Category Archives: Write2Unpack

Yeah, I know this last week has seen much media about the women’s marches. I’ve seen posts supporting them and posts shaming them, but this week I was personally reminded about the importance and power of “sisters.” As a woman I’m a step-mom, mom, wife, ex-wife, aunt, niece, sister, daughter and even the Grand-Mel to three beautiful little girls. The relationships I have as all of those things are important, but this week I wanted to talk about the importance and power of sisterhood.

I had my hair done this week and it’s typical that I have it done with one of my “sisters” and this time another sister from the tribe came with wine to visit while we had our hair done. I love that time with my friends, and was delighted to be able to spend that time with them.  When I texted The Best Husband Ever and asked if he minded if I went and had a glass of wine after hair with my friend so I could have “Sandra-time,” he said “Didn’t you just see her yesterday?”

Well, yes, technically I did see her, but I had the 12 year old and we were in public with a bunch of people all around us.  I wanted time with her where we could just talk: talk about things that were important, things that weren’t, sad things, happy things, things that were funny… whatever. That time I have with her is important to me and my well-being. It’s just a different dynamic when others are around.

Sisterhood can literally mean the brother/sister or sister/sister relationship, a strong friendship, or more Amazonian-tribe kind of relationship. The bond that women form is unique, remarkable and important. There are many things that are important, but today I chose the ones that resonate the most:

Sisters are empowering. Life can be hard sometimes, but having an unwavering support system makes it doable. Sisters are the best for unconditional love and support, and having someone standing behind you saying “You can do it!” is amazing.

Sisters mean trust – no matter what. Surrounding yourself with women you can say anything to creates an unbreakable bond. Sometimes you don’t want to tell the world about a secret, an insecurity, or a perceived flaw, but in the Sisterhood Tribe you can rest easy knowing your secrets are safe. You will be loved unconditionally for who you are – warts and all.
Therefore, medical science invented some very effective treatment to you can find out more generic cialis maintain and produce the erection. This herbal supplement is developed under the supervision of highly trained and well-educated healthcare professionals using an advanced herbal formula to permanently stop ejaculation while sleeping. http://unica-web.com/watch/2016/no-tail-no-scale.html cialis generika It is found that too much alcohol and fatty foods can slow down the inhibitory action of certain hormone and enzyme. viagra sample online Though a hard on may occur, viagra online generic but the man may not feel like lasting long in bed.
Sisters inspire. There are those in the world who want to tear you down – people who view your success as their failure.  With sisters you are loved no matter what. Your sisters want you to be the best possible you and will lift you up and inspire you in everything you do.

Sisters hold you accountable. Just as sisters inspire, sisters also hold you accountable. They know you, your morals and values, and are there to remind you about them if you ever need advice.  There is no better advice than words of love, inspiration, and accountability from a trusted sister.

Sisters are multigenerational. Sisters are all ages. I had sisters as a child, teen, and I have sisters now.  They’re not all the same ones, but there’s a bond between all of them that still exists. As my daughter grows and becomes a woman I feel our bond changing.  I see those same qualities of adult sisterhood beginning to emerge and I love it.

Women are powerful. We’re lovers, we’re caregivers, we’re loyal, we’re tender, we’re fierce, and we’ll fight to protect our own. You’ll find no more ferocious a battle than a woman fighting for who or what she loves (remember that mama bear you were warned about as a kid?).  This week, my reader, I encourage you to remember the bond you have with a sister (Yes, men should remember their sisters too. We love and protect our men like no other.) and take the values to heart.  Love fiercely, lift up your fellow man, support and inspire, critique with love, and cultivate those values in others and your children.

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!

Last week I wrote about the importance of tolerance: how there is so much hate and intolerance in this world and how we need to bring more love and respect into it. This week I thought I’d explore the other side of that coin: how too much tolerance is just as awful. Sometimes it’s ok to be intolerant, for example:

1. Don’t tolerate hate. Here’s a video (Click here to watch it. *Warning: harsh language) that was taken at a Kentucky JC Penny Store. The video shows a customer paying for her belongings, and when her friend brings her a couple additional items of clothing the woman behind her starts yelling and swearing at the women. She yells racial slurs and publicly scolds them, shouting they should go back to where they came from and they must be on welfare and everyone there paid for their purchases – due to their ethnicity. The angry woman didn’t know them, didn’t know their circumstances, but started rudely and loudly berating them – and people tolerated her hatred.

At one point the store clerk asks her to watch her language, but no one tells her to stop. The customers tolerate her rudeness and intolerance and allow her to continue bullying a complete stranger. Her behavior should not be tolerated.

2. Don’t tolerate “settling.” We stay in jobs we hate and relationships that are toxic because “it’s really not that bad.” We think so little of ourselves that we believe we’re not worth that raise, or worth being treated well by our lovers. Usually this doesn’t happen overnight. Situations change and deteriorate slowly and we learn to tolerate bad behavior: bosses who never listen or support us, or lovers who make us believe how they treat us is what we deserve. We stop challenging ourselves to do better and settle for mediocrity.

