Margy Reid
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Find The Minutes...
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Happy Mother's Day...
Hi!
You know, becoming a Mom is an incredible thing. It's definitely not for everyone, just like being a Dad, an entrepreneur, living in the middle of nowhere, living in a big city, living a life of travel, or being a homebody.
If you try to force yourself to do things that you are absolutely not wired for, you will be miserable, or at least rub right up against it enough to involve HR and prompt a meeting.
If you don't have a burning desire to be a Mom, you shouldn't be one. Period. Society needs to step away from archaic thinking and embrace the fact that women have a lot more going for them beyond growing, and raising babies.
Being a Mom is incredible and incredibly difficult. For everyone, even the ones who knew they wanted kids before they knew how babies were made. It's hard, it's exhausting, you hope like hell you're not doing any permanent damage to their psyche, you try not to over-protect, but protect enough, you want them to learn how to adult, while still letting them be kids. It forces organization where there might not naturally be any, it requires routine, and levels of multitasking that should become an Olympic event.
It's incredible to watch these tiny beings become toddlers, students, teenagers, adults, living their lives just as they wish to, without limitations, without compromising who they are, walking through life as generous, kind individuals, some becoming parents, some not. All living life as they see fit.
For those who have chosen motherhood to become part of who they are, celebrate.
Relish in the eggshell-laden, interesting, combo breakfast that may come your way. Cherish the macaroni jewelry, the homemade cards, all the love. Bathe in the warmth of the teenage nonchalant grunt that may begrudgingly escape from behind a closed bedroom door. Jump in with a hell yeah when your adult children tell you to pack a bag and not ask any questions.
Being a mom is watching your heart walk around without you. You hope you've done enough, but not too much. You hope you've imparted wisdom, such as it is, without being overbearing. You hope you've provided a balance of guidance and freedom. You hope you've taught them the importance of self-worth, kindness, and inclusivity. You hope you've taught them how to be open while simultaneously protecting themselves.
You do. You hope. You worry. And then you get to witness them be the incredible people they were always meant to be, and thankful for the small part you were permitted to play.
So happy Mother's Day!
Not everyone is lucky enough to still be able to say it in person, or on the phone. Some are left with whispers that evaporate into the wind, whispers that become tears full of memories.
Say the words while you can.
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Friday, May 3, 2024
When A Curve Ball Hits...
Hi!
Life moves at whatever pace it chooses, whether we are ready, paying attention... or not.
You can be going along, making plans, doing laundry, going to work, having movie nights, game nights, date nights, attending events, you know... living... and then...
Life can throw a curve ball so big, so fast, and so hard that it turns your life on its head.
Someone I know, love, and respect has just been hit with a curve ball that would bring most to their knees.
Stage 4 colon cancer.
She is young, smart, optimistic, hopeful, strong, and has an army of support, both on the front line and at a distance. Powerful weapons in a fight like this. Powerful, but not magic. This battle is going to redefine the word hard. It's going to push, test and stretch her fight, her body, her resolve, her relationships, her everything.
If anyone can pull off a win... it will be her.
When the shock of this kind of news subsides, processing the reality of it begins.
I can't know the view from her perspective, I can't. All I can do, all any of us, really, can do, is to support her, and those with her on the front lines of this thing, as best we can.
She, and those she holds most precious have had their world twisted, distorted, they are not alone.
Too many have this level of chaos thrown at them every day.
Not all have the network of help they need, I'm grateful that this family has that unfailing support, my heart breaks for those who don't.
This will be the fight to end all fights.
You are not alone.
This will devastate on levels not yet known.
You are not alone.
This will change all things.
You are not alone.
You will have to let people help you.
You are not alone.
You are stronger than anything you've previously imagined.
You are not alone.
You are surrounded by love that knows no bounds.
You are not alone.
Your support can hold more weight than you think.
You are not alone.
You are a proven warrior.
You are not alone.
You got this.
You are not alone.
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Friday, April 26, 2024
When The Page Actually Turns...
Hi!
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Nonsensical...
So this is what the middle of April looks like, this year, where I call home. I'm really not complaining, because, although not fun, it's also not that rare, comes with the literal territory, and it's basically angry rain.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
It's Complicated... But Simple... Really
Hi,
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Food Is Not A Weapon...
Hi.
So I will never claim to be an expert in much of anything. I learn what I can about international affairs with all of its intricacies and nuances. But things are complicated, never black and white, instead, many shades of every colour of the rainbow.
But, I do consider myself someone who values caring for our most vulnerable, no matter where they live, who they love, or what their situation. Kids live high on that list of vulnerable people.
When we hear of food and those providing it to children and other innocent people in parts of the world where unnecessary, unholy war is raging, being wiped out, it just doesn't want to compute. World Food Kitchen is an incredible organization that simply doesn't care where in the world you are, if you are suffering because of a natural disaster, war, or poverty. They don't care if you are religious or not, or what religion you may observe. they couldn't care less what your politics are, or through what colour lens you choose to see the world. They ONLY care if you are hungry, and then do everything within their power to rectify that.
Food is NOT a weapon... in war, or anything else.
When governments see that children are showing up to school hungry and want to put programs in place to make sure they are fed, there should be zero arguments against that. It's not a political game piece, with which to play your latest game of 'gottcha.' These are actual, real, living, breathing kids who, through no fault of their own, are hungry. What I find completely mindblowing is that the very same exact people who want to block programs like this are the exact same ones who claim to be pro-life, and are getting their panties in a bunch over queer content of anything to 'protect the children.' Yet, when they are faced with a real-world, real-time problem that little ones are actually facing, that they have the means to help fix, they want to prevent it from happening.
Yet, they refuse to see the hypocrisy.
Food is not a weapon.
Food is not something that children need to earn. Nourishment is not something that should be withheld for punishment. (breaks from junk food snacks excluded) No one, but especially kids, should ever have to pay for food with hugs, kisses, or other forms of affection.
Food is the most basic of human rights. Why aren't more people working to do something about humanity's hunger? Pro-life? Then where is your follow-through? You want them born, but then don't care if they get to eat?
Food is not a weapon.
Poverty is not the fault of the poor. It's a symptom of our society. We want to treat billionaires who pay poverty-level wages like they are some exclusive group of special geniuses who have accomplished something grander than the exploitation of the workers that make and keep them rich. They pay workers too little to live on and then want to shit on the programs that provide the safety nets needed to fill the canyon-sized gaps left by their greed and blatant lack of decency.
They keep them poor, keep them hungry, keep them afraid to quit. It's a classic abusive relationship.
Food is not a weapon.
The biggest worry for any child should be what story to read, what craft to create, what dance to learn, or what game to play.
Food is not a weapon.
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