Friends' Opinions

It would terrible if we lived in a world where all of our friends hid their true feelings from us. We all have friends who would not say something negative to us even if they were being dangled over a shark-filled pool. On the other hand, we have friends who will give us their opinions whether we want them to or not. Both friends are equally important to our personally growth, and I am glad that I have both kinds.

I have had a Facebook account for two years. Some of the statuses that I have posted during this time have been greeted with less than positive feedback from my friends.  I appreciate that they have called-me out on what I have said. Hearing differing opinions is the only way I am ever going to learn anything, and I do not care how old you are, you are never too old to learn something. My Dad, the man I admire most in this world, is in his 60s, and I know, without a doubt, that he would be one of the first to admit that he is still learning.

That is why I get bummed out when people, for whom I have a great deal of respect, get bent out of shape when their friends disagree with them on sites like Facebook. It is as if they feel they should be able to voice their opinions on a public forum and expect only to get responses from those friends that agree with them. That is not the way it works, and nor should it be.

No matter how carefully you select your friends on something like Facebook, chances are that you will connect with someone who disagrees with you from time to time. That is a great thing. That means you have a diverse friend-base AND people who are willing to share their opinions with you much like you are sharing your opinions with them. Take those differing opinions and learn something. I am not saying that you have to agree with them, but at least give your friends the same opportunity that they have given to you. I think that we owe this to our friends.

What are you Thankful for?

On Thanksgivings past, I never really focused on what I was thankful for. This year started out no different. My son, whom I love very much, cried out at 6:15 am. Typically, when he cries like that, he is up to stay up. This time, however, he decided to go back to sleep. I was optimistically thankful.

The way I figured it, he wasn't going to stay down for very long. I was half right. About two minutes, literally two minutes, after I had hunkered back down into my bed, my dear, sweet Jillian decided to wake up. My thankfulness quickly disappeared. Just as quickly, it was back again.

I was holding Jillian in the kitchen while her waffle was toasting, and I knew I needed to get out of my funk. It is one thing to be grumpy on a normal day off. But, to be in a lousy mood on a Holiday is unacceptable. To get help myself out, I asked Jillian what she was thankful for. Without hesitation, she responded with a smile that would brighten anyone's day, "my famiwee (family)." That got me thinking about how I would answer the same question were someone to ask me.

I am truly thankful for all of my family. God blessed me with an loving wife, the best children, parents that love me, a big brother who has always looked out for me, and in-laws who I do not think of as "in-laws" but as family. Thank you to my former boss for laying me off, otherwise I probably would not be working for the great company for which I am working today. Finally, the friends that I have are the best kind of friends I could ever ask for.

These are just a few of the things on my thankful list. What is it that you are thankful for?