Eggs and bellybuttons

Sometimes I can’t get over how differently we all interpret things and express ourselves.  Last night my daughter was sharing with me about a new friend she made.  When I asked her what her new associate was like, I stared inanely at her and tried not to laugh, “Well, she’s a little brown with a lot of beige… and our belly buttons are identical”. I wasn’t even aware that the closeness of a bellybutton could be so descript of a kindred bond.  Where have I been? If I ask to see your bellybutton in the future, I’m not creepy.  I’m merely trying to see if we are compatible.

 

Do you ever have an argument with someone and it gets so heated even though you’re both actually trying to say the same thing?  I’m a pretty laid back person when it comes to other people’s opinions, behaviours and ideas… until you take advantage of anyone I love.  Then I will hurt you using only my words.  I rarely get angry, but you will calmly know exactly where I stand.  I remember a “debate” I had with several of my friends back in school.  They insisted on one thing, but I was wording it differently.  Emotions were starting to rise even though I think we were essentially and ineffectively saying the same thing.  In fact, I can feel the verbal boxing gloves coming out just thinking about the philosophical question, “can you feel hatred towards someone without hating them?”   Ummm .. how can you possibly feel hatred and not hate?  If you are hating someone then you are feeling hatred.   Let me tell you why I disagree. I would like to say, “let me tell you why I’m right”, but that wouldn’t be using my gentle words.

           

Emotions and feelings are not always based in truth.  We can feel something and effectively know in our head that it’s not true or maybe we actually do believe it is true.  “I feel like I’m a bad person” … does that actually make you a bad person?  “I feel like you aren’t listening to me” … does that mean that they are actually not listening to you?  Maybe.   Not necessarily.   I’m telling you, during that debate, I was starting to feel some hatred, but at the same time, I loved them like my own sisters.  My heart was mad enough to break my composure, but my head still loved them.  I suppose one could argue that I was feeling anger; not hatred, but is it not possible for emotions and beliefs to escalate into inappropriate thoughts?… unhelpful, but real feelings.  If there is one thing that I have learned over the past year, it’s that our thoughts, feelings and actions live in distinction as well as cohesion.  It’s kind of like an egg … you have three parts; the shell, the whites and the yolk.  The three parts are whole … it’s called an egg.  However, you don’t have to use all the parts at one time… personally, I usually throw out the shells.  Your thoughts, feeling and actions are a whole too … that’s called you. What we feel or think impacts our actions and vice versa; our actions can totally affect our feelings and our thoughts … but is it possible that changing one element of this closely knit triad could change an entire cycle? 

 

Just because I am feeling hatred, it does not mean that I have to think on it or act on it.  I can control my actions and thoughts and soon find my feelings following behind. I wouldn’t say it’s a science, but it kinda helps, you know?  I may even still carry some negative feelings in my heart … I am human… I think … but it doesn’t have to consume me.  I am learning that a thought can go through your head, but that doesn’t mean we have to make a guest room for it complete with fresh paint and a “rate your stay” card.  If a certain part of the egg is rotten, then toss it … I’d rather have an egg without the yolk than an egg with a rotten yolk.  I totally just made myself throw up a little bit.  So, there you have it …belly buttons are awesome and don’t eat rotten eggs….  It’s never helpful.

What does it mean?

I often find myself surrounded by the, “my kids are getting married- my parents are aging-what is going on with me?” gang.  No offence to my 1979 posse, but I have learned a lot from these incredibly warm, hilarious and intelligent women.  I have learned that when you reach your late 40’s, for some reason you start carrying around a bottle of vitamin B pills.  I have learned that menopause is freaking hilarious when you are not the one going through it and I have learned that there will come a time when you will be overcome with joy to see your child return home for a visit.  I have also learned that we seem to be a people who search for meaning and purpose in our lives…. something that has been on my heart a lot lately.

 

When our youngest daughter was born, I gave full naming rights to my husband.  Every name suggested made me want to puke.  Personally, I think “Diclectin” is a lovely name for a baby.  We referred to the baby as “Pocahontas” for the duration of my pregnancy due to a brief hiatus in my nausea when someone jokingly mentioned it.  Finally, my husband came up with the names Kathryn or Katelyn.  The thing is … it didn’t really matter; they both mean “pure”.  It’s the meaning that is most important to me. 

