The Good Neighbor

I will preface this story by saying that last week my son received a fortune cookie that said "In giving, you will always have."

I was sitting at my desk working away and I hear my 7 year old son upstairs, upset about finding two dogs running in the street. I asked him if he knew who the dogs belonged to. He said "yes mama, I do and I am so worried they will get hit by a car which would be awful, especially on Thanksgiving. Can I take the dogs back home mama?"

Of course I said yes, the dogs live just a few doors down from us. He takes the dogs back to the owners and is happy that he was able to return the dogs safely, he said "now that family will have a happy Thanksgiving, mama, and maybe the dogs can get some turkey too."

I just smiled at how much he wanted to help and how much it meant to him. I admired his sense of "good neighbor" and concern for animals. I went back to my work as he went over to his best friend's house. Not long after that, the doorbell rang, and it's an elderly lady. They are the neighbors from a few doors down and wanted to come and thank my son for returning those dogs. I wished he had been there to get his just desserts, their gratitude and relief was apparent. The lady handed me an envelope and asked me to give it to my son when he returned home. On the front it simply said "thank you for your kindness, it meant so much to our family." I didn't open it, but being a mom, I held it up to the light and saw that it had a crisp $5 bill inside.

The reward will be great for my son. He deserves it but will never expect it. It will never be about being rewarded in a tangible way for a good deed. For him it was about the dogs, and their well being and though he is too young to understand what a "good neighbor" is, he is all of those things.

Sometimes, in this big world, "good neighbor" is a long retired term, a lost art. I am glad to see that at least on this day, neighbors watch out for one another. So grateful that both of my children understand what it means to be that good neighbor.

Mismatch or Match Made in Heaven?

On paper, my husband and I could not be more of a mismatch, truly. Rebel, badass, adrenaline junkie meets the sophisticated, well traveled good girl. Our backgrounds could not be more different - yet we are both very independent, but our independence came in very different ways and at different costs.

His was born from necessity - young mother all of 16 when she had him and then she went on to marry seven additional times, taking him along on a journey of experiences many might not recover from. He was left to fend for himself and his little sister oftentimes, and he did what he had to do. Eventually he rebelled, landed himself in some trouble, and then some more trouble and then finally decided that he was going to make something of himself.

My independence was born from circumstance, being born into a military family. I had to become a chameleon, adapting to new surroundings, new faces, new places, languages, you name it. If you weren't independent and outgoing, you would wind up a loner. You end up being a bit of a loner anyway, because you really have learned not to get too close to people because you know you will be saying goodbye almost as soon as you said hello, once your father gets reassigned. Each time you left one place, you were just getting to know who you were, felt like you finally fit in and then have to start all over.

I have been to and lived in many countries outside of the US. My husband has never been outside of the US but has traveled and seen quite a bit of this great land of ours. He has never had a passport, yet I have one filled with interesting stamps and markings. I spent the first part of my career in the corporate sector with the suits, big deals, negotiations and big paydays. He has worked with his hands, as a carpenter, framer, landscaper since he began working. He has never owned a suit and has never wanted to.

So ... good girl gets transplanted to the great Pacific Northwest. She found herself at the County Fair, watching her husband compete in a tractor pull and then at "Bogs for Dogs" where he competed in mud bog races in a Chevy 4x4 that he built himself, from the ground up, all from parts he picked up at the junk yard. She camps in a tent, by a campfire and while she was always adventurous in life, she is experiencing a whole new set of adventures by his side.

I never grew up to believe that I had led a sheltered life and might even, at one point in my life, turned my nose up at mud bogs and tractor pulls. I would like to think that I wouldn't have, but I might have had some snooty years that I have chosen to conveniently forget.

What I do know is that I came into this marriage, knowing we were different, knowing we could star on the modern day version of Green Acres and knowing that I didn't care. I was excited to open my eyes and mind and launch into a life of new experiences. An open mind truly is a gift beyond measure.

Turn Around

I have been fixated on a picture of my children. I can't take my eyes off of it. I so love the age they are at now, and have loved all of the ages and stages, but it hit me right between the eyes at how quickly the years go by. They are "ours" for such a short time. I have modified the lyrics of a Kenny Loggins song, that so perfectly fits my feelings right now. Being a mother is the most amazing gift I have ever been given, and I am so grateful.

Where are you going, my little one, little one?
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two - turn around and you're four,

Turn around and you're a young one going out of my door.

Where are you going, my little one, little one?

Little petticoats and trains, where have you gone?

Turn around and you're tiny, turn around and you're grown ...

Turn around and you're a young one with babes of your own.

Thank you Dad

I am a military brat. In many ways, it was a wonderful life - new places, new experiences, things that I would never have had the chance to do otherwise, and I got the chance to watch my Dad rise to the ranks of 4 star General in the US Air Force. My Dad was a fighter pilot, flew in Vietnam and I was always so proud of him. My mom used to take us to the flight line so we could watch him land. He would tip the wings to us in the form of a wave and I just remember being so proud.

My Dad was a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, including 270 combat hours. His military awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Award with "V" device and two oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with two service stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with silver service star, Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Short, Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Long, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with eight oak leaf clusters, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Air Force Training Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. He has also received the Order of National Security Merit, Gouges Medal - South Korea, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure - Japan and Award of Knight Grand Cross with Sash - Thailand. Additionally, he has been inducted into the Order of the Sword, which is the highest honor non-commissioned officers can bestow to commissioned officers.

My Dad had humble beginnings and is a bumble man, born and raised in a small town in Nebraska and he has always been true to himself throughout this journey. He taught me about integrity, honest, always doing your best in whatever you do and for that, and so many things, I will always be grateful.

So on Veteran's Day, it seems fitting to not only give thanks to all the men and women who serve this country (past and present) but also a special thanks to my Dad.

The Gift

I received the most wonderful gift from my husband on my birthday. He was so upset that it arrived a day late - I could see the sadness in his eyes. When it finally arrived, we opened it together. The excitement on his face to see my reaction was priceless.

When I opened it, I loved it instantly. It's so "me." I realized that he put a lot of thought into this gift, he really thought about getting something for me that I would like and it meant alot to him to do so. It hangs on the wall in our home and makes me smile every time I look at it.

Often, when people give you a gift, they give you a piece of themselves. With this gift, he gave me a piece of myself and that was truly special to me. I looked at him that night, realizing just how much I would have missed had we never met.