Invisible Mother
This is one of the nicest stories I’ve taken the time to read. It’s about the Invisible Mother.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’
Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??
Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, ‘What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, she’s gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription: ‘To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.’
In the days ahead I would read – no, devour – the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals – we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, ‘I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, ‘My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.’ That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, ‘You’re gonna love it there.’
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM and DAD!
Share this with all the Invisible Moms and Dads you know… I just did. The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you. This is beautiful and makes a ton of sense. To all the wonderful mothers and fathers out there.
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I am in much debt to my invisible Mother and Father.
More great stories here
Buy American
A good reason to Buy American.
In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else and perhaps even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track. Let’s get behind her!
My grandson likes Hershey’s candy. It is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it any more.
My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.
This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, “Everyday Value.” I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats – they were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in – get ready for this – the USA in a company in Cleveland, Ohio.
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here.
So on to another aisle – Bounce Dryer Sheets….yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
So my challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in t he USA – the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time!
Stop buying from China …..We should have awakened a decade ago…..)
Let’s get with the program…..help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.!!!
Procter & Gamble Letter
A Letter from Procter & Gamble Executive to Obama
Please read, even if you are an Obama fan. It is legitimate, written by respected, Lou Prichett, formerly of Proctor and Gamble. Lou Pritchett is one of corporate America’s true living legends – an acclaimed author, dynamic teacher and one of the world’s highest rated speakers. Successful corporate executives everywhere recognize him as the foremost leader in change management. Lou changed the way America does business by creating an audacious concept that came to be known as “partnering.” Pritchett rose from soap salesman to Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history.
_________________________________________________
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
Dear President Obama:
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.
You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.
You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.
You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.
You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.
You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don’t understand it at its core.
You scare me because you lack humility and ‘class’, always blaming others.
You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.
You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the ‘blame America’ crowd and deliver this message abroad.
You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.
You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.
You scare me because you prefer ‘wind mills’ to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.
You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.
You scare me because you have begun to use ‘extortion’ tactics against certain banks and corporations.
You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.
You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.
You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.
You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.
You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O’Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.
You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.
Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
Lou Pritchett
THIS IS TRUE – CHECK OUT http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/youscareme.asp
This letter was sent to the NY Times but they never acknowledged it. Big surprise! Since it hit the Internet, however, it has had over 500,000 hits. Keep it going. All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. It’s happening right now.
The $20 Bill is ALWAYS Worth $20
The $20 Bill is ALWAYS Worth $20
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill.
In the room of 200, he asked, who would like this $20 bill?
Hands started going up. He said, I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.
He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, who still wants it? Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, What if I do this? And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. Now who still wants it? Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value; dirty or clean rumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special – Don’t EVER forget it.
Count your blessings, not your problems. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.
If you do not pass this on, you may never know the lives it touches; the hurting hearts it speaks to, or the hope that it can bring.
Banana’s and Your Health
Banana’s and Your Health
After Reading this, you will NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!
Bananas Contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel better.
PMS:
Forget the pills — eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex England ) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Read the complete article here
Banana’s and Your Health
Leadership And Currency
America has a rich tradition putting our most honored leaders on its currency.
During the brief existence of the U.S., our country has celebrated many great accomplishments.
We often memorialize these accomplishments by putting one of our leaders on our currency.
Click here or on the $100 bill above to see a brief example of some of these leaders.
leadership and currency leadership and currencyleadership and currency leadership and currency
Friends
Friends are for A Reason, A Season or A Lifetime.
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
Here is the rest of the story…
friends friends friends friends
Half Boy Half Man
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.
Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country.
He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father’s, but he has never collected unemployment either.
Read more about Half Man Half Boy
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The Real “OIL” Story
The real oil story will astonish you. Can it really be true that we have enough oil in a very small portion of the U.S. to last for more than 2,000 years?
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April (’08) that only scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a revised report (hadn’t been updated since ’95) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota; western South Dakota; and extreme eastern Montana ….. check THIS out:
us oil reserves us oil reserves us oil reserves us oil reserves us oil reserves us oil reserves
Health Care Solution
Finding a real health care solution can be a lot easier then congress is making it out to be. If our congress members and senators will refrain from their own need for power and keep the well being of people of the United States as their main priority, a health care solution can be easily formulated, implemented and attained.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the U.S. labor force for August is about 155,000,000 with about 15,000,000 of us being unemployed (9.7%).
With the exception of the health care industry, all job sectors are either declining or indicating little change:
- Health care added 28,000 jobs
- Construction is down 65,000 jobs
- Manufacturing is down 63,000 jobs
- Finance is down 28,000 jobs
- Wholesale Trade is down 17,000 jobs
- Retail indicates little change
- Transportation indicates little change
- Warehousing indicates little change
With health care being the only industry adding jobs on a regular basis, why is our government wanting to put their dirty figures into it? The answer is simple…Power.
Now we all know that our current health care system is riddled with fraud, inefficiencies, poor management, waste and inflated prices. It also does not insure all Americans who want to be insured.
Let’s look at how many Americans are actually uninsured. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 46,000,000 people in America are without health care insurance. This is the number that you will hear about in the media and it is 18% of the population under age 65. There is a strong opposition to these numbers that make a good case for their inflation.
According to Julia A. Seymour at the Business Media Institute the actual number of uninsured may be as low as 8.2 mil. If this argument is valid, then why are we looking to change an entire industry and implement a universal health care program?
Health Care Solution
According to President Obama, he wants to insure every American, lower the cost of health care and increase competition by health care providers.
Let’s take a look at some reasonable and easy to implement solutions that can provide insurance to everyone who wants it, lower the overall costs of health insurance premiums and increase competition.
- Any uninsured American who wants health care can be enrolled into the existing Medicaid program at minimal cost. This can happen immediately!
- The cost of health care insurance can be reduced by providing a tax deduction for all heal care insurance premiums. The savings will be about 30% per tax payer and can be implemented immediately.
- Competition between health care insurance companies is only limited by current laws that prohibit these insurance companies from selling policies outside of the jurisdiction of each state. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to change this law then revamp the entire health care industry?
I am not a lawyer or employed by the heath care or insurance industry. I am simply a concerned U.S. citizen who is witnessing a government take over of the fastest growing industry in the country. Everybody knows that the opposite of Progress is Congress so for anyone looking to take a massive step backward and wants out government to take over something of this magnitude will need to rethink their support.
Don’t believe everything you hear on TV and read in newspapers and magazines. Do your own research as I did, listen to both sides and make an educated decision. We are Americans and are proud of our country and do not want it to move one inch closer to becoming a socialist society.
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