 

I think it would be so easy to pick at everything around me and search for meanings that just don’t seem to exist.  Most of us have seen the video of the man who was so overcome by emotion when he saw a double rainbow.  Through his tears and awe, he kept pleading, “what does it mean?  What does it mean?”  The video certainly made me chuckle, but it’s not about how I feel.  It’s about what that meant to him.

 

I could ask the bigger questions forever. Why does K have to have autism?  Someone sent me an article that a mother had written that clearly stated all the things she had done wrong.  Her son’s autism was a direct result of this shameful list.  Really?  Ultrasounds, c-section, drinking pop, vaccinations and antibiotics.  Did you know that doctors are the anti-christ for supporting these things?... well, maybe not drinking pop.  Do people really believe that this is the way doctors and medical professionals work? I’m going to assume that if my doctor made it through medical school, that he/she has to be somewhat of an intelligent and decent person.  Be a wise advocate, but have a little faith. I have raised my children the same.  One has autism.  One doesn’t.  My parents raised their children the same.  I have MD.  My siblings don’t.  When there seems to be no logical answer, I see no purpose in hunting down the why and instead, search for the meaning.  I am not K’s creator, doctor or occupational therapist… when her specialist tried to explain stuff to me, all I would hear was, “blah blah blah … science”.  I choose to have faith in those more experienced than I.  There is no purpose in beating myself up for all the things I could have done differently.  Been there, done that; not helpful.  No matter your age, how educated you are, how “good” you are or how rich you are, shit happens.  What?  Lisa swore?

 

I am constantly searching for meaning.  It seems to allow some sort of order to the chaos that often surrounds me.  To find a reason for something that doesn’t make sense.  I might be going out on a limb here, but bad things seem to be inevitable.  Happenings without reason or answer.  The stuff that causes us to ask, “why?”  I do this with the biggest things down to the smallest things. I don’t know how many times I have lowered my head and said to my husband after ruining a meal, “why do bad things happen to good chicken?…”  I do this so often. The times that my daughter runs away and fear overwhelms me.  Not long ago, K got out and started running down the street as a car was heading face on.  I started screaming to a stranger passing by to grab her.  Fortunately, my neighbour and one of my dearest friends heard me screaming. I truly believe that I live on Beaver Cleaver’s street.  She grabbed her and brought her home. When the adrenaline stops, I find myself asking, “why did that happen?”  Such a sneaky smile for such a little girl.  She had found a new and exciting way to give her mother a heart attack.  So … why did that have to happen?

 

What is the meaning and purpose of life on this interesting, little planet?  Right now, I can’t see it clearly.  I am in a conundrum.  In one ear, I hear Ernest Hemmingway whispering, “write hard and clear about what hurts” and in the other ear, I hear the Beatles singing, “whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”  If I could just get the left side of my brain and the right side of my brain on the same team ….

 

“Whisper words of wisdom, let it be”.  Someone shared some words of wisdom with me this week.  No, the Beatles didn’t show up at my house… although, I have had that song stuck in my head all day. A friend was sharing that we are a people that seek meaning, but that perhaps it’s not really about you.  What!?  But …. No, I completely agree.  I think there are some things that we are just not going to be able to understand on this side of life.  Perhaps the difficult things that happen in our lives are there to strengthen and deepen us.  As I look at some of the people around me, I can’t help but agree with this avowal, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”.  But … couldn’t we just skip the suffering part and go straight to hope?   I have my suspicions that it doesn’t work that way.  How would we ever understand grace, kindness, perseverance or gratitude if we skipped the first part? Who knows how much your life and decisions impact other people.  I can’t even begin to explain the impact other people have had on my life.  I was just telling one of K’s old teams that there is no way to even capture the impact they have made on hundreds of teeny, tiny lives.  They come and go every 8 months … no record of the roots they have planted.

