I'm trying.............

This afternoon I tried. It started out innocently enough. Rushed the kids into the van with usual rants and threats. Sluggishly they all piled in and promptly started whining. Worked hard to block the whimpering from the back seat and focused on the afternoon schedule. It was going to be tight, thanks be to the gods that tennis was cancelled. First up, was getting the third child to her piano lesson. Held up a good five minutes in the garage, while the soccer child searched for lost shin guard. Tried hard to keep mean and thoughtless remarks to myself, as I remember, specifically, asking him to find his stuff twenty minutes ago. Instead, found soccer star deeply immersed in book with one shin guard. Ten deep breaths and I was light headed and dizzy, resorted to staring meanly in his direction until shin guard was recovered. Arrived at piano lesson twelve minutes late. Piano child wouldn't leave the van, claiming she was thirsty. Seeing dollar signs with wings as each second passed, hastily promised piano child she would receive an ice cream after the lesson. Soccer child made a noise of dismay, quickly assured him that if he gave 120% at his game, he too, would receive an ice cream. The tyrant child in the car seat was also assured of her ice cream before a campaign could be mounted. Fifteen minutes later piano child skips out of her lessons and yells that the piano teacher would like her money for next month. Yell assurances that piano will be paid in full when I drop off song child for her voice lessons in a few hours. Tyrant child suddenly decides she doesn't need, nor does she want a car seat. Plead with tyrant child to just use the car seat, am forced to issue threats of jail time and mean police officers. She is not completely convinced that my threats contain any truth, but she does decide to buckle up. Of course, she might have been listening to soccer star's threats of no ice cream. We are late. Run through the drive through, which is amazingly fast. Soon piano and tyrant child are happily eating their ice cream. Happiness prevails. Soccer star keeps looking at the clock, assure him that I will get him to the field before the game starts. We make it, 4 minutes to spare. I have twenty minutes to watch the game, and then it is time to load piano and tyrant in van and head across town to pick up song child for lessons and then drive across town (new direction....west instead of south) to drop off said child. Standing there watching the game, feeling guilty about leaving early, made monumental decision. I cancelled song child's lessons. An hour in the car evaporated into thin air, just like that. It was liberating. Was I allowed to do that? Guilt had me calling song child to assess her opinion and to ward off any hysteria. There was none, and if I was reading the voice correctly, I detected a hint of relief. Soccer star was happy, and looking out across the fields, I spied piano and tyrant child happily arguing over who was "it" for a rambunctious game of tag. I took a big breath........ I had tried.

You are kidding me....... right?

I truly believe that each of us out there have a need to be loved and to love. It is one of those beautiful things that make us human. That said, I must ask..... where upon God's beautiful green earth did the creators of 'The Bachelor' actually think these people could possibly find true love. Come on! A dozen or so beautiful, self absorbed women chasing after one finely chiseled, self absorbed, rich man. And we can't forget the thousands of people waiting on the edges of their seats with their fingers crossed. I won't deny it makes for great television, but I implore.. where is the self respect? Did Elizabeth compete for Darcy? No! Scarlett O'Hara certainly didn't line up and wait for her rose! Even determined little Jane Eyre didn't care to be one of Rochester's ladies. These women and many others can teach our generation and a few others a thing or two about love, loss, and being a strong confidant woman. Scene after scene of the 'bachelor' making out in a hot tub with the 'girl of the hour,' is enough to have me reaching for the antacids and the remote. I want to take these girls by hand and tell them that they are worth more than this and that love will come on it's own time. Unfortunately, this world can be a lonely one. The allure of love is powerful, and I truly wish each couple the best. I just hope that as my daughters search for love, they keep in mind this quote from 'Winnie the Pooh'..... "you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." If they believe that, they won't waste their time standing in line, waiting, for some man to pick them. Instead, they will create, and live a life that is full of all kinds of possibilities. They will discover that their talents are beyond what the mirror reflects, and they will learn that 'service to others' improves their countenance more than any amount of rouge or glitter. With that, I bid adieu to the current season of 'The Bachelor.' May you slink off to the superficial world where you belong and leave us to pick our own flowers, there are many beautiful one to choose, for red roses have never been my favorite!