Choices

Nate worked a twelve hour shift today, so Nate and I decided to get together for his half hour break. While the kids and I waited in the car for him to come out and see us, we watched a lesson unfold in front of us. A police car was parked and a woman stood in handcuffs. Immediately I knew that this woman was the reason that Nate was running late. The woman had stolen a pair of shoes from his store. The police officer took her and began to place her in the car, but a little girl (probably not even two years old) began to cry. She wanted her mom. What the women said next shocked me, she said "Baby it isn't like I am not coming back, this is no big deal." and then she got in the car. The little girl and what I presume to be her sister watched as their mom was taken away. The baby didn't stop crying no matter how much another women tried to console her.

Trent said "that was sad, wasn't it mom." "Yes, Trent that was very sad". "It's like you always say mom, life is about choices. That lady must have made some bad ones. She made a bad choice and made her baby cry." "That's right honey." "I won't ever choose to steal, that's a very bad choice and I don't ever want to make you cry." "You’re a very smart boy Trent Aaron." "Thanks Mom."

We talk at least once a day to our kids about choices and the extreme importance of choosing wisely. That what they want to accomplish can be theirs if they make the right choices along the way. Most of the time we are discussing attitudes and the way we can control situations by choosing our reactions to them. This morning the kids and I started our day by all saying that we were choosing to be happy today. (Yes, even little Aliya said "happy" when asked what we were going to be today.) We were choosing to have positive attitudes so that our day would be a good one. Okay, go ahead and call us dorks, but in the midst of our crazy life waking up and making a choice of our reaction to things can really help us through. Knowing what our goal is (toady it was nothing more then smiling with the kids) can help me keep in perspective the way I choose to react to things during the day. We are trying to choose to smile through the craziness and be thankful instead of upset. Trust me, I know that life throws you some things that are so far out of your control that it is near impossible to stay positive, heck sometimes it is near impossible to even breath, but the truth of it all is that we are trying to choose the right attitude so we can see the rainbow after the rain.

So here are some things (as silly as they might be) that we are choosing to see as positives in our life:

We have become much closer with our neighbors by dealing with the stress together.
We are getting to choose new siding, shutters, carpet, and other things to really make our house our own.
Our kids have become more confident swimmers by having constant use of an indoor pool.
24 hour a day coffee supply and endless coffemate (thinking of you Cameo) from the hotel.
Learning that our insurance stinks, but we have a great friend who sells insurance who is willing to help give us advice.
A wonderful hot tub!
Living right behind our 24 grocery store can have its perks.
We always have clean towels.
A hot breakfast ready for us every morning at 5:30.
And may wonderful friends and family who have offered endless support to us.