 

Apart from my faith, I don’t know the meaning of anything anymore.  I feel like a hypocrite and a coward.  The frustration, loneliness, fear and anger that often surrounds my heart does not speak of purpose or meaning. In some ways, I give up.  I give up control.  Perhaps when I join my heart and mind together, I realize that I must write hard and clear about what hurts in order to hear the words of wisdom and just let it be.  A continual process.  I am overcome with emotion as I think about the people that have been placed in my life this past year and half.  Perhaps I should get more sleep before I write. I was trying to explain to one of my friends that I am embarrassed to share some of the things I have written.  I have literally left behind a paper trail of all my fear, conceptions and probably stupidity.  Her response has given me a lot to think about, “Isn’t that what a journey is?”  Hmmm…

 

I challenge you today to listen to the song, “let it be” … not for any particular reason.  I just don’t want to be the only one with that song stuck in their head.  I challenge you to think about the meaning your actions and existence play in the lives of other people.  The meaning of your life might expand far beyond what you can ever see or know

all the different ways to say Merry Christmas

Afrikaans:  Gesëende Kersfees
Afrikander:  Een Plesierige Kerfees
African / Eritrean/ Tigrinja:  Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:  Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic:  Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Argentine:  Feliz Navidad
Armenian:  Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri-Azerbaijan:  Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia:  Selamat Hari Natal
Basque:  Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali:  Shuvo Naba Barsha
Bohemian:  Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian:  Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Breton:  Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian:  Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan:  Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese (Cantonese):  Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese (Mandarin):  Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Chinese (Catonese):  Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Choctaw:  Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia:  Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish:  Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian:  Pace e salute
Crazanian:  Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree:  Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian:  Sretan Bozic
Czech:  Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish:  Glædelig Jul
Duri:  Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch:  Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
Dutch (Netherlands):  Prettig Kerstfeest
English:  Merry Christmas
Eskimo:  (Inupik)  Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto:  Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian:  Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Faeroese:  Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi:  Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish:  Hyvaa joulua
Flemish:  Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French:  Joyeux Noel
Frisian:  Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician:  Bo Nada
Gaelic (Irish):  Nolag mhaith Dhuit Agus Bliain Nua Fe Mhaise
Gaelic (Scots):  Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German:  Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek:  Kala Christouyenna!
Hausa:  Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian:  Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew:  Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi:  Shub Naya Baras
Hungarian:  Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Icelandic:  Gledileg Jol
Indonesian:  Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi:  Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish:  Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois:  Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian:  Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese:  Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish:  Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean:  Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin:  Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian:  Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:  Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish:  Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian:  Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon:  Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese:  LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Manx:  Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori:  Meri Kirihimete
Marathi:  Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo:  Merry Keshmish
Norwegian:  God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan:  Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento:  Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea:  Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German:  En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru:  Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines:  Maligayan Pasko!
Polish:  Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:  Feliz Natal
Pushto:  Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island):  Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian:  Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche (sursilvan dialect):  Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Romanian (in Moldova Republic):  La Anul si La Multi Ani
Rumanian:  Sarbatori vesele
Russian:  Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami:  Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan:  La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian:  Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian:  Hristos se rodi
Slovakian:  Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Scots Gaelic:  Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian:  Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese:  Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slavey (a Dene Language from the Northwest Territories in Canada):  Teyatie Gonezu
Slovak:  Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene:  Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spanish:  Feliz Navidad
Swedish:  God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog:  Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami:  Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese (Micronesian): Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai:  Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish:  Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian:  Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Urdu:  Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese:  Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh:  Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavian:  Cestitamo Bozic

I married a lot of men

I was telling Matthew the other day that I kind of feel like I married my best girl friend, but also like the best boyfriend ever.  I don't think he liked that analogy very much.  My point was that he fills so many parts of me.  I talk to him about movies and books.  We lay in bed giggling about funny stories.  Okay, I giggle ... he let's  out a manly laugh.  We parent together.  We manage our home together.  Like most marriages, we have a multi-facetted relationship.  It's like making out with your BFF, your garbage man, your chauffeur, your kid's teacher, your banker, your doctor, your therapist and your local movie critic.  He wears a lot of shoes.

 

 

 

Tomorrow marks 9 years.  Instead of doing my annual "cheese-fest" of love, I thought I would write about some things that people don't know.  This is my challenge. I guess I'm kind of curious to know what we've managed to keep a secret over the years.  Which ones did you know?  Be truthful.  I want to win fairly.

 

Did you know?

 

1)  Matthew broke his toe on our honeymoon.

2) Our next child was going to be named Milena (Mila) Hope ... yes, it was going to be a girl.

3) We considered eloping, but not telling anyone and continuing with the wedding for show. 

4) When Matthew proposed, he was so nervous he was wearing his friend's shoes instead of his own.

5)  For the first week of our marriage we had to use a single mattress while we waited for our new one.  I fell off and "broke" my ear on a water bottle.

