Author Archives: Write2Unpack

Mom’s Pearls

I have been actively trying to be a better mom. To be more present for my children, encourage them, teach them, and love them.  With my youngest sons recently turning 13 and 11, “mom-ness” has been on my mind a lot lately. I didn’t get to be such an amazing mom on my own though (she says as the trophy is yanked from her grasp…), I had help and an extraordinary role model.

Mother’s Day is May 14th this year.  Many of my posts have to do with lessons I’ve learned, or am learning, and this one is a nod to my mother and some of the things she’s taught me. Her birthstone is pearl, so it’s only fitting to share her wisdom in the same form.

Pearl #1: “You can do it.” It didn’t matter if I was building a fort in the woods or applying for admission to Gonzaga University. Mom always believed in me and told me I could do it – whatever “it” was. As it turns out, she was right. I may not have been able to reach all of my goals (yet), but her belief in me has allowed me to reach higher and achieve more than I ever thought I could.

Pearl #2: “Moms are magic.” She has an unrivaled green thumb, a healing touch, and my mom is also a master soup maker. I learned to garden, love, and to cook standing at her elbow.  Now I am a master soup maker and am teaching my kids.  There’s magic in soup – the magic is love.  When you cook with love the food tastes better, the sick or hurting are comforted and heal faster. One of mom’s secrets… “always onions and garlic.”

Pearl #3: “Things will work out.” When I was growing up and in a jam, I always knew things would work out – because mom said so. Her belief was absolute. There was never any question or waver in her confidence. Her certainty inspired the same in me. I believed then that, no matter what, things would work out. My faith is the same today. I know with every cell in my body that things will, eventually, work out.

As a result appalachianmagazine.com acquisition de viagra of this reasoning and attitude, they possess lost their chance to experience sex plus also he’ll have in all probability emotional problems. But before ordering the medication for the problem then there are chances that the drug might harm you in the near future then. generic levitra Visit Your URL Imagine what activities you could be doing with your date instead of all these pointless time wasters. levitra discounts Not surprisingly, other causes of low testosterone levels include http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/09/11/september-11th-memorial-on-mars/ cheap viagra inability to gain rock hard erection, hair loss, low semen volume, loss of muscle mass, lack of energy, and finally premature ejaculation. Pearl #4: “It will feel better when it quits hurting.” Mom was right. No matter how much something hurts, physically or emotionally, once you get through the pain you feel better. Sure the pain sucks, but it’s a good reminder that “this too shall pass.” (And I also thought she was psychic…)

Pearl #5: “Family is worth loving, even when they’re not.” I wasn’t the best teenager. I wasn’t the worst teenager, but I certainly wasn’t great. I know I did things that she didn’t like, things that frustrated her and sometimes made her angry, but she loved me regardless.  She is the personification of “put up a fucking fight for what you love.” (But mom would never swear…)

So this week, my reader, I encourage you take the pearls from my mom and make them your own. Whether you’re a mother yourself, a parent, or a child, her lessons apply to you too: grow something, care about other people even when (especially when) they can’t do anything for you, believe in yourself, know that things will be ok, and keep loving – even when it’s difficult.

Oh, and always onions and garlic.

My thoughts are my own, but my pictures are generally found on Pinterest (you can find anything there!). If you like what I write, please share with your friends or someone you think would like it! I’d love it if you follow me on Facebook (Melissa Gale), Instagram (write2unpack), or Twitter (@write2unpack). If you have any topics you’d like to talk about, reach out to me at write2unpack@gmail.com. Oh, hey, and if you sign up to follow me you’ll never miss a post!

Why I Love Teenagers

In my life as a grown up I’ve survived raising six teenagers.  I’m now on #7 and #8 is coming up in 2 years. My 12 year old turned 13 yesterday, and my 10 year old is entering his second decade on this earth tomorrow.  All this birthday-ness has me thinking about them and their transition from the fun-loving, big-eyed, wonder-filled boys who think I’m amazing and love me unconditionally, into… teenagers.

I haven’t always loved teenagers, but as I’ve aged and been around them I’ve learned to love the very things that used to make me cringe. Life is all a matter of perspective, right?

Not all teens are the same, I get that.  My boss will tell you his daughter’s been a teenager for three years… she’s 10. Kids are all different, but I wanted to share some of my reasons – general reasons, and shortened my list to my favorite five things:

1.  They make me smarter. From fashion to technology, teenagers have their fingers on the pulse of “today.” They’ve also developed some critical thinking and reasoning and, although they’re often wrong and their reasoning isn’t based in logic, I have to up my parenting game from “No.” to  “No, because…” I want to parent them thoughtfully and lovingly, and that becomes more of a challenge when they think for themselves and debate my every decision.

