"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." --Henry David Thoreau


"Service is the rent we pay for being, It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time."

--Marion Wright Edelman


"The fruit of love is SERVICE. The fruit of service is PEACE" --Mother Teresa

Saturday, July 30, 2011

I Love Books!!!

I'm sure my mother never imagined that her oldest daughter would eventually love to read. She would starve me of dinner until I read my required daily books for school. Ok, maybe that was an exaggeration, but as a young child I wanted NOTHING to do with reading. I had a bad experience in second grade. Newly the product of divorced parents, we had moved towns, homes and lives, making reading the last thing on my 8 year old mind. After a short time in my new classroom, my teacher informed me (to my face), that I couldn't read and I should be reading by now. Crushed. My little heart was crushed. I made a promise to myself that day I would never read again. ha!

I can remember my mom reading sappy romance novels as a kid and swore I would never be one of "those" old people. I can thankfully say, I have not yet fully become my mother, although others would argue that statement. I instead have found myself obsessed with nonfiction books the last 5 years, consuming any real life story into this brain of mine. I love making the connections to real people, real events, real places. Biographies, documentaries, memoirs, autobiographies...they are mine for the reading.

In the last year and some of service I have read more books than the last 10 years of my existence. That sounds bad, but its true. Maybe its because I'm on a beautiful island, one that doesn't have a need for time management. Or maybe because I have found myself avoiding housework and bored with Facebook. Or maybe just because I enjoy it.

I decided to compile a list of the books I have read since serving in Grenada. If you find a need to hear my review on the book, feel free to message me, email me, or Facebook me.

  • Like Me- Chely Wright
  • ME- Ricky Martin
  • Unbearable Lightness- Portia de Rossi
  • Reefer Madness-
  • High on Arrival- Mackenzie Phillips
  • Three Cups of Tea- Greg Mortenson
  • Stones Into Schools- Greg Mortenson
  • The Secret Life of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd
  • The Next Thing On My List- Jill Smolinski
  • You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know- Heather Sellers
  • Bringing Adam Home- Les Standiford with Det. Sgt. Joe Matthews
  • Orange is the New Black, My Year in Women's Prison- Piper Kerman
  • Love Ellen- Betty Degeneres
  • Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man- Bill Clegg
  • Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea- Chelsea Handler
  • The Sportsman- Dhani Jones
  • A Stolen Life- Jaycee Dugard
  • Allah, Liberty and Love- Irshad Manji
  • Times Two- Sarah Ellis and Kristen Henderson
  • No Biking in the House- Melissa Fay
  • The Real Girl Next Door- Denise Richards (reading this one now)
I'm sure there are some I'm missing, but these are the ones I remember. Any other suggestions for good nonfiction books? My wish list on Amazon is continually growing and I like that. :)

--Mack

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

She Will Succeed

The future was uncertain after the family fell apart. Where would she go? How would she support these kids? Questions flooded her brain but one thing was certain: She will succeed.

The kids are in school and making friends. Ranch style house in a small Kansas town. They seem to be adjusting well, but she hides the real struggle from them, for they deserve to be kids. She will succeed.

She was given the opportunity to start her career, yet still no idea what tomorrow brings. All she knows is this job can pay the bills. Determination. Long hours at work, nights spent at the soccer field watching her girls. Their journey begins to blossom as The Garst Girls. She will succeed.

Hard work. Compassion. Strength. Her boss sees it all. Her big break comes just when she least expects it. This opportunity can't be passed up. They start packing. Determined to find a better life in Missouri, She will succeed.

The girls have one request: A two story house. No longer that cute ranch style home, but a beautiful country-like house sits in a sub-division, just waiting for a new family. She knows its the house to raise her girls in, it has to be theirs. She will succeed.

They love it. The dinosaur wallpaper, pink flowered bathroom, little girls room. It can become theirs with a little paint. They see their future here. She smiles with happiness, she knows she will succeed.

Softball games, hot summer nights, fireworks, halloween costumes, PTA meetings, school fairs, Christmas parties, swim lessons, basketball practice, vacations, report cards and teacher conferences. She doesn't miss a beat, dedicated to her girls. She doesn't yet realize what she is teaching them yet, but they will realize one day. She will succeed.

17 years that company gave her. She raised her kids, traveled the country, sent both girls to college, made a house a home, earned her retirement, found her passion. And then it was gone. Recession hit, company closed, unemployment came. Determined, she would not return to the life she came from years ago. She fought, held back tears, struggled, reevaluated, persevered....succeeded.

The recession would not take the house she made a home, the kids she grew up, the dogs she raised, the life she built, the community she loves. Interview after interview, she wouldn't give up. Her children watched as she put on a smile, told them it would all be ok, taught them to appreciate and always look to the future. She will succeed.

Opportunity came knocking and life was back on track. She was doing what she loved, helping people manage their money. She never met a stranger, but always found new friends. Loyal to her employees, called them her friends. She would give to anyone that was in need. Life was back on track, she was doing what she does best. She will succeed.

Two years later, her world shakes again. Unexpectedly. She learns that sometimes bad things happen to good people. She was loyal to those employees, while they shit on her. Corporate world is a mean place for a woman of passion, dignity and respect. Yet, she will succeed.

She gathers her things, not knowing what the future holds. Her children seem more upset than she is willing to show. She knows what their thinking, but reassures them they have been through this before. She makes her phone calls, emails her contacts, gets a job interview the next day. She is determined. She will succeed.

She is my mother, my hero, and she will succeed.