Thankfulness Challenge - Birthdays

Today my oldest nephew turned 20. For 20 years I have watched him grow to the young man he is today. He's a super smart kid, who is stupid tall and has the temper of my father, something his father and I also inherited. 

He was not an easy child and often we were sure his dad would end up in prison and McNeil would end up in the ground before the child turned 10. He wasn't so much a bad kid just didnt know when to shut his mouth ha! Even when we were standing behind him telling him to. 

He is currently a Sophmore at Auburn with a big decision on his shoulders about his future. I have no doubt in my mind that whatever direction he decides to go he is gonna make an impact. See he also inherited my dads work ethic, something I was also cursed with, which is going to drive him to make this world better. 

We need more kids like McNeil and i hope those kids are out there just in the background quietly making their way into the real world. It's been a blessing watching him grow up, and I'm very proud to be his aunt. So today and everyday I am thankful to the young man who made me an Aunt. 

Happy Birthday McNeil! I love you! 

Marcy

Thankfulness Challenge – The Week is over!

Today I’m thankful that the week is over. It’s not that it has been an overly HARD week but it hasn’t been an easy week either. It has just been a hectic week, between the Basketball game early in the week to having several submittals to get done and help with I felt like I was always running behind. Now it’s Friday and I just want to take a nap. I want to sleep all freaking weekend and I know I can’t but that’s honestly all I want to do.  That’s become my norm for the weekends. I know that’s not ok but that’s what it is. At some point laundry will be a thing, and of course Auburn has a huge football game this weekend. Not to mention that my oldest nephew turns 20 tomrorow. 

So I’m going to bed, yall have a great weekend.

Marcy
@beaslma 

Thankfulness Challenge – DJ Nash

Tonight is another short post. It’s 7:30 my time and at 8 A Million Little Things will be on my TV on ABC. I can’t express how much I truly love this show. You know how some shows have an ensemble cast but like often the ensemble seems to just be there sometimes or completely non existent in some episodes ? Yeah A Million Little Things is not at all like that. Everyone brings something to the table in every single episode.

I will admit I started watching this show because of the amazing James Roday of Psych being cast as one of the lead characters. I have yet to watch anything connected with Mr. Roday that wasn’t great. So I was in from that moment. While Mr. Roday got me to the table the fantastic story telling by DJ Nash and his writers room have kept me there. Not to mention that amazing cast …. how they found this many talented people is beyond me. Incase you don’t know the show is about a group of friends who rally together to pick up the pieces after the glue of the group commits suicide. You’d think that would make for a super sad show but it’s actually a really lovely, heart warming, and funny show. Don’t get me wrong there are tears and challenges the group have to overcome but it’s a great representation of life in general.

The best part of the show is the online presence of it’s creator DJ Nash. He’s not one of those guys who created a thing and only tweets when he’s promoting the show. The conversations that he has with fans is almost as entertaining as the show itself. That’s actually the coolest part of this fanbase is the conversations that the show generates. Last year there was a lot of really productive conversations about suicide and cancer and this year the conversation’s that have resulted from the speculation of what’s happening on the show. Right before the start of Season #2 I saw a conversation where a lady had to miss the premier episode cause her daughter was hurt playing Volleyball. I too hurt my knee playing Volleyball in high School too so I reached out to her and have checked in on her daughter several times since. She’s recovering nicely incase you are wondering. My point is that this show has become way more than just a show. 

Today I am thankful for the brain that is DJ Nash and the creative team behind A Million Little Things ! 

Anyway it’s nearly 8 ….. I have a show to watch and you should be watching too!

Thanks,
Marcy  

Thankfulness Challenge – College Days

So as I said yesterday my family and I put on all our Auburn gear and headed to the local arena to watch the Tigers play basketball. It was a super fun night that ended with my nephew asking “What is it about Auburn Sports? It’s not a game unless you are about to have a heart attack.” He’s 100% right. Being an Auburn fan is not always fun, it’s not always easy but it really is GREAT to be an Auburn Tiger.

I’ve talked on this blog before about what Auburn means to me it’s more than a university, it is home. That feeling of belonging that feeling of calm that comes over me when I go back to that campus fascinates me. Just getting off at that exit and driving towards campus makes me feel like I have class the next day.

I started at Auburn in the college of Liberal Arts with the plan of going into communications with an eventual degree in journalism. That was the plan. However as most college students need to understand often the plan changes at least once or twice in those 4…4+ years.

My older nephew is currently at Auburn and he’s at that cross road where he stays on the path he’s on or he shifts the plan and go in another direction. I’ve told him every student on that campus has gotten to that road, the question he has to ask himself is what do you want to do. It’s not an easy decision and it’s not easy to trust yourself and go with your gut. For me, the decision was really made for me. The weed out class for a Journalism degree definitely weeded me out. At the time I was devastated. My guidance counselor told me you can do what you want to do with a degree in English. That…was….a …. Lie. Well not a lie, I mean she wasn’t being malicious about it or anything she was just largely mistaken. See I loved my guidance counselor. When I graduated my mother gave HER a graduation gift. She is the reason I have that piece of paper on my wall in a nice fancy frame … collecting dust. Her advice however was misguided. The people I tried to get a Journalism type job from were done with me after they realized I only had an English degree.

I can’t imagine trying to be in the journalism profession today. It drives me crazy how lazy some journalist are now especially in the light of everything going on in the world. It drives me insane that a social media account has become a source. They are no longer concerned with getting the story it is more about repeating whatever one else is talking about. If you watch two or three channels or read a few articles the same text or talking points are used over and over.

