Powered By Blogger

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Nicer Ones are always up Front


By: Samantha Daviss

This past weekend my family and I went out to celebrate my oldest turning 12. First of all I can’t believe that “my baby” is twelve, I don’t feel old enough to have a 12 year old. But nonetheless he is one of the three apples of my eye, and I am so proud of the young man he is becoming.

But I will talk about my pride for my children another time…oh, wait I do that every other week…so I want to focus on something else. And that is…why do they always part the fancier more expensive cars closer to the restaurant? This has always been an issue with me, in a joking manner, I really don’t lose any sleep over it…it just gives me something to ponder on.

What makes that $350,000 Ferrari more important or more special than my awesome Mom-mobile?

I know for a fact that we have way more fun in my car…we listen to “Let It Go” and sing it at the top of our lungs, we sing our “ABCs” constantly, sadly Cat in the Hat or Thomas the Train is always playing in the DVD players in the backseats. My car has probably had more laughter, more poopy diapers, been on more road trips, and kept a happy little family safer than that stinky old Ferrari.

So why isn’t my car special enough to get parked up front? If you really want to compare apples to apples, if these cars could talk, which car is more worthy of a little more special attention and a little more TLC (tender loving care)? The Ferrari, which I can only assume that gets hand washed with a cloth diaper every single day? Or my SUV that has been put to the test from crashing into a deer, keeping its family safe, milk spills, juice spills, goldfish crumbs embedded in the floorboard, finger prints smeared down the windows, dirty diapers that got changed in the back end and then stored in a trash bag until we could find a trash can, baseball cleats being kicked on the backside of the seats, and oh of course how could I forget…ICE CREAM….need I say more than those two words when a vehicle is involved?

So I am thinking that those valet guys at the restaurant may need to increase their “automotive value” by placing the cars that deserve a little more attention and affection up front over those teeny tiny little sports cars. To me I would rather look at the little stick figure stickers on the back window of an SUV with the daddy, the mommy, the two girls, the little boy, the two dogs, and the three cats any day over a horse reared up on his hind legs with his mane billowing in the wind (aka the Ferrari emblem).

It just makes me smile to think that people think that by parking the fancy high dollar cars up front adds value to their establishment. To me it’s the person that drove that vehicle there that adds value to their establishment. Don’t get me wrong, the owner of that Ferrari could be the nicest person on the planet, but he could also be the cruelest shallowest person, too. But the owner of that SUV has definitely put their wishes and dreams of that sports car on the back burner for the safety and the comfort of their family.

Yes do I think that Ferrari is gorgeous and sleek to look at? Absolutely. But it makes me smile and all warm inside to see the SUV with the dent in the side from a baseball being thrown at it, the sticker residue on the inside of the window, and the dirty rims from just returning home from a fun road trip.

I guess what I am saying is “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

How to Survive Life (by Middle Age)



By: Samantha S. Daviss

I’m really not sure what is considered middle-aged any longer. Is it 35, 40, 45? Everyone is so much healthier these days, eating better, and just out living one another that reaching the century mark isn’t that unheard of any more.
But whether you live to 45 or 95, hopefully there are a few things that you realize you MUST know how do to, or at least attempt to do before your time on earth has expired.
I started this list for many reasons: 1) My husband’s career keeps him away from the house a lot at times, so as a woman and a mother, I can’t wait around for him to get home to fix things or do things; 2) This Mother’s Day was an incredible day, as usual there was never a dull moment in our household. It started out with me having to rescue one of our dogs out from under our storage house in our backyard (see, a mother’s duty even abounds to her furry babies too) and the day ended with an impromptu road trip, just me and the boys three hours away to go see our daddy/husband.
My parents raised me to be a strong, independent woman (sometimes I may be a little too independent, or stubborn as my husband likes to remind me) but nonetheless, I am never afraid that I can’t handle anything on my own. I may not physically be able to do it after trying, but I won’t shy away from trying, that’s for sure.
So where I am in my life right now, I feel there are certain things people (not just women) should be able to do or have done, by the time they reach middle age:
1.       Get a passport;
2.       Take a trip by yourself. You need the experience of organizing the trip, packing, getting on the plane, and exploring a new place—all on your own;
3.       Be comfortable sitting alone with yourself. I don’t mean for a few minutes in the car while you wait to pick your kids up at school, I mean really be alone with yourself and your thoughts. It can get scary but we should all know ourselves;
4.       Know how to plunge a toilet;
5.       Know how to change a tire;
6.       Know how to balance your checkbook;
7.       Be aware of the fact that the new person in town is way more intimidated to meet you than you are them, extend your hand for a friendly hello and handshake;
8.       Know how to “sharp shoot” a hole in your yard and plant a tree;
9.       Know how to change a diaper (whether or not you have kids of your own);
10.   Live alone at least once in your life (either in college, after college, or just some point in your life). Don’t go from your parents’ house, to college with a roommate, to marriage without having lived totally and completely alone at some point.
11.   Know how to paint a room;
12.   Know how to use super glue without getting it all over your fingers and sticking them together (impossible…);
13.   Knowing that a controlling person isn’t a strong person, they are an insecure person;
14.   Understand that you need to stop, really stop every day, look around and clear your thoughts. Stop thinking about the dishwasher, the toys on the floor, the PTO meeting tomorrow night; just stop and take time for mind;
15.   Find a mantra, and stick to it. Mine came later in life…it took me getting my heart broken and my world turned upside down, but by golly I found it…and it is “No matter how bad the situation, or the outcome of a situation, if the pain from that situation takes my smile away, then it won, and I lost. I will never ever lose my ability to smile.” Find your own mantra…
16.   Drink more water and more herbal tea;
17.   Know your body, listen to it, and answer when it calls for you;
18.   Unplug. To me this seems odd to write, because growing up, things were so much simpler and slower; but today we have to learn to “unplug”; just like in religion, we all need a day of rest;
19.   Get a massage, try to make it a regular thing, but if not, just get one;
20.   And this is something my family and I live by…get OUTSIDE! We can’t stand to be inside, we are outside the majority of our days, aside from school and work. Our weekends are very rarely spent indoors, and if we are indoors we are probably going crazy.
Life is hard, life is complex; we have more issues than not, but if you break it down and really step back and realize that life is a pretty incredible gift, you just have to know how to make all the tools work then you will realize that life is a pretty cool ride.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

