Make it a great day!

I am blessed to have two of the coolest uncles on the planet.

I say that, and I'll be the first to admit that honestly I don't know either of them very well. While I was growing up, we moved a lot and seeing my uncles was typically once or twice a year when we loaded up in the car for the yearly road trip to see family. I didn't mind the car ride. I'm a book junkie, so it was never torture for me to be in a car for hours on end to get somewhere. (It honestly it breaks my heart that kids now have DVD players and Gameboys for car rides. Books have lost their appeal to the current generation, but that's a whole other blog post entirely!)

So, back to my uncles. As an adult, I am reminded now of what each of them taught me.

One uncle lives nearby in the town I teach in, and I am constantly inspired by him. He's always there for me when my car dies, or whatever may happen to this single gal that doesn't have a lick of "handy woman" in her. And, the thing that gets me, REALLY GETS ME, is that he whistles all the time while he works. I'm not overexaggerating. Once when I was riding with him, and the weather was yucky, a guy had driven his car off the side of the road, my uncle stopped, got out his tools, and we pulled him out of the ditch. The entire time, he whistled and joked with the guy. I want to be as happy and free as my uncle. I can't whistle, but I wish I could. I find myself singing little ditties lately and thinking of him. I want to be like him when I grow up.

My other uncle lives out in Western Kansas. I rarely ever see him. My aunt had a stroke a few years back and so it's hard for them to travel. I have never been close to him. But, I do remember a quote he would always say that has stuck with me over the years. He even put it on his answering machine. His quote was "MAKE it a great day!"

I have thought a lot about that statement over the years. The older I get, the more I see how easy it is to be negative rather than positive. And, I'll be the first to admit, I fight negative thoughts a lot. Sure, some days are better than others, but I find it's a choice.

Some days it bothers me:
1. That one of our teachers at school never teaches she just roams the halls.
2. That my kids are from such crappy homelives that I can't believe they function well enough to get to school.
3. That I can't fix the home situations that my students are in.
4. That at times I feel as if I'm on an island at the end of the day because I'm single.
5. That at times I feel alone even with two roommates.
6. That my bank account is lower than I want it to be.
7. That I now have medical bills that I have never had before.
8. That I'm still single in my mid-thirties...finding Mr. Right shouldn't be this hard...seriously...
9. That I have a limp.
10. That I have to take pills with every meal.

I'm just being real here. Come on...am I the only one? Am I the only one who battles negativity?

It takes effort. MAKE it a great day.

That means:
1. Letting go of the fact we have a wandering teacher in the hall avoiding her job. Not my responsibilty.
2. Remembering that I'm loving these kids to the best of my ability, something is better than nothing.
3. Each day my kids are my family. I can't fix their homelife, but I can make their daily life, happy and loving.
4. Remembering that I have friends who count as family, so I'm not as alone as I feel at times.
5. Remembering that my roommates are doing the best they know how. I'm only as alone as I choose to be.
6. Knowing that even though my account is lower than I want, I still have enough to pay bills.
7. Remembering that I have insurance...it could be a WHOLE lot worse.
8. Believing that Mr. Right is there, and remembering that the wait will be worth it.
9. Remembering that I can walk. I might get stared at, but I can walk without assistance. PRAISE GOD!
10. I can still eat. I'm alive. Pills are easy.

So while my uncles don't really know how cool they are, I do. And, without them even knowing it, they have impacted my life. That is HUGE.

Makes me wonder who is watching me.

I want to be the most positive person I know. And, I know that takes effort. Being positive doesn't come without cost.

Nothing worthwile is ever easy...so...

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!