Not to mention that now a days it’s harder than ever to break into and I wasn’t someone who wanted to be on the screen. I was more interested in the research side of the table or the writing of copy. I am however grateful for where I have ended up. It’s not at all what I thought I’d be doing with my life as a 20 something year old but I’m good at it and feel very secure in saying that someone knew that that’s where I needed to end up and for that I am grateful. I now it’s not easy but trust the plan, even when it changes, it might be exactly what you needed.

Marcy

Thankfulness Challenge – Auburn Tigers

Today’s post is going to be short and sweet. I’m spending my evening watching my Auburn Tigers dribble a basketball with my family. See Auburn’s Basketball team is coming to town to play South Alabama in basketball. It’s rare that we get to see our basketball team upclose. Most of the games are during the week and the ones in Auburn are too difficult for us to get to. So we rely on TV a lot during Basketball season. 

When we heard they were coming to town there was no question were we going it was get the tickets then we’ll figure it out. So today, I’m thankful I’m an Auburn Tiger and belong to a family that knows to spend our hard earned money making memories. It’s going to be fun and I can’t wait!

WAR EAGLE!!!!

Marcy

Thankfulness Challenge – Veteran’s Day

Today is the day that everyone’s time lines change to show their various military family members with a post on how proud of them they are, how they miss their family members, and how much they love them. People change their profile picture to their dad in their military fatigues or their brother in his dress blues, or a mommy soldier being welcomed home by their children. They post these long stories about their military family member and each one is really touching.

As you scroll up and down your various timelines pause and read what that soldier did and think about how his/her life, actions, and sacrifice has altered your life and give a like, a comment, or even just silently pray for him/her and their families. I can't imagine how hard it has to be to be a spouse, parent, kid, friend, loved one of a soldier gone for months or years at a time, much less that Soldier who doesn’t make it home or comes home but is forever changed by what they experienced, saw, did while on duty. I know today is the day we usually set aside to do all these things and that's fantasitc but maybe do it in Feb., or April, and in October too. These people deserve this love, respect, and support all year long!

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for those who put themselves in harms way everyday for me, I appreciate the sacrifice and salute you.

Thank you,
Marcy

Thankfulness Challenge – Growing Up When I did

I am forever grateful to have been able to grow up in the time frame that I did. I won’t tell you my age dear reader but I do remember when Saturday mornings were for cartoons. On nearly every channel. I also remember when you had to use a dial up connection and lord help you if you tried to connect while dad was waiting on an important call or worse already on that call. I remember the time before cell phones when we had to use payphones and when you told someone you would be there at 2 and you did cause there was no easy way to tell the other that you were gonna be late. That’s the timeframe I’m talking about. The time before cell phones and the internet and yes I’m only talking some 20-30 years ago in reality. Which is sad and scary at the same time.

Mostly I’m talking about that timeframe where a 300 pound girl didn’t try out for cheerleading and wasn’t praised for “showing people that the world doesn’t dictate beauty”. Or the special needs kid didn’t get to “make a touchdown” while all the other players just stood there so little Johnny could have his moment in the sun. Yes those are two fantastic things. Very admirable of the teams to let them have that moment and of the girl to have the confidence she needs to put that outfit on. Don’t get me wrong. What I’m talking about is that time when it was ok to look at Steve and say “you can’t be the lead in the play but we would love for you to help out with the scenery” and it had nothing to do with anything other than Steve not really being talented enough to be on the stage and it was ok to tell him that and Steve's mom didn't get the local news involved or start a campaign to get a teacher fired. 

When I was in middle school I didn’t make the Volleyball team for 3 years in a row. One of my friends did. She was taller and able to block better than I could. I went to every game. When we got into High School I tried out again after spending a summer working on my serve. I still couldn’t block, I’m a short bitch after all, but I had the best serve on the team. One of the other players could block but couldn’t serve to save her life. So she’d come in and play the front row and when it was time for her to serve I’d come in and play back row. Then we’d swap out. It was a fantastic system really and I played Volleyball for 3 years until I hurt my knee my sr. year during a game and had to sit out. My point was not making the team forced me to find my nitch. Forced me to figure out where I best fit in and how I could help my team. I would have either figured it out or found another area to focus on. Kids today don’t really get that. Most school teams are now set up to everyone that tries out makes the team.

It’s not just sports however. Not everyone can be the jock, or the brain, and some kids are just there. That’s how life was back then and now everyone feels like they have to be special. My heart breaks for these kids that spend their days being video taped by mom and dad in the hopes they do something that “goes viral.” That little 3 or 4 year old who sits in those videos talking about grown folk business like a grown up makes me cringe. I wonder how many takes they made her do before she got it right. I also wonder how long it took mom to create that spontaneous cute rant that the little girls is giving cause I’m sorry but no she didn’t come up with that alone on the top of her head. She just didn’t. You know who I’m talking about ….. this kid. 

What I’m saying is that these kids don’t get to be kids. They don’t get to run around the playground and make noise they don’t get to say something cute and walk away. No they are practicing and instead of running around to make noise they are running around to get that shot they need to get. Over the weekend I watched a video of a young boy on the potty (for the first time) and he was cracking his dad up. So mom comes in with the camera to recreate the moment. At this point the dad’s setting the little boy up to recreate the incident and is now at the point of laughing so hard he’s crying. The little boy immediately becomes concerned cause his dad is sad. He doesn’t understand the concept of happy tears. This was a great moment and frankly a funny video but the moment this young man and his father was having before he pulled out a camera was likely a priceless one. I wish the dad had stayed in the moment and just let it have been a moment.

However it was cute so ….. here ……….

Have a great Sunday ….

Marcy
@beaslma