Count Your Blessings

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.  When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.  County your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.  Are you ever burdened with a load of care?  Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?"  Guy Penrod

Tomorrow being Thanksgiving I thought this would be an appropriate song to reflect over the year and count my blessings.  Not that it takes Thanksgiving for me to count my blessings, but it is the holiday people recognize as the day of THANKS.

This song came to mind Monday night when I woke up during the night and couldn't go back to sleep. I was whining around, complaining because I felt bad and couldn't sleep.  I complained all day yesterday then I thought about the people that are REALLY sick.  Sick with cancer or any other disease that makes them sick EVERY day.  I thought about the people who are hungry as I was complaining that I wished I hadn't eaten so much.  I thought about the homeless as I was wrapped up in my blanket trying to get warm.  I just thought about people in general that are much less fortunate than what little I do have.

I remember singing this song as a kid but I'm sure I never stopped to think about counting my blessings.  I mean as a kid who thinks about being thankful for the food you have, the roof over your head and the clothes on your back. That's what parents are for, right?   So today, being Thanksgiving Eve I want to count my MANY blessings.  I have more than enough to eat, a house to keep me warm, clothes way more than I need and a job that allows me to buy these things. I have a family and friends that I love, both my parents are still living, and a loving God that is the reason I'm able to write this blog with a heart of gratitude and thankfulness.

Tomorrow my family will eat at my grandmother's house and there will be lots of food, catching up and laughter.   I will miss my grandparents who aren't with us anymore and this year my Aunt Mary won't be there but we still have plenty to be thankful for.  Thankful that my Aunts still have Thanksgiving for my dad's side of the family since my grandparents are gone, thankful that my mama is still able to cook turkey and dressing for us, thankful that my dad is able to come to Thanksgiving, thankful for my aunts and uncles that will be there and thankful for all the fun we will have just enjoying being together.

My lesson today is so simple it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.  Count your blessings, no matter how big or small.  Count your blessings one by one.  Count your blessings money can't buy.   Count your blessings and give back if you can.  I know I will!!!!  I'm walking in a walk that cans of food is the entry fee to help with the hungry and before I have my own Thanksgiving dinner I'm serving at the local homeless shelter.  No I don't do it for the praise or recognition, I do it because I can.  I do it because I hope that for just one day, people can be hopeful and more importantly that they feel love on this Thanksgiving day.

  Love to all and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
   Sweet Southern Sass

Let Them Be Little

"I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.  Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute.  How it amazes me, you're changing with every blink, faster than a flower blooms they grow up all too soon."  Billy Dean

How many times do we hear, where did time go, it seems like yesterday you were a baby.  Well I can tell you I think it all the time.  My son is now 38 years old and it's so hard to believe he is grown, married and has children of his own.  Lord have mercy where does time go?

Sometimes when I'm alone and think about time, my mistakes and if I would do anything different I wonder if he thinks I was/am a good mother.  I was so young and didn't know a thing about being a mother but I did try.  I always gave him praise when he did good, but he also got his hiney tore up if he got in trouble.  Being a single mom there were a lot of things I did as both parents.   He was involved in every sport growing up, so that meant I was the one catching the baseball when he was learning to pitch, catching the football when he was the little squirt learning that and believe it or not I coached him when he played basketball.  I was probably harder on him than anyone because I wanted him to be the best at anything he did. 

I remember his little arms reaching up for a hug, crying because he got hurt but more importantly I remember the giggles and laughs that just warmed my heart.   Warmed my heart because I knew he wouldn't be giving those hugs forever and the giggles & laughter would turn to being grown up with responsibilities.   Now he's not little any more, he's all grown up with his own kids and I see him doing the same thing I did. I see him playing on the floor or outside with his boys when he should be cutting the grass or some  other grown-up responsibility .  I hear him laughing with his boys just like I did with him and that warms my heart as much as hearing him when he was little. So maybe, just maybe my parenting skills weren't as bad as I thought.

"So innocent, a precious soul, you turn around, it's time to let them go."  The first time he went off to basketball camp, he said don't be hugging me in front of my team.   Guess what?  I didn't listen.  But neither did the other mom's standing outside that bus watching their sons leave on a week-long trip for the first time.  That was hard but even harder was when he got married.  Bless my heart I couldn't decide on a mother-son dance song because every time I tried I cried like a baby.  So you can only imagine what happened at the wedding.  Yep, I cried like a baby the whole dance, patting him on the shoulder and holding on for dear life.  I mean he was about to leave to start a new chapter in his life and I was afraid those hugs would be fewer and further between. 