6) Apart from the above suit, Matthew has not purchased an article of clothing for himself since we've been engaged.

7) When Matthew told me he loved me for the first time I was so happy that I forget to say it back.

8) I almost dumped Matthew when he gave me flowers for the first time because it freaked me out so much.

9) I got Matthew to do the hula with me when we were dating.

10) We got in trouble by a cop for kissing in a school parking lot late at night.

11)  Tee was supposed to be Kathryn, but I changed it even though it was Matthew's turn to pick. 

12)  I didn't know Matthew was present for the birth of our second child.  I asked him where he was after and he told me he was right beside my head the entire time.

13) I can't squeeze a pimple for the life of me.  Matthew laughs while I gag with such intensity.

14) We totally missed the fireworks at our wedding rehearsal. 

15) We weren't legally married for the first year of our marriage due to a mistake on the forms that were returned months later.

16) Years before we dated, Matthew and I sang a duet together.  At the time, he thought it was a good story to share how you met your wife one day.  I thought he was a geek.

17) Matthew realized he was in love with me after he threw me in a pool and thought I would be mad enough to break up with him.

18) My wedding band used to say forever, but now says fo ever after being resized.

19) My friend hung a thong on Matthew's rear view mirror.  It was actually mine she used, but I was so embarrassed that I made her write her name on it.

20) The reason our wedding was held up was because Matthew forgot to shave and his sister sent him in before we started.

Happy Anniversary my Love.

More infamous quotes from my little ladies

I know I only publish this at Christmas, but it's only March and my page is already full ....

In dramatic queue, “Mom, I’m glad you’re not languishing.” … ah crap.  My 6 year old has a bigger vocab than me.  Just give mommy a second.  I need to look at something on my phone.

 “I piss you! I piss you!” …  yes Kay, we’ll all “piss” Daddy when he’s at work.

 “You know the pimple Daddy put on me when I was in your tummy?” … you mean your birthmark? …

 “Mom! Mom! Mom!  Can my bum have some fresh air?” ….ummmm.  What do you plan on doing with your bum?

 “You are so pitiful to me! … can’t you see!” … Aww Kay, I’ll take it.  I would have preferred the original words to the song, but we are all a little pitiful sometimes, aren’t we?

 After discovering my very broken guitar and strumming it for the first time, in sheer awe of herself, “I don’t know how I can make this thing sound so good!  I better clean this baby up.”  … You give it a try my dear, but I wouldn’t drop out of school just yet.

 “I wish I had a magician to make all my dreams come true … like a clean house and a pet.” … I’ll show you a magic trick … you go put your toys away and I bet your room gets clean.

 Upon seeing her mass produced art in the recycling bin, “Mom, how would you feel if someone threw your art in the garbage?” … I have a funny feeling I’m not going to win this one.

 “Tust and staburries” … wait … are you asking for toast and strawberries?  Go Kay!!  I think I’d give you a horse if you actually asked for it.

 "You and Daddy are kissing bbfs.  Why don’t I have a kissing bff?”… I don’t know how to answer that question.  Umm… because you will explode if you kiss a boy before you are 30. Excellent parenting skills, eh?

 After our van was broken into, I was driving JJ and her bbf, “OH!  They didn’t take the plastic hair band because it was hiding under the seat!” … phew, at least we know it wasn’t those hairband bandits that have been terrorizing Cambridge.

JJ, did you write me a note on a maxi pad?  … “Yes, it says you have a nice butt.”  … no comment.

 

Hope

Gather around sweet babies.  Mama has a story.

Why is hindsight 20/20?  Seriously ... if I could put as much clarity into my  perception of the future, life would be as lovely as putting on a new pair of glasses for the first time.  I want 20/20 for the future.  Now guys, that's just not going to happen.

I wrote about hope over the past year and I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth is.  It wasn't a lot of money .... just a couple of bucks.  But here it is.

I worry.  From talking to a lot of you, I think I can safely assume that I am not the only one. I worry about Kay running off.  I worry about falling.  I worry about how our schedules will work out.  I worry about losing my license.  I worry about whether or not the meat I had for lunch was bad.

