Thank You Cards

I just want to thank my blog readers (sis and bro-in-law and kids) for sticking with me.  I think it’s important to be grateful and to express your thanks.  But I have a tricky relationship with “thank you cards.”  Getting a note in the mail is special nowadays.   I remember when I was little and would write letters to friends, and family, and they would write me back.  I even had a pen pal from Australia.  AND we wrote letters with pencils and paper and stuck them in paper envelopes, and licked that sticky part of the envelope. One time, I even got creative with my letter and put a bunch of one cent stamps on the envelope (to decorate the envelope while stamping it at the same time) because I did cute things way before Pinterest was invented, and that letter came back to me because apparently the post office didn’t know about Pinterest ideas yet, and they wouldn’t accept it.  We all have fond memories of getting a special handwritten letter in the mail.   Those hand written notes have become rarer.   Except, I feel like people are still hanging on to handwritten” thank you” notes.  I should be happy, but I’ve discovered that they are somewhat anticlimactic.  Just picture this…I go to open my mail box, and there it is, a beautiful, little, rectangular envelope with my name and address written across the middle!  I take it out of the box, and into the house, and make sure I’m alone so that I can enjoy this moment.  I carefully open the envelope and then close it again.  Am I dreaming?  Do I really have a handwritten letter in my hand in 2016? I put the letter down, just to ponder on this fact.   I decide not to read it just yet.   For the rest of the day, I've got an extra pep in my step, knowing what awaits me.  By that evening, I decide the time is right.  Then I grab the letter again.  I’m ready.  I open the envelope, and ever so carefully I pull out the delicate card.  I close my eyes and picture what the inside will say.  Then I take a deep breath and open it, and read, “Thank for the diapers.  They will come in handy.  Love- Becky.”  And not only was that note anticlimactic, but it reminded me of what a boring gift giver I am.  Recently, I got a thank you card for a wedding I attended.  That card said, “Thanks for the candle.  It’s so nice in our home.”  You wasted ink and paper on that “thank you”?  You might as well have added, “And we’re really grateful that you didn’t spend that much money on us because you’ve taught us a great lesson on being cheap, I mean, frugal.  And that’s a good lesson for newlyweds.  Love- Jack and Jill” And honestly, I’m pretty sure that I gave them a basket with a candle included in it.  But the candle was the only thing that made it on the card.  Ouch! Thanks for letting me vent blog readers.  I’m really grateful to you.

Do That Thing You Fear Most and the Death of Fear is Certain!

"Do that thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." 
- Mark Twain

I just found this quote on FB.  It reminded me of the other day when I took my kids to a Flea Market.  One booth was selling blow up plastic thingies (swords, dolls and what not...).  Since this booth belonged to a good friend of mine, I told my kids they could each get one (to support her).  My son picked the big green alien blow up doll that stood taller than him.  Frankly, I was creeped out by it, but it was his choice, so we got it.  By the end of the day, you'd have thought my son was Toy Story's Andy and the alien was Woody. My kid spent all afternoon with this alien.  He gave him a shoulder ride.  He might've even given him a high five.  They probably have a secret hand shake.  That night, when I went to check on him after he had fallen asleep, the big green alien was standing nice and close to my son's bed, keeping an eye on him.  It was at this moment that I felt proud of my son.  I realized just how brave he was.  Who puts a creepy alien right next to their bed at night, a.k.a., who stares fear in the face and says "Do your worst!"?  My son does, that's who!  Maybe he claims to not be brave, because the alien never creeped him out, but I know he's just being modest.  This alien creeps everyone out!  My friend even apologized to me as we made our purchase at her booth.  And then I discovered a lesson at that moment, "What if we could go through life like this?  Giving our fears shoulder rides and inviting them to watch us while we sleep?" (this should not apply to people who have a fear of robbers or tsunamis).  For example, I don't like chemicals.  What if I grabbed a bottle of weed killer and carried it around all day like it was my little buddy.  Or what if I put a bottle of Draino next to my bed at night ,and glued little google eyes on the bottle, and then just let it stare at me while I slept at night?  Or what if you had a fear of poisonous spiders and you gave them shoulder rides and let them sleep by your bed...actually I feel like this lesson shouldn't apply to all fears.  I would say if you have a fear of nice puppies then this could be safe.  Okay maybe this is a work in progress...  Until I figure it out,  remember what Mark Twain said, "Do that thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain."  And also talk to a parent or  trusted adult before you "do that thing you fear most..."   And also make sure that thing you fear is legal.  And if your fear is a real alien, I might not recommend facing that fear. 

Short Term Memory Loss

Short term memory loss...many people can relate to it.  For example, have you ever walked upstairs to get something, and instead of getting that something, you spotlessly cleaned a room, and then came back downstairs without that "something?"  Or have you ever exchanged names with a new acquaintance only to forget their name one second after they said it?  Okay, who am I kidding, I don't even listen to their answer (name) in the first place.  Well, recently I had the ultimate short term memory loss moment.  As I was walking through our shopping mall,  I spotted a cellular phone ad in the form of a lifesize cardboard cut-out of a man.   I recognized this as a cardboard cut out, and kept walking.  As I got nearer to the cardboard man, my subconscious forgot what I had just seen, and out of the corner of my eye I saw this man who looked like he was trying to sell something.  I instantly made a mental note to not make eye contact with him, and then I remembered it was just that cardboard cutout from two seconds ago.  This experience caused me to giggle to myself.  I thought it was kind of cute that I did that.  But then I couldn't remember why I was giggling or why I thought I was so cute.  So I looked around me to see what was so funny, and I saw this man staring me down like he was going to strike up a conversation and I was like, "I'm a married woman!"  And then I realized that it was the cardboard cutout again.  And this time I started laughing out loud to myself until I noticed a guy giving me a very friendly look and I was like, "Back off!  I don't talk to strangers," which is totally not true, I talk to strangers all the time.  In fact, strangers are my best friends because they don't know me that well.  They only see my first impression, which is amazing, and then they want more, but really, if they get more then they start to think they got more than they bargained for.  But seriously, the first hour with me could change your life.  But then if you keep hanging out with me you easily will be thinking, "she's not that great, I'm actually kind of bored." So you see why I love strangers so much, but not this particular stranger.  He had an unusual look about him, and then I realized that he was that crazy stalker cardboard cut out, and I got a good laugh out of that....and I don't remember where I was going with this.

(The first time I forgot that it was a cardboard cut out is true:))