thanks mom and dad!

i've been thinking a lot lately about two statements i was told a lot growing up, one from my mom and one from my dad. it's funny because looking back, both are so true, but at younger ages i didn't want to hear them, or just thought i could change them. now i actually realize that they were right. and i'm not even the least bit upset to admit it.

first lesson from dad:

"put it in someone else's hands."

of course, by "someone else" he means God. funny part is i always thought that if i tried harder, i could fix everything myself. no matter the issue. and i'd stress out when things didn't turn out my way. bottom line: there's already a plan. i cannot change it. i can, however, just embrace it. i've done that full force since the dui last february. i remember when all of it went down and i had to inform the 'rents. first thing dad says is "someone is trying to tell you something". boy, was He ever. due to this, i now pay a lot of attention to the signs around me and take them to heart. hey, someone has got to guide this girl.

second lesson from mom:

"everything happens for a reason."

remember when you were 16 and your first "real" relationship ended? i do! the world halfway stopped. or, stopped completely at times. and mom says "everything happens for a reason". what?! no! she's crazy and has NO IDEA what you're going through. (sidenote: rob, i obviously harvest no hard feelings. love you pal. whenever you want to fly me out to cali for a visit just let me know.) but, really, mom knew best. so now, when things end or change, and i get sad... i just remember that everything really does happen for a reason. a really good flippin' reason.

so, thanks to my mom and dad.

my mom and myself. we don't take many pictures together, but i found this one. she was eating something. and probably talking.
the 3 of us. and, of course, my dad can never take a normal picture.

this is my favorite family picture i have. my granny, my dad, and me. my dad was really trying to get his mom to hold a cigarette in this picture, but she wasn't down with that.