Families are funny ... and mine is certainly no exception.

I don't know if I ever mentioned it or not.  I am the oldest of ten kids.  Both my parents are still with us.  I have nine siblings and eight sister or brother-in-laws.  I have almost 30 nieces and nephews with a few on the way.  I can't even count the cousins and second cousins!

It is probably enough to say there are a ton of people who call me daughter, sister, sister-in-law, auntie, niece or cousin!

Last year at about this time, the brother closest to me in age talked about adding a gourmet kitchen to his house.  I told him that when he finished it, I would organize it for he and his wife.  I had no idea that he would be finished in January!  LOL ... I have been doing the organization thing, but there has been a lot of time for visiting, shopping, exploring and enjoying the Minnesota Winter and my huge extended family.

I have been learning some different kind of lessons while I have been here ... the kind of lessons that we seem to only have when we are with family.

WINTER CAN BE HARD

The most obvious lesson has been the reminder of just how hard Winter in the Northwoods (or any other Northern State) can be!  You can't go anywhere or do anything without first warming up the car and then putting on nearly every piece of clothing in your house!

HONOR'S REWARD

The most profound lesson was much more personal.  I left the Carolinas with my oldest daughter mad AGAIN ... Lord, it always seems like she's mad about something.  She never expresses her displeasure or anger with anyone, so it builds up and when she explodes, it's usually on me.  I guess it's safe to blow up at good old Mom, but it gets old for me ... I wish she could learn to express her anger and frustration more constructively.  I thought a lot about it on the way up here.  The gist of those thoughts were how much I would like to be truly honored by my kids.

Honor ... kinda of an old-fashioned, outdated term in today's world, isn't it?

I went to church with my folks soon after I got here and the minister was talking about honor.  That got my attention from the very start.  He spoke about "the honor principle" and quoted 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honor Me, I will honor ..."  He spoke about honoring God by honoring those people that God sends to us because when we honor them, we are honoring the One who sent them ... That means, that if we are to honor God in our lives, it means that we should honor God, honor those above or in charge of us, honor those who are standing with us (our peers, coworkers, buddies and pals) and those little ones that we have charge over (I took that to mean the children in our lives but it could also mean people who work for us, or even a group we are in charge of). 

Why should we honor others?

Because God promises that if we live our life honoring those around us ... that He will give us honor's reward.  If we want to be blessed in our lives, we have to first be willing to be a blessing to others.

The other side of the coin ... If we don't feel like we are being honored, maybe, it means that we aren't honoring someone in our life.

I had to think about that.  Maybe, the reason that my children don't always honor me is that they haven't always seen me honor my own parents ... I haven't lived near my folks for most of my kids lives.  My job took me to other places.  As a single parent, I shopped for and sent cards and gifts during breaks in the day.  They never saw a lot of the things that were a part of a long distance relationship ... but if I dig deeper, I don't think I have always honored my own parents.  My kids did see me disagree with my folks on the telephone.  They did hear me complain many times about the things my Dad had said. 

My Father can be loud and opinionated.  One of his opinions is that women can't do anything as well as men ... Of course, as a single mom, I felt that I had to ignore Dad to do the things I had to do ... work in fields that were mostly male to provide for my family.  It doesn't matter anymore who was wrong or who was right ... What does matter, today, is that I could have found a more constructive way to disagree with my Father.

Later that afternoon, I told Dad and Mom what I was thinking about and asked them both to forgive me for the times that I didn't honor them or show them the respect that they deserved.  I told them that I believed that asking and recieving their forgiveness wouldn't just benefit us, but it would benefit my children and my children's children and their children's children ... that I wanted our family tree to be ripe with honor's reward.

REAPING WHAT WE SOW

I mentioned coming to help my brother and sister-in-law, but I haven't mentioned a neat thing that has happened while I have been here.  On my "days off", if someone mentioned something they wish they had or I thought of something I needed, I would find EXACTLY the THING we had mentioned at an unbelievably low price.

