The Value of Work

When my kids were small, my husband would stop on the way home from work and cut mistletoe out of trees that were along the side of the road.  He would bring it home and I would cut it into a reasonable size piece and tie it with ribbon.  At first the children would go door to door to sell the mistletoe for a dollar a sprig but soon we found we could make more money faster if we asked to stand outside of a local grocery store.  The kids did this for several years and by doing so, they were able to earn the money to buy Christmas presents for each other and their family members - even extended family with their own money.  It taught them to work at a young age.  One year they earned enough that they bought all the Christmas presents for their list and then had enough money left over to buy themselves their own American Girl doll.  Both of my girls still have those dolls because they earned them themselves.  They are a treasure to them - and now they are worth quite a bit of money as well, although I don’t think they would ever sell them.  Now my granddaughters earn money for their harps by selling scarves.  Their mother (our daughter) has an entrepreneurial spirit down to her core.  She attributes that to her experience selling mistletoe.  You can’t always find mistletoe in Nevada, but there is always something that young kids can do to earn money of their own.  Just two days ago I was cleaning out the garage and a child about 8 years old came into my garage to ask me if I was interested in buying a bracelet that he had made.  He was asking $3.  I bought one.  I didn’t buy one because I needed a bracelet.  I bought it because I saw in him the work ethic that I attempted to teach my own children.  Teach your children the joy of working and earning money, even before they may be legally old enough to do so.  It will be a benefit to them throughout their lives.  

Here is the link to my granddaughter's harp fund facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/harpfundraiser

Ages For Things and Young Mothers

When we lived in Vidalia, GA, I was a young mother.  I had three small children.  There was a more experienced woman in our church that once went on a trip with me, I don’t even remember why we were out and about, but we went to a fast food restaurant.  There were young girls there that we doing something that was more mature than their years.  She gave her opinion about that.  She said that she felt that they wanted to do things that they shouldn’t be old enough to do because there were no limits.  Anyone can do anything at any age and there are no rules to say otherwise.  It got me thinking.  I decided that with the help of my children, we would decide what was an appropriate age to do certain things.  I made a list for the ages of things.  Every age was listed, and there was something that would be appropriate at that age and not before.  I think it worked pretty well for us.  The only real problem that I had with it was the girls had an age at which they could get their ears pierced.  I took them down and we got them professionally pierced.  One of my girls told me that she wouldn’t have gotten her ears pierced at all if it were not for the list.  I guess that was a problem.  The best thing about this was that there was never a question about how old you had to be to date or when they could start shaving their legs or wearing makeup.  It was all down on paper, and we followed it.  

More than following the list though, I think about that woman and the wisdom that she was willing to share with me as a young mother.  I was inexperienced, and I knew it.  I am grateful that I was willing to learn from someone that was old enough to be my mom.  I respected her opinion, and it influenced how I raised my own children.  Often I don’t see young mothers that want to learn from my experience.  That is one of the reasons I decided to start this blog.  Somewhere there may be a young mother who is searching for someone to learn from.  Just maybe, I might be that for her.  

A boy and a Rolex watch

We have lived in Las Vegas twice.  The first time we lived in an area that was quite wealthy and it was just before the economic collapse of 2008.  We left about the height of the economic boom in 2004.  The people we met during that time were cocky.  We knew a family that had young son.  They owned a paving company in Las Vegas and were very wealthy people.  This young boy had a Rolex watch.  They boy couldn’t have been more than 13 years old.  The watch on his arm was worth enough to support a family of 4 for a year in a previous place we lived in Georgia.  It made me sick to see such excess.  What was the point?  I didn’t know then.  I still don’t know.  We would go to meetings that talked about serving others and giving of yourself, but all I could see, not just in this specific situation, but in many in that area at that time, was excess.  People wanted more.  Always more.  Enough was never enough.  We lived in the biggest and nicest house we had ever owned.  We loved it!  But from these people we were told that we were “tract home trash.”  I sold that home for over half a million dollars, but it wasn’t good enough for these people.  We were looked down upon.  Since then, the economy crashed and these people fell far and hard.  I wasn’t here to watch it, but I felt bad for them in a way.  The higher you are, the harder you fall.  What I learned from this experience is that what the Lord gives, he can also take away.  The materialism that I witnessed changed me forever.  I vowed to not make things more important than people in my life.  I vowed to never make people feel that they weren’t good enough because they didn’t have what I had.  I don’t know what happened to this young man, but I have seen other young men and women who feel entitled to things they did not earn. I have seen other families that lost their business, their home, even their freedom and self respect when they lost a little equity in their home. I have wondered if this watch was paid for by cash or credit.  What happened to it when the market crashed? Did they sell it to pay off a mortgage that they couldn’t afford or to buy food or clothing for their family?  I have heard a million times in my life “You deserve it.”  Really?  If I deserve something, doesn’t every body deserve the same?  I learned that the value in people is not in the size of their bank account or what kind of watch they wore but in the size of their heart.  The humble people I knew in Vidalia, GA and where I grew up in Lakeland, FL were just as good of people, no, they were better, than those that had so much.  If you have all you need, find a way to give to those that may not have what they need. Do it, don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk.  Be satisfied with what you have, and be grateful for it. That is what I learned from a young kid with a Rolex watch.  

Believe in Yourself

No one can change your circumstances but you.  You have heard stories of people who took control of their lives and made changes that improved their quality of life exponentially.  We cannot change the circumstances of our birth, but we can change how we move forward.  Let me tell you about my friend Mary.  Mary was born to a teenage mother and a father.  Her mother and father were never married.  Her mother would often leave Mary and her other children (there were four girls total) with her parents while she was strung out on drugs.  Her mom always felt that if she could get a good man, her problems would be over.  She went from man to man and never found the right one.  She would come back into the girls' lives occasionally, but she never stayed for long.  They knew her as their mother, but she rarely mothered.  
Mary went off to college as a 18 year old girl.  Before long she met her husband, and they got married.  They have now been married for over 30 years.  Mary did not become like her mother.  She became everything her mother never was.  She put her husband through college.  He now has his master's degree.  They had 4 children.  She was a stay at home mom to those children.  She was there for them through the good, bad, and ugly.  And she never left.  Everything was not always wonderful, and there were hard times for sure, but she provided stability for her children where her mother did not provide that for her.  Now her mother lives close to Mary and they are able to help each other when needed.  Mary went back to college after her children were in high school and graduated with her bachelor's degree many years after starting it.  Mary turned her life around.  She did not become what she witnessed as a child.  I am amazed by her.  I am proud to be her friend.  
What are the circumstances of your life that you would like to make better for your children?  What decisions can you make that will put you on the path that you desire?  Who has control over what you will become?  
You decide. Believe in yourself.  

Introduction

I am a 55 year old female living in Las Vegas, NV.  I was born in central Florida.  I was educated in Florida and Utah mainly but have also taken graduate level classes in New Mexico, Georgia, and Nevada.  I have a bachelor's degree in elementary education and I have taught and/or subbed in five states. My husband is currently disabled, but he was formerly an electrical engineer.  He worked mostly in the nuclear field. I have been to every state in the United States except Alaska, and have spent considerable time in many of them.  Because of the variety of places I have lived and visited, I have learned quite a bit about life, money, people, and compassion.  I would like to share some of my experiences with you so that you can hopefully learn from my experiences as well.  I learn best by stories.  I am  hoping that the stories I have to share will help you to grasp some of the things I have learned in my life.  My goal is not to preach to you, but to teach through my experiences.  If you are interested, I would love to share them with you.