked simply that we CALL and tell her if we were going to be home after midnight.  That was it.

She TRUSTED us and was so PROUD of our accomplishments...she didn't MOAN about the fact that we were getting old enough to drive, or to date, but she instead CELEBRATED them.  When each of us got our driver's license, we were given the keys to the family car to DRIVE to school alone the next day.  When mail came to the house addressed to US, then it was for US to open the mail.  We were RESPECTED and treated as humans, YET she was willing to LOVINGLY discipline us when we needed it...I've joked that to this day, SOMETIMES when I open my mouth, bubbles STILL fly out... LOL

We were taught to LIVE...We were taught to LOVE...and boy howdy, were we EVER taught to LAUGH...our dinner table was most ALWAYS filled with laughter and sharing of our days...And yes, that was ANOTHER of our rules...We were expected to be at the dinner table at 6:30 each night.  If we could NOT be there, then we were EXPECTED to PHONE and give the reason why!

We were taught to look for the BEAUTY in life...for the GOOD.  I can't tell you how many times that Mother told me that I would find WHATEVER it was that I was looking to find...She was SO right.

Mother and I had MANY tough times, but we loved each other...I was a Daddy's girl.  Even though Mother and I argued, I ALWAYS knew she was a strong, wise woman...I WISH I had been a better daughter for her...I was hard for her to handle because I was constantly hurting her feelings by saying WHAT I wanted without thought of how my words affected others...I am LEARNING because she LOVINGLY tell me I was WRONG, even when I was 40!

I HOPE she would be proud of the changes I have tried to make in my life since her death.  Mother LOVED without boundaries...She told EVERYONE that she met that she loved them and she meant it...she LOVED her enemies...At the funeral home, a man told me that since Mother was no longer earth-bound, that it was up to me to TAKE her place...I have taken those words to heart and I have worked SO HARD to improve ME...but I have a LONG way to go...

My challenge for EACH of you this week is to BE AN ANGEL for SOMEONE...do something kind...give an unexpected compliment, or write a note, phone a friend (nope...not the GAME), SMILE at people, take a gift to someone, THANK your child's friend for being a GOOD friend and for loving your child, FIND the GOOD in your spouse and tell THAT to others, take a treat to your co-workers, hold the door for someone, take food to the homeless, give a candy bar to someone that does services for you...do something for those who CANNOT repay YOU...it doesn't have to COST anything, it just needs to be FROM THE HEART...

Thank YOU for stopping by my little corner of the world...IF no one has told you today, let ME be the first to say I LOVE YOU...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥

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