The C is still there!

I left the Y professionally when my daughter was born. Now that my son has entered school, I have been able to focus more on my career.

A lot can change in ten years.

Today, the world is paralyzed by the fear of offending anyone. I was concerned about the organization that raised me and is ingrained in my being. Had they begun to tiptoe through this politically correct society? I worried that the "C" had become diluted and that the very fundamentals of the YMCA were compromised.

This afternoon, the CEO of the YMCA of Columbia spoke at our branch. He shared with us his vision for our future and the communities in which we serve. With a plan to strengthen our dedication to Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility, so many exciting things are in store.

But the part of his speech that gave me the most hope and has rekindled my spirit and love for the Y was his emphasis on our mission:

To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Christian Principles: Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility and Faith.

THIS is what separates us from the gyms, the health clubs, the government-funded programs.

THIS is what has pulled me into its warm embrace from the age of 5.

THIS is where I plan to raise my children, spend my time and devote my energy.

The C is still there, and for that, I thank God!

I Love You More Than...

My favorite game to play with my children:

"I Love You More Than..."

Me: "I love you more than the earth"

Alice: "I love you more than the solar system"

Me: "I love you more than the universe!"

Whoah!

Ford: "I love you more than fishing"

Me: "I love you more than chocolate"

Ford: "I love you more than a 10-lb bass!"

Whoah!

I played this game with Ford tonight while cooking dinner and checking Facebook.

Me: "I love you more than tacos"

Ford: "I love you more than gummy worms"

Me: "I love you more than the YMCA"

Ford: "I love you more than Chuck E Cheese."

I scrolled down my newsfeed to see: pictures of the Harbins at the beach, political ravings, reports of sunny weather and no rain (thank goodness!), funny pictures found on Pinterest, and an advertisement of the upcoming Grey's Anatomy season premier.

Ford: "It's your turn, Mommy."

I glance up to see my precious son waiting in anticipation for my next move. Placing my phone on the counter, I pick up my sweet boy, squeeze him tight, and say,

"I love you more than my phone!"

Whoah!

Sparklies on the Water

The view from the porch is frightening.
At the bottom of the sloping back yard lies a large pond. I tighten my grip on our infant son. It would only take an instant, that split second I get distracted. One of them could tumble into the water, disappear under the murky surface and be gone forever.

"No way can we buy this house."

Alice skips through the door towards us, and my heart jumps. I'm thankful for the screen barrier between her and the dangerous body of water.
"Sparklies!" she gasps. "Pretty!"
And that's when I see them. A gentle breeze ripples over the water while the sun shines on the crests creating hundreds of twinkling lights. It's as if God tossed a handful of diamonds, skipping them across the surface. The tiny flashes of light turn the deep, terrifying hole into a magical showcase of gems. Beautiful! How did I not see them?

The view from the porch is miraculous.
Five years later, the pond no longer fills me with fear but restores my soul. The sparklies are still there. God continues to spread the gems before me, and thanks to Alice, I can see them.

"I'm glad we bought this house."

This Year Will Be Different

Every year, my New Year's Resolutions go a little something like this.
Dec. 31: I resolve to-
1. Clean up the entire house and always keep it neat and tidy.
2. Remain patient and calm with my children, never raising my voice.
3. Cut out all refined carbs from my diet.

Jan. 1:
I start out cleaning my closet. In five minutes, I am sitting in a pile of old pictures and notes from my BFF from City Park Elementary laughing until I cry.
Within a few hours I have yelled at my children three times and my husband once, because OMG I need chocolate!!!
My diet goes well until, oh, about lunch. Then I dig up every piece that I can find of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter candy (yes, there is still some of that in my house).

This year is going to be different. My resolutions will be a little less constricting and hopefully easier to accomplish. I plan to TOP it off in 2013!
Next year, I resolve to be more:
Thoughtful - Write a note of thanks/encouragement/love to one person every day.
Organized - Execute one project from Pinterest a month to help make my household run smoother. I think I have pinned around 40,000 ideas and have tried 3. So 12 will be quite an accomplishment.
Punctual - This is where the previous two will be useful.

Let's hope this will last past lunchtime tomorrow! :0)

Happy New Year Everyone! May your 2013 be truly blessed!

I Went Straight

I sat at the stoplight. To the right were a gazillion errands- Goodwill, grocery store, Christmas shopping. Straight ahead- the park.
Looking in the rear view mirror, I saw my children, the warm sunshine bathing the tops of their heads. They were quiet, each engrossed in their current obsessions- one on the iPad, one on my phone.
The light turned green.
I went straight.

TELL ME!

“ME FIRST!

Over a sandy hill he flew and…

Kerplop.

He landed face to face with a small creature with a bump on her nose and fur on her toes.”

Wait.

I lower the book I’m reading to Ford and look at my feet. Neatly clipped and painted toenails and…

Gasp!

Hair on my toes! Just like the “sand witch” Pinkerton runs into. How did I miss that? And how long have I been walking around with hairy toes frightening small children and grossing out my friends? More importantly, why didn’t anyone TELL ME?

There have been other times someone didn’t tell me:

Leaving the Student Center one day at Carson-Newman, I ran into the super cute kicker from the football team.

“Hey Bryan,” I said tilting my head and flashing a flirty smile.

“Hey, Libby,” and he headed straight into the building.

Next along came Ore, also an attractive football player.

“Hey Libby! You have something on your face.”

Not something. A gigantic chunk of chocolate was perched on top of my upper lip. Nice!

“Thanks for telling me, Ore!”

After teaching private swim lessons, I talked with my student’s mother for at least five minutes. I turned to her daughter to say goodbye.

She said, “You have a big booger on your nose.”

Really? Thank goodness the 7-year-old had enough decency to TELL ME!

Cliff’s college buddy came by the house one day when Alice was little. I was enjoying the mature, adult conversation after spending all day with a three-year-old playing Princess dress up. About 20 minutes into the visit, I realized I was still wearing the large, plastic dangly earrings with the beautiful pink and purple “diamonds.”

“Why didn’t ya’ll tell me I was still wearing these?”

“I just thought you wanted to dress up for Cisco.”

Seriously?

I think it is sweet that my friends want to spare my feelings by NOT pointing out my flaws…

However, if you EVER see me with hair on my toes, boogers on my nose, chunks of chocolate on my face or questionable, tacky jewelry on my body,

Please

TELL ME!!!!

Disabled

I just saw the most moving commercial. A Down Syndrome boy sits alone in a dark room. He says, "They stare at you. They point and yell things at you. They say you are different." He wipes tears from his face, and my heart is breaking for this poor, disabled kid. He then says, "It is fantastic!" The most adorable smile spreads across his face. The next clip shows him with a medal around his neck, hoisted high in the air by his fans at the Special Olympics. Disabled? Not with that attitude.