I love MONDAYS!

Some more random facts about me:

I LOVE MONDAYS! (Especially SUNNY Mondays!)

Most people I know dread Mondays...it's back to the grind- to work, a return to the mundane, etc. On Mondays I feel like I get a fresh start; a "do-over" if you will. I feel the same way at New Year's and the first day of school.

I know, I know...it's a little weird. Perhaps it's just a game I play in my head to keep my life from becoming stagnant. (Lord knows I need help with that in February.) I guess it's just a part of my Pollyanna perspective on life. I don't beat myself up if I don't achieve all the goals I set for myself each week. If there's one thing I've learned from my near death experience , it's that I really need to start enjoying my life. It's so easy to get caught up in the craziness of it all...the bills, the drama, worrying about my kids, etc.

But we don't get a "DO-OVER" with our lives. So we need to get it right while we got the chance.

I make a conscious effort to treat people how I would like to be treated. I don't put unrealistic expectations on others... this way I am not disappointed if they don't "perform" in the way I "expected" them to perform.

I really have no use for manipulators who try to make a person do something for them by "working their magic". We all know someone who is the master of manipulating... and let me tell you, we've all been sucked into their web a time or two. Many years back I was hurt very deeply by a manipulative friend and I just had to pull away. I gave her the message that I was not going to allow myself to get sucked in with her "conditions of friendship"... the situation took time to heal and has really opened my eyes. Now I have radar that sends up internal red flags when I am in the presence of a manipulative, controlling person. It may take a few red flags for me to realize their gameplan, but once I see it, it disgusts me.

I am a very forgiving person. It's something I actually like about myself. I know forgiveness is a gift and I feel blessed that God has given me that "gift". Sometimes BIG HURTS take awhile to come to forgiveness, but eventually I get there. I always want to believe there is good in everyone. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"... )Luke 23:34

I would hope that others would be as forgiving to me if I have inadvertantly hurt them. (I could never live with myself if I blatantly hurt someone. I would call them and apologize immediately.)

HOWEVER- there have been instances which I have resorted to the "Mother Bear Mentality". This is not to be confused with the "Over-protective, helicopter-hovering, Micro-managing Mothering Mentality". (gasp!) You know the type...but I'll save that for a future post.

ANYWAYS...Bears usually won't attack humans - but...

get between a mother bear and her cub, and she'll tear right through you. Apparently, the same rules applies to human mothers. Mess with her husband, child, or family, and you are in for a world of hurt. This can be verbally, mentally, emotionally, and physically... I have an extremely protective instinct...and the fact that I've been a mother 5 times only multiplies that instinct.

The best way to survive a mother bear attack?

Quietly move out of its vision and just slowly walk away, never looking back.

Yep, you heard that right.

This way Mother Bear doesn't have to apologize after she rips you limb from limb. (*giggle)

Can you tell I got a dose of my ENDORPHINS and VITAMIN D this morning? I took my morning walk and sat in the sunniest window, soaking up the rays. (Oh how I need a tanning membership in February!) I'm just full of "feel-good" hormones today...