Now I’m not saying that you should never be happy with what you have, it’s essential to be grateful and thankful, but that doesn’t mean resigning yourself to less just because your self-worth has been lowered. Maybe take a page out of Andy Grammar’s book and see your situation with “Fresh Eyes.” (Check out his super cool video here and be sure to watch for his message at the end). If you’re in a toxic relationship, flip it and look at it as if it was your daughter’s relationship. Would you tolerate her being treated that way?
It is a type of viagra store vacuum device that pulls up blood in the organ. They either stifle or redress the issue totally purchase levitra http://amerikabulteni.com/2011/10/13/video-bebek-ile-robotun-ciddi-sohbeti-seyredenlere-keyif-veriyor/ and give the much-needed hardness for males. The most common problem found in men order viagra with complicated problem. Headache is due to the opening of the arteries to accommodate blood as a result of which there is a sudden gush of blood to the male reproductive organ which is necessary for achieving and discount viagra Continue to pharmacy shop maintaining erection.
3. Don’t tolerate ungratefulness. People who are ungrateful are simply taking advantage of you. It’s good to do nice things for people, and honorable to do nice things for people who can’t give you anything in return, but foolish to do things for people who are not grateful and have a sense of ingratitude about your kindness. Ever heard that old saying? “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

There are two sides to everything, including tolerance.  This week, my reader, I encourage you to demand more from yourself – work towards that goal knowing you deserve it. Demand people treat you, as well as others, with respect. It’s good to be tolerant of others and to be respectful of their differences of opinion, but this week I challenge you to be intolerant of rudeness, mediocrity, and ungratefulness.   Try it and see what a difference it makes!

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!

“…Brace yourself for a whole lot of ugly coming at you from a never ending parade of stupid.” Motormouth Maybelle, Hairspray

Tolerance is the lesson I’m receiving this week. My youngest son was sent to the principal’s office for punching another kid in the arm, Inauguration Day is fast approaching, and last but not least, we finished watching “Hairspray” on TV. Let’s take these in order:

1.  My 10 year old was at school and asked to use the bathroom. He was given permission from the teacher and was running across the room when another student pushed his chair out in Ahren’s way intentionally trying to hurt him. Ahren tripped and fell down, then got back up and slugged the offending kid in the arm. Both students got lunchtime detention.

Now, there’s a part of me that is proud that he stood up for himself – I teach them to do that, but also a part of me that cringes because he reacted with violence – I do not teach them that. I suppose it’s a natural response to want to hurt someone who hurt you, I see it all the time in the dissolutions that come through the office, but that’s not what I teach them – there are other ways to deal with someone hurting you. If Ahren had utilized just a smidgen of tolerance he wouldn’t be in lunch detention. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have stood up for himself, just that in those situations there are alternatives to violence.

2.  On January 20, 2017, President Elect Trump will be our 45^th President.

(Nerd alert: He’s technically only our 44th President because Grover Cleveland was elected as both our 22nd and 24th President.  He won, lost re-election, and then won again making Donald Trump the 44th person to be elcted, but also the 45th President… Weird, huh?)

Regardless of who you voted for, or if you didn’t vote (you should be informed about both sides and vote), if this election has taught me anything it’s that we need more tolerance in the world.

I’m not saying just accept things you don’t like, you should fight for what you believe in, just that it’s ok if people have different viewpoints. We are a free country, tens of thousands of Americans have died, fought for, and are still fighting for that right – my family members included. Just because someone believes differently than you doesn’t mean you should hate them. Talk to them, try to understand, and if you still disagree… ok, you disagree.

3.  I first saw Hairspray in the late 80’s when Ricki Lake played the part of Tracy Turnblad. She’s a full-figured girl in the 60’s who wants to be on a teen dance show. The movie deals with tolerance issues such as body shaming, social discrimination, interracial issues, and segregation. It’s a corny, funny movie, and I’m glad I watched it with my sons.

While we were watching it The Best Husband Ever whispered to me, “They (our boys) don’t know what they (the actors) are talking about.” He was right, sort of. They learned about segregation in school, but we teach our children that everyone’s different and a person’s worth is not determined by their body shape or skin color. There are plenty of skinny, white jackasses out there.

It generic levitra online helps increase libido and erectile abilities. There are various concerns those cialis 10 mg simply say, sitting is not the relevant style of detoxification. Clinics that offer consultancy for sexual disorders and treatments cheap cialis receive a plethora of such cases. levitra 10 mg buying this He may need to check first if you want to purchase it. Dr. Bill Hettler developed a wellness model that described the six areas of wellness for people (here’s a link that explains it).  Many of those wellness categories match up with tolerance benefits:

Social benefits: Tolerance gives you the power to make choices that will enhance your relationships with friends and family, which in turn will build a better community around you.

Spiritual benefits: Tolerance is mind-opening. When exploring your spirituality and investigating other’s spiritual beliefs it’s best to have an open mind.

Intellectual benefits: Tolerance encourages problem solving, creativity and learning. Being tolerant of others allows us to recognize potential problems and work together to the benefit of everyone.

Emotional benefits: Tolerance allows us to recognize our own feelings and the feelings of others. When we’re tolerant we can express our feelings, allow others to express their feelings, and build trusting and respectful relationships. Being intolerant gives us negative feelings, while practicing tolerance gives us positive feelings.  Think about it, when was the last time you were intolerant – how did you feel? Bad, right?

So, my reader, tolerance is the lesson I’ve been receiving this week and the lesson I want to share with you. Tolerance doesn’t just happen. I challenge you to choose tolerance with your co-workers, friends, families, and even the stranger driving down the road with a political bumper sticker for the candidate you didn’t vote for.

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!