Lesson today?  "Let them be little, give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day.  Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle, let them sleep in the middle" and for goodness sake hug them every chance you get.  Let the dishes go, let the laundry wait another day, and maybe the maid might get it when she's through playing.  LOL

  Love to all,
  Sweet Southern Sass

American Soldier

"I'm an American soldier, an American beside my brothers and my sisters.  I will proudly take a stand when liberty's in jeopardy.  I will always do what's right.  I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight American soldier.  I'm an American soldier."  Toby Keith

I think I will go a little different on this one.  It's Veteran's Day and we all need to thank a Veteran.
My family is full of American soldiers and that makes me proud.  My daddy was in the Army and fought in the Korean War.  He doesn't talk about it much and we don't have many pictures because that was many years ago.   But let me just say right here, this taking a knee crap doesn't set well with him.  Wait, what am I talking about, it doesn't set well with me either. 

The American soldier to me is way beyond anything I can comprehend.  They're always on duty, can't call in sick on Mondays and they work straight through the holidays.  He wants to be a good husband and father and meet the needs of everyone else.  He's not a soldier for the money because he's still unable to pay all the bills and the glory isn't a good reason because it's not always glorious. 

 Toby Keith says The American soldier is a soldier because he has to fight for the future of his family and his country.  He is aware of the risks of being a soldier and he claims he doesn't want to die for his country but if that happens he will "bear that cross with honor" because he understands the cost for the freedom we enjoy in our country.  He will fight for freedom and liberty, and if that's jeopardized then he will take a stand because that's WHY he is an American soldier.

Lesson today?  I said it in my opening statement.  Thank a Veteran today!  Thank him for the sleepless nights and missed holidays away from HIS family to protect YOUR family.  Thank him for the endless hours of being on duty to protect our great country.  Heck let's go a step further and thank their spouse too because while HER American soldier is away protecting us, she's home protecting her family without her American soldier. 

  Thank you our American Soldier,
   Sweet Southern Sass

o

If You Came Back From Heaven

"I wouldn't know what to say, I wouldn't know what to do if you came back from heaven and I would look at you.  Would I fumble for the words, would I be a little shy, would I bust right out with laughter or break right down and cry."  Lorrie Morgan

WOW and WOW again, these are some powerful words.  I can think of several people what I would do if they came back from heaven.  Ya'll that have followed me know the very first one is my friend Andrew.  If he came back from heaven, I can tell you right now the first thing I would do is run and jump in his arms for one of his big ole bear hugs.  Yep I would be running 'cause he's so tall I would have to get a running start to jump that high.  I wouldn't be shy and I wouldn't fumble for words because the very first thing I would tell him is how much I miss him.  I wouldn't cry except for tears of joy but for sure within a few minutes I would be busting out with laughter because that's him.  He always made me laugh, sometimes I laughed so hard at him, tears rolled down my check.  Yep, I definitely would not be without words for him.

Being that today is my Grandpa's birthday he's the next one I'm thinking of if he came back from heaven.  I don't remember Grandpa being a hugging kinda man but I just know if he came back from heaven I would have to give him a hug.  I mean he's been gone a long time and I sure do miss him.  Just thinking about him today reminds me of his last Thanksgiving with us.  I can close my eyes right now and see him walking through the door to eat with that grin only he could do, his eyes sparkling because we are all there.   He loved us grandkids but I really think I was his favorite.  OK all ya'll other grand kids don't get all bent out of frame, we all know he didn't have any favorites but... I am the only one that could call him Grandpa, so in my book, that makes me his favorite.

Then there's my Aunt Dot.  Lord have mercy where do I start with her?  I hope God knows if he let her go I'd never send her back.  I wouldn't send her back because I miss so much about her.  I miss those calls at night, some she just wanted to talk, some she needed to straighten me out and of course there were the ones trying to get me back with that one somebody that she loved.  By the way, it's still not going to happen.  I told my mama if my Aunt Dot couldn't make it happen it would never happen.  I do know what they say about "never say never" but I'm pretty sure hell will freeze over before that particular wish of hers happens.  Bless her heart, she certainly tried.

The last person I think about if she came back from heaven is my Mama Highfield.  I saved her 'til last not because she's any less important or less missed, but because she's the grandmother and that means special attention.  I hope God knows if he let my Mama Highfield go, I'd never send her back either.  I wouldn't send her back because I want her to see my two grandsons and see what kinda grandmother I am.  I want her to hopefully see that I learned a lot from her and I hope she thinks I'm the BEST at it or at least the best that I can do.  I've never been the best at a whole lot, but I do know one thing for sure and that is that whatever I'm doing it's at 100% and giving all I got.  I'm not sure I could ever be as good at grandmother as my mama and Mama Highfield but my wish is that they see I'm giving it my best shot.

Lesson today?  Stop and think for a second who you want to come back from heaven.  Think about why you want them to come back.  Do you want them to come back because you miss them?  Because you need to say you're sorry about something?  or simply to just say good-bye because you didn't get that chance.  So with these questions asked, we all know we can't have people sent back to us from heaven and this is all pretend, so don't let that time get away that you regret not spending time with the special people in your life.   Don't wake up one morning and find out someone special in your life is gone and you're wishing you had spent more time with them or told them you love them.  Do it TODAY!

 Love to all,
  Sweet Southern Sass