A Mommy's Body




By: Samantha S. Daviss

I don’t know why I thought of this or observed it over the Easter weekend; but as I was looking through all of my friends, and some just random people’s photos, that they shared on various social media sites; I saw some of the most gorgeous women I had ever seen in my entire life.

They were beaming from ear to ear with smiles, all surrounded by their families dressed in their Easter best. And then I thought of how we all beat ourselves up for not having the “perfect body” or the “ideal figure”; most of us hoping to acquire the look we had in high school or college.
I’m not saying it isn’t possible, because some women may be fortunate enough to “bounce” back into their former silhouette. But what I realized looking at all of those photos of faces that I have known for many years were the happiest I had ever seen them. Their lives were complete, and they were surrounded by all the little miracles that their bodies had produced over the past few years.

No they may not be the bean poles they once were in high school, or the ideal image of physical perfection they were in college, when they had time to work out at the student rec center, and not be concerned with toting everyone from activity to activity, or going to work, or whatever they do during the day that may keep them from being able to spend hour upon hour in the gym.
And I realized that those little miracles that surrounded their smiling faces of all those mommas, were worth every single stretch mark, every single “muffin top”, every single size we had to go up in pants, and every single new curve we may have acquired over the years because of our little darlings.

I’m not saying exercise is not important. I think it is extremely important. Sadly I don’t get to do it as often as I would like, but I steal every opportunity and spare second I have to exercise; as long as I am not interfering my kids’ activities or needs. My poison is walking. Just a 30 or 45 minute walk does me wonders. I feel better, I have time to clear my head, and more importantly I am doing my heart some good; because after all that is the most important reason to exercise, to stay healthy for your kids so you’re around for them as long as you possibly can be.

So to me seeing a woman with her womanly shape is the most gorgeous thing you can see. She has brought the miracle of life to this earth, and to me that is a blessing that every woman deserves to experience. And you can’t expect your body to be what it once was in your youth; even if you are able to obtain your former silhouette and figure, that is wonderful, but there have been so many changes that have happened to you internally, you may not be able to see; but all the scars and tears, and stretch marks to me are just badges of honor from motherhood.

Moms, don’t be so hard on yourself if you aren’t able to look the way you once looked, or fit back into that skirt you have had your eye on by squeezing back into; enjoy the blessings you brought to this earth.

Just the other night I was lying in a hospital bed next to my oldest son, watching him sleep peacefully from all the anesthesia he was under from his recent surgery on his broken arm (for the second time this year). And I couldn’t help but tear up, because the last time I spent the night with him in a hospital room was during the first 48 hours of his life, just after having him. And I thought about how this amazing (almost) 12 year old little boy has changed my life for the better; how much happiness he has brought me; how much he and I have survived together; and how long our path of life together is yet to come. And through all those thoughts, tears, and smiles and mental path of memories, not once did the thought of “Gee, I don’t have my old figure because of him”; or “Yea I used to be able to fit into those super cute designer jeans before I had him”…not for a second did any of that cross my mind while I thought of our life together; all I thought about was what an amazing little boy that was laying in that bed across from me; and oh how I wished I could take the pain away he was feeling.

So love yourself and the skin you’re in; your Mommy body is an amazing machine, and parts of it have changed, but only for good reason.