Maybe, that is the way it will be for all of us during this uncertain economy?  Maybe, the answer for all of us is to do our very best and trust God for the rest?  Maybe, if we do all we can do and work our hardest at whatever we have to do, our needs will be provided for?  Maybe, when things get tough, we get a chance to learn what faith is all about?

In fifty years, I have often seen and continue to be amazed at how things always seem to work out.  I have seen people lose jobs only to find better jobs.  I have seen people go through difficult times only to come out of it better off than they were before.

I don't know how to feel about the headlines, but I have HOPE ... The Great Depression lasted only four years.  Can we hold on for four years?  I think we can.  I believe it with my whole heart.  I believe the answer is not to panic but keep working.  I believe that people with assets will have to find creative ways to protect their assets.  I believe that if some of us lose everything, then we have nothing left to lose!  We can rebuild, restart, renew, regenerate and HOPE that next time will be even better than the last.  I believe that hard times bring out the best (and worst) in people.  I'll be happy to see what side people choose!  I'm hanging with the team that holds on to HOPE!


I'll have to write more tomorrow (or maybe, the next day) ... I want to visit some other blogs before I head back to the folk's house.  We're having fish tacos for lunch!    



 

Hey Y'all,

I have just a minute ... Thought I'd write a quick note to cover the PMs and emails I have been getting from some of you streamers.

I am in Minnesota, land of 10,000 ICE COVERED lakes!

I planned to be here for only a few weeks, but had car trouble on the way up ... ended up stranded in Clear Lake, Iowa. Special Thanks to Whispered Promise and Dalpha for talking me through the worst of it!

Long story short ... The car has been repaired and I continue to drive it around a bit to make sure she's ready for the long trek South!

I have missed reading all of your thoughts ... and look forward to sharing a few of mine, once they thaw out!

Love you guys and talk to you soon!
Taylor

ADDITIONAL WINTER WARNING

One thing I came to appreciate through the ordeal of being stranded in the middle of nowhere at night in 50 below zero windchill is how quickly the cold weather can impair a person's thinking.

I wasn't cold right away so I concentrated on my last thought ... check the oil and see if there is enough oil to get me to the next town. I got out of the car twice to check my oil, but by the time I went out for the second time, I couldn't remember where the oil was ... I had let most of the warm air out of my car.

I should have stayed in my car. I hadn't covered my face or my hands well enough and frost bite had already started.

I knew my thinking was foggy. I got frustrated trying to give simple answers. It was as if the words were just beyond my reach.

My reflexes were slowed. I don't remember which family member or friend asked me, but someone asked me if I had a blanket. I couldn't remember where I had put it ... It was right beside me on the next seat! I was unable to make the connection.

When the trooper got there, he asked me if I was okay and I said, "Yes, I am still feeling toasty." Even though it was cold, I actually had started to feel warm ... a sign to the trooper that I needed to get warm fast.

He told me to get in his car, gave me warm coffee and handwarmers ... two for my hands and one to put inside my shirt next to my chest. I wanted to go to sleep and he told me not to sleep ... He kept me talking until the wrecker got there.

He had dispatch make a reservation at a hotel in Clear Lake and he drove me there and carried my stuff in for me. I was talking to the woman at the desk and when I turned to thank the officer, he had already gone ... probably to rescue someone else.

When I got to my room, my skin looked sunburned and I had skin hanging off my face in different places. I took a warm shower and covered myself in lotion. Even when I piled all the covers I could find on top of me, I shivered for two or three hours before I could fall asleep ...

The next morning, I was thinking much more clearly. If I am ever stuck in the cold again, I will cover up and get warm immediately. I will not leave the car. I will call for help and wait inside the car until they get there. I will take the cold more seriously.

My winter travels will include a heavy sleeping bag (rated for 30 below zero); plenty of water; extra food (nuts, candy bars, fruit); flashlight with extra batteries; extra hats, mittens, scarves; handwarmers, extra warm socks and shoes and I will be wearing long underwear!

I hope you will hear what happened to me and pack extra in your car too. Be safe out there!