2.  Hygiene. Once a child reaches their teens the daily reminder to shower no longer is necessary. Instead, I now have the joy of banging on the bathroom door and telling him to get out of the shower. Before he was a sweaty little boy, now I have a heavily marinated teen who needs to learn the lesson of “sometimes less is more.”

3.  Passion. Anyone who’s ever raised, or been around a teen, knows exactly how passionate they are about EVERYTHING. There is no such thing as a molehill. Every problem is a mountain, and everything is a big deal. I don’t care if you’re talking about shoe color or why they won’t wear that shirt you bought for them that they had to have. I love it because, as adults, we’ve learned to moderate our feelings. Teens feel everything in technicolor.

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5.  Instant knowledge. Gone are the days when I had to wonder “is that superhero Marvel or DC Comics?” I no longer agonize over any video game question and can talk “Pokemon” with the best of them. My teen knows everything from kid stuff to “does this white wine reduction look like it’s reduced enough?” Teenagers are a great source of knowledge. They literally know everything – just ask them.

***JUST SO YOU KNOW***

Superman (DC) Hulk (Marvel)

Batman (DC) Captain America (Marvel)

Wonder Woman (DC) Spiderman (Marvel)

I love their intelligence, their desire to improve, their willingness to change (but only if it’s their idea), and I especially love that, someday, they will grow out of it.  I feel like I’m getting a sneak peek at what kind of young men my boys are growing into, and I try to adjust my parenting accordingly to nudge them in the direction I want them to go.

So this week, my reader, I encourage you to get out there and embrace your teen.  Love them for the smelly, moody, emotional messes they are. I still have pictures Aidan drew me back when he loved me shamelessly and openly. I have them hanging in my office to remind me no matter how surly he gets, he really does love me.  This whole “teenager” thing is a new experience for him, and we’ll make it through together.

A picture Aidan drew when I was the “Worlds Assemeis Mom.”

My thoughts are my own, but my pictures are generally found on Pinterest (you can find anything there!). If you like what I write, please share with your friends or someone you think would like it! I’d love it if you follow me on Facebook (Melissa Gale), Instagram (write2unpack), or Twitter (@write2unpack). If you have any topics you’d like to talk about, reach out to me at write2unpack@gmail.com. Oh, hey, and if you sign up to follow me you’ll never miss a post!

Chasing Rainbows

“Drive faster mom! I think we can catch this one!”

That’s my 10 (almost 11) year old shouting at me from the back seat on the way to soccer practice.  No, he wasn’t concerned about being late – he wanted me to catch up to the rainbow that had just appeared. It was sunshine/raining.  You know the kind, where there’s sunshine but also a drizzly, misty rain.  Perfect conditions for rainbows, and sure enough, there was one right in front of us.

I drove faster but, as it turns out, we didn’t catch the rainbow and I didn’t find a pot of gold. I may have missed out on the money, but I did find inspiration for this week’s post: chasing rainbows.

First, the science:

Rainbows are created when sunlight hits raindrops at a certain angle. Sunlight is actually composed of many colors, but when it’s sunny out we only see white light.  When it rains, and sunshine hits the drops at a certain angle, the different colors of sunlight separate and we see …rainbows!

Pretty cool, huh? The rain actually allows us to see something that otherwise would be invisible!

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As I was driving with my son “chasing” a rainbow, I got to thinking about what rainbows represent. To my son it represents a pot of gold and a leprechaun, to me it represents reassurance from above and hope: comfort that things will be better, encouragement that it will be worth it, a promise that something good can come out of something bad. “Yes, sure, it’s raining now, but just look at that sunshine and those beautiful colors.”

If it weren’t for the rain, we wouldn’t have rainbows.  How true for our lives as well: If we didn’t have a little of the bad stuff, we wouldn’t be able to see all the beautiful goodness around us.

I was already planning on writing about rainbows, and today feel compelled it’s even more appropriate – I just learned one of my dear friends has colon cancer.  He’s going to have to endure some “stuff,” and his family will go through the rain with him. But with their love and support, and the love and support of his friends, there will be a rainbow for them all after the rain.

I love ya, man. Keep looking up.

My thoughts are my own, but my pictures are generally found on Pinterest (you can find anything there!). If you like what I write, please share with your friends or someone you think would like it! I’d love it if you follow me on Facebook (Melissa Gale), Instagram (write2unpack), or Twitter (@write2unpack). If you have any topics you’d like to talk about, reach out to me at write2unpack@gmail.com. Oh, hey, and if you sign up to follow me you’ll never miss a post!