Getting packed up

It's the day before moving day for my oldest. He is moving tomorrow to the dorms at the college he is attending. There is a lot to do and he is super excited, which makes it easier to do. He has already been at college for a couple of years, but then took a break to volunteer as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Mission Training Center, in the Referral Center. What a great experience! I am so proud of him for doing that!! He made a huge difference in people's lives.

Tomorrow will be bitter sweet, as we send him off to school again. He will be in the return missionary dorms, so there will be less that he has to take care of for this year. It's a great way to get back into socialization and study. 

This means that he will not be completely moving out (which is great) so there will be select items he will be taking. He will only be 20 minutes away, so he will come home for a monthly (or 3-weekly) hair cut. I am sure he will bring laundry home to do at that time as well. That's just the college way, when you live that close:)

He will also be attending Sunday dinner, when he can, as well as other family activities. So, it's basically like he is sort of moved out, but not really moved out...other than the cost for our grocery bill lowering by a very significant amount;)

We will miss him being at home, but we are super excited for him to jump back into his adventures at college, gaining new friends, renewing old friendships, and learning a lot of new information for his future career. College is such an exciting time! I hope he enjoys all of it.

Click on the picture to get to the store that has this awesome tee.

continued from previous post...

First off, what had I learned to this point in my life story?

1. Treat your children with respect and they will respect you...Karma. I didn't really have respect for my father because he was so awful towards me. I understand now that my mother was also part of the equation, but she didn't make me feel as low, or as an outcast like my father did. Therefore, I had no respect left for my father. I just had pity, fear, and hatred for his actions.

2. Don't let others disrespect you in any way. When I was younger, I let people talk to me in ways they shouldn't (i.e.,my father telling me I was stupid and fat), touch me in ways they shouldn't, and etc. I learned that I was worth more than that. It was a disrespect that should never be tolerated. I learned that sticking up for myself and others was something that was necessary. No one should ever feel the lack of self-esteem that I felt. The only way to turn that around is to stick up for yourself.

3. Don't disrespect yourself. I didn't eat well, sleep well, and I let people walk all over me. I learned to stand up for myself and learned that I was important. In order to have a long life, I would have to change the way I treated my mind and my body. I didn't care whether I lived or died for a long time, which was evident in how I treated myself. The health of body and mind are paramount in order to have a long and prosperous life. Depression and anxiety are very real. So is PTSD. They need attention.

4. Friendship is a two way street. I didn't really know how to make friends or treat them after I had made them. I had superficial buddies. Pals. I had more acquaintances, and I just figured that relationships were fleeting, so I didn't stay in contact with people very well. Once I had a group of "friends", I would keep it all on the surface as a defense mechanism. The only friend I had that wasn't as superficial was my college roommate. However, these people didn't exactly knock down my door either. While I now have fond memories of times we had, I don't have much depth to remember.

Continued story.

I had the opportunity to do interior design, space planning, and selling office furniture to the big casino companies in Las Vegas. That was an awesome opportunity to mingle with the "Very Important People" of Las Vegas. These folks were Circus Circus, MGM and others. It was a lot of stress, but I loved it.

However, I got bored with my life. I had seen everything in Las Vegas, much like I had in Chicago. I had traveled. I had partied. I met important people. I witnessed impressive things. I needed more. What had I not yet done?

I was still living on the bottom floor of that same apartment complex when the people who were the original tenants above me moved out. Then, one day, there was a new tenant on the balcony, using his weights for a little workout, talking Spanish on the phone. 

Day by day I would see him out there at the same time...right when I was coming home from work. Who was this charismatic guy? Should I say "hi"? I didn't speak Spanish. Everything in my gut said don't interact. Everything else said 'absolutely'.

...to be continued...