Now, this is when friends come in handy.  I have had the wondeful opportunity to put this into practice this year and with the help of a friend, I have learned that life is going to pass me by if I don't give up the worries and start embracing each day.  When Matthew went back to work I frantically started calling around.  How will I get Kay ready in the morning?  How will I get her off the bus?  What if she has episodes?  If you remember, daily grooming has been somewhat of a nightmere for us.  It's like walking on ice each morning.  It feels like the military should be called in each time we tried to brush her teeth.  Grooming is just painful for her and consequently for the rest of us... perhaps the whole neighbourhood.  What was I to do?  She is stronger than me now with her little baby six pack.

After a few days of calling around and getting nowhere, I tried another option .... prayer.  No, it wasn't really "prayer", it was more of a conscience decision to have hope that God would work things out.  I had tried and I was filled with fear and dread.  I got a plan together and prepared for the best ... or the worst ... ya, it switched back and forth between the two.

I decided that routine and consistancy would be the best.  We had gotten a cd from her teacher that was a recording of her and her classmates during "music and movement" class.  It was an adorable cd that included all her classmates names and voices.  The first time I played it, she ran to the couch and sat like a lady for "circle time".  Score one!

The next thing we needed was a schedule ... for this we needed time.  I started getting her ready earlier so that the mommy "quick quick as a bunny" mode wouldn't cause stress for anyone.  Now, I can't breath the wrong way or speak too loudly, but you know what?  The morning time with my girls is now my favorite time of day.  We take our time.  We sing and Kay does her morning yoga.  I fall in love with her each morning.  Instead of flailing on the ground as her prison guard tortured her by putting mittens on, she brings me her mittens and says, "mitttins".  Awww.  Little bunny.

I'm certainly not naive enough to think that things will always turn out perfectly.  My point is this; in this situation, the worrying was a complete waste of time... pointless and not helpful.  I take from this experience that a lot of situations in life require two things ... action and hope.  You do what you can and you do it the best that you can.  Farther than that, you just gotta hope.  What is hope?  " Hope is the state which promotes the belief in an outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life" (Wikipedia).  To me, hope is the sense of peace I feel when I practice the faith that God is going to take care of us.

I loooooove love nominations

Oh how I love thee.  Let me count the ways .... gag gag.  Get a room already.

 

 

 

I really do love love.  I'm a sucker for things like Valentine's day.  Matthew on the other hand ... he says he likes to show his love every day.  I think that is his romantic way of saying he just plain forgot. He totally forgot our first anniversary.  Before you say, "awwww", I've learned over the years that Matthew is more random than that.  I may not find a bouquet of red roses on the table on valentine's day, but on a random Tuesday, I may go to bed and find chocolate under my pillow or find myself on a horse drawn carriage the day after Christmas.  I have been catching on ... sometimes he'll look at me and I'll run to look under my pillow, only to find the drool stain left from the night before.

I was talking to someone awhile ago about their upcoming "big" anniversary.  Pretty much longer than I've been alive.  They were making exciting plans and I can't help but think, "way to go!".   Successful marriages are certainly something to celebrate.  Not only just "making it work", but seeing couples still in love after 30 years.  Love comes in so many different packages.  We love our mommies and daddies.  We love our friends. We love our chocolate covered almonds.  And no one can describe the love you feel for your babies.  Then there is that heart pounding, hands sweating, I-sound-like-an-idiot kind of love.  Oh ... but how fast that turns into, did-you-get-the-garbage-out-in-time? kind of love.

Above our bed, we have three signs that say, "faith, hope and love" ... well, since the time Kay was jumping on the bed and smashed into the wall it says, "faith, love and hope" ... I totally need to switch that back.  Anyways, I digress.  valentine's may be a commercial holiday, but what a wonderful time to check out my relationships.  Do I carry faith? hope? love?  I hope so. Oh look, I guess I do have hope :)

This valentine's Day, you are cordially invited to nominate someone to be hit by cupid's arrow.  Now as I was explaining to JJ this morning, cupid will not actually hit you with an arrow.  She was very concerned about getting hit and getting all crazy at school.  I think we might be related.  I want to hear about someone in your life that has the gift of giving the love.  Nominate your sweetheart, your lovely, your friend, your kid, your co-worker.  Tell me why they deserve to be hit by cupid's arrow.  Matthew and I will read through them and pick a winner.

Please do share and tell your friends. Just click on comment.  Click on "comment as"and chose whatever you want ... anonymous if nothing suits you and then hit publish.  If that doesn't work, you know how to reach me.  I will announce the winner and prize on Valentine's Day.