Give Yourself a Chance

Life is ever easy. We've all learned that the hard way, haven't we? Whether it be through trying to better ourselves or through relationships going wrong - we learn it and we get through it.

I've realized I have one very annoying trait, which my cousin seems to have also - we both talk things to death when we don't know what to do. But at least we have each other to talk to so we don't end up talking to ourselves.

Advice is never easy to hear nor is it easy to give. Some people are just born to give advice and some to take it. I'm more on the taking end. And even then sometimes I don't take it. I prefer to do things my own way. The same can be said of my cousin. No matter what someone tells you to do, you are the only one who can actually do it and make something happen.

I would consider myself a listener and a shoulder to lean on. I know without a doubt that I need to be more assertive in what I want to do with my life - especially at the age I am now. I won't get anywhere and I'll give up all my dreams if I don't do something about them.

But pursuing your dreams is a hard step to take. You know you have to do it or you'll end up staying where you are and be unhappy for the long haul.

I've realized that I don't want to be stuck in park anymore with my engine running, ready to go. I want to get moving again and start realizing some of my smaller dreams so my bigger dreams can come into focus. It's a small step, but it can be a big step if I make it happen.

And taking such a step can be a hard decision - weighing the pros and cons of the entire situation can give you perspective, but in the end you have to take the plunge.

Courage weighs in here. Do you have the guts to do it? If you've sat there long enough to see you have to do it, then you should have plenty of courage and if you don't, get it! It will be worth something in the long run (or at least that's my hope for my situation).

My Daddy was like Elvis and John Wayne rolled into one

Today, being Father's Day, is just as hard for me as my daddy's birthday since he's not here. It's been 21 years, a lifetime for some and I still feel the pain whenever I see little girls with their fathers. I never really got to know mine, but I remember him just the same.

The best way to describe my daddy is this - he was a mix between Elvis and John Wayne. That's how I picture him in my mind when I think of him. He wasn't a singer and he wasn't an actor in western movies, he was simply Daddy to me. And at the age of six, he was my hero.

I'm sure every little girl thinks of her father in that way at such an age. It was no different for me, even though as I grow older, the memories fade. His voice grows dimmer in my mind, but his face is one I know I can never forget in a lifetime.

My half-sister told me this story a few years ago, so I thought I'd share it with everyone else.

Daddy and I had gone to visit my half-sister, Ginny and her son, Jeremy. (Yes, my nephew was only one year younger than me.) I was in my biting stage and boy did I love to bite anyone. But that day, I made the mistake of biting my father. I bit him so hard I was trembling. Then, of course I got the spanking of a lifetime. But I never bit him again.

My daddy was great. And I was a daddy's girl for my first six years of life. I went hunting and fishing with my father. I even caught a really big catfish with him. He was proud. I know I'll never forget that day.

So, Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Love your children and let your children love you - you never know when the day you're living in will be your last.