I Stand By You [POETRY AND RANT]

You don’t know it, but I stand beside you

I wish my cloak could extend to hide you

From those who would choose to do you harm

But I lack the power to disarm

Those who arm themselves with hate

But I dream that we can change a fate

That has you quaking, lost in fear

A torment you don’t deserve

And I hope you forgive my nerve

For, if you let me, I will stand at your side

Hold your hand, never try to hide

The truth of my admiration for you

Of all that you are and all that you do

Believe in yourself, try to believe in me

And build a better world than we see

~~~

I know this post is a little late to the party, but I struggle to find the right words. It is so hard to find words that no one will be offended by. And if I write a post long enough to express everything I am feeling, it will be a novel.

Black Lives Matter!

And, yes, all lives matter. The analogy explains the importance of this best is Jesus’ parable about the shepherd and his sheep. He left the many to rescue the one because the many were not in danger: the one was. 

I don’t claim to understand what black people go through. I am so white that I think I justify a classification of “pasty white” on surveys. I do, however, have some experience with people judging me based on preconceived ideas. Despite proving my abilities in both math and reading, I kept getting placed into the remedial classes in grade school based solely on my last name. My personal safety was threatened a couple of times in middle school by my association with an older brother who practiced offending people. But you can’t look at me and know about those stigmas.

We need to give people a chance to show us who they are before me make decisions about them. We need to be more like toddlers. I walked away from my daughter long enough to hand a form to the receptionist at the doctor’s office. I returned to find her happily playing with a new friend. She didn’t care that he was a boy. He didn’t care that she was half his age. And neither of them cared that they weren’t the same color. Until I came over. Then the little boy looked up at me to gage my reaction. I smiled at him. He smiled back, and they went back to playing. And my heart ached a little that such a sweet little boy already knew he had to be worried about people’s prejudices.

I grew up in a small town in a formerly Southern state, until they broke away in 1863. I didn’t get a lot of chances to interact with people who were different from myself. And when I did, I had the good fortune to meet people who gave me reason’s to admire them for our differences. I learned to notice that someone was funny, smart, kind, loving, or breathtakingly beautiful instead of judging them on qualities they have no control over or something someone else did.

Be kind. 

Show love… to everybody. 

Be your best self.

Stand up for what is right.

And have a fantastic Friday.

[RANTINGS] The Happy Homemaker or The Witty Writer

Recent events bring me cause to remind people once again that their definitions of certain words need work. After having two weeks of my time wasted by one entity, I received a phone from a friend who figured I wouldn't be too busy to do them time-consuming favors. One of those favors was for a third party who I keep getting told to call and call again though I left them a message and they never bothered to call me back. I have since called again to no avail. What's the definition of insanity again? (Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?)

People hear homemaker and assume that means "one who has nothing going on in there life or one who waits beside the phone for you to tell them what to do today." The daily life of every homemaker is different, so keep in mind that I speak to my own unique situation. Whether you have children or not, the size of your house, the needs of all the members of the household, and a million other factors can affect what being a homemaker means to an individual. So what do I mean when I say homemaker?

1. Organizer. I am the reigning influence for order in my household. I choose where to put tools for everything from cooking to woodworking. So when my husband or I find exactly what we want with minimum effort, it is because I make sure items always find their way back to their designated location.
2. Personal shopper. Whether we need stamps, food, or small household items, I make a list and check it twice. Then I go fight the teeming hoards in the aisle of the local supermarket to acquire life-sustaining goodness.
3. Cleaning crew. No matter how cleanly you are, the house always needs cleaned. From dishes to clothes to floors, I always have plenty to keep the maid inside happy.
4. Craft specialist. This could be a job of its own. You've seen the posts about some of my creations. I make everything from coasters to journals to necklaces to quilts to whatnots. I have even sold a couple of my creations, so I claim to be an artist of sorts.
5. Chef. While my husband would love to live off of mac-n-cheese, burgers, cheese pizza, and chicken nuggets, I take the opportunity to introduce him to new foods on a regular basis. My job doesn't stop when I bring home produce and other delectables from the store, I still have to assemble them into something my husband will eat. Oddly enough, this takes time...and yet people give me strange looks when I inform them I need to be home by a certain time.
6. Social director. From time to time, my husband and I invite people over or send out cards and letters. Anyone who has ever visited my house can verify that no one starves in my house. The potato chips may come out of a bag, but generally I try out one or two other recipes when people come to visit.
7. Writer. When people aren't wasting my time, I write some entertaining pieces. Some people have even expressed appreciation for my poetry.

So the next time you want to ask someone for a favor, do so respectfully, and don't try to minimize the importance of what they do every day.

(Stray question: Should I elaborate more when I rant?)