c'est la vie

The popular lyrics from "The King and I" in which it is sung "Getting to know you, putting it my way, but nicely, you are precisely, my cup of tea" came to mind this past week.  I got to meet and briefly spend time with 2 people that I previously only knew by name.  But sometimes you meet people and the "like" button is instantly pressed.  And with us it was.  Ten minutes after arrival you would have sworn we were old friends and within 2 hours we had covered a range of topics and "get to know you's" that would have rivalled anything on a meet and greet site.  And when someone is pulling the mickey out of you regularly, then you know you are on a good wicket.  When I was told my one brake light was not working and I (stupidly) said "mine?" .... he replied "no you fool, your car's".  Now since he knew me only 48 hrs he had to be pretty sure that I was going to laugh.  And I did.   And it made me think about the peop...

Clearly I have lost touch with the teenage world of breakups, makeups, heartache and such.   My daughter has had an on again, off again relationship with the same guy since gr 9 and she is now in gr 12.  They are a classic case of can't be together and can't be apart, can't live with each other and can't live without each other.  When they are together it eventually does not work, and they part.  When they are apart, it does not work and they want to be together.   It seems that being close friends is the happy place for them.  But me?  I just cannot seem to get the questions right!! Daughter crying on bed, "I hate him, I am never speaking to him again".  Me:  "Yes, he is a total moron and you deserve better (this seemed the sort of supportive mom thing to say) Daughter:  "Don't say that about him, he was always good to me and you always said you liked him". Me:  Speechless and Confused  Daughter, skipping through do...

Been staring at an A3 cardboard for the past 45 mins .... am supposed to be making a collage about my life for my Lifeline counsellors course, but since my life is mostly an open book and most people can tell you 35 things about me anyway, I am battling to get going.  Probably would need 3 cardboards anyway.  So I swopped that for staring at my computer screen for 30 mins wondering what to blog about, then it hit me .... it always does.  Children, and more specifically children and how much time their parents spend with them.  Now spend with them means you are not on your phone nodding to them intermittently, you are not reading your book/newspaper/laptop/ipad screen while saying, ya, ya.  You are not working and listening .... you are with them.  Giving them your full attention.  We are a full attention kind of family in this house.  And we have reaped the benefits in terms of the most amazing open channel of communication between us and our ...

I have been so privileged lately to meet a whole lot of incredible new people whilst I am busy on the Lifeline Counsellors Course.   We are a group of 18, all tied to the Queenswood Catholic Church, all ages, all backgrounds, all races, all walks of life, a variety of jobs, many stories, some married, some divorced, some single, some dating ...... but everyone with the same goal..... to grow through the first 9 sessions of 3 hours each and then to proceed to the next 8 sessions of 3 hours each.  I remember when I signed up and I heard that Mondays and Thursdays from 7 to 10pm for 17 lessons I was bound, no abseentism, full attention and homework, I thought for a brief moment, how on earth am I going to squeeze this into a ridiculously full life.  And then, on the night of the first lesson, I felt such joy at going and once we had done the introductions and got started, I find myself very excited on the days of my classes.  I have fitted it in, by making more me tim...

Been wondering a lot about youngsters and church.  What draws them and what keeps them away.  Catechism definately keeps them there ..... I perhaps find it easier with kids at a Catholic school because Catechism is part of their routine, with the bonus before First Communion and Confirmation of having the "in-house" priest giving lessons.  On a Confirmation level I know my daughter found this intense and insightful.   When I was young Catechism was definately not what it is today.  I remember with what heavy hearts we trudged to our parish on the evening we were allocated and listened to ramblings of things that just seemed to heavy handed for us to understand.  But going to church was something that was instilled in us from an early age.   The same has been carried down into my own family ..... my husband converted to Catholicism before we got married and being involved in whichever parish we were at was natural to us.  Our kids were altar se...

So I asked a good friend of mine this week where moms go to hide and gather their thoughts.  He said he had no idea.  Well quite frankly ...... if you know please tell me.  Certainly not at work where I go 100kms per hour thinking and phoning and negotiating and begging and writing and .... now that I think about it my life is pretty much 100km per hour and 100 % throwing myself into everything, all the time.  And I wondered again this week ...... where do we get the wisdom and the strength to pick up the pieces when things break our children's hearts.  No matter whether they are big or small, their hearts always come to us for healing.  I have a simple philosophy in life ...... I always give advice, you can cry on my shoulder 500 times, I will lead you and guide you ..... but every now and then we have to watch our kids do something we think may end in a little heartbreak, because the life lesson is invaluable and because a blanket "no" to that little ...