46 Things About Life

This year I hit that pivotal point in my 40’s.. Turning 46 I can no longer say I am in my early 40’s, I am now pushing that 50 mark.  I wouldn’t say I am even remotely wise for my years but I have learned a lot of things along the way.  A lot of these will be cliches but here is what I know to be true. (These are in no particular order, just how they came to me and some are more serious than others.)

1. If you can’t love yourself, you’re no good to anyone else.  Love yourself first and then share that love.
2. Always trust your gut instinct, it will almost never steer you wrong.
3. A real friend will be there when you need them no matter what.  Not when it is convenient for them.
4. Friendships may come and go, but those worth having will stick around.
5. The road map of your life will go through many, many unforeseen revisions.  You can’t rely on one single path.
6. I am a firm believer that when your time is up, it is up.  I am not sure if there is some divine plan for us or what, but you can’t change it.
7. Do not let the bad things define you.
8. Only you can decide what is best for you, no one else.
9. Your tastes and preferences will look vastly different when you look back 20 years, 10 years, even 5 years.
10. Make a bucket list.  Even if you don’t achieve them all, it gives you something to work for.
11. As much as I still struggle with getting to the gym,  I have learned to respect how much exercise does a body good in so many ways.
12. Be the friend you want all your friends to be to you.
13. No matter how good of a liar you think you are, someone will always get hurt in the end.  Be honest.
14. If I catch you lying to me, I will probably never trust you again.  I may forgive, but I will never forget.
15. Never, ever go to bed angry.  You never know what the morning could bring.
16. Even the smallest gesture of love/friendship can make a person’s day.
17. Always recognize when you need to say “I’m sorry”.  You may not have meant to do it, but acknowledge your were wrong.
18. You need to accept that sometimes “Sorry” will not be enough.
19. Some people will deserve a second chance and some won’t.  And some will end up not deserving that second chance.
20. I can never have too many hugs.
21. I knew I always wanted to be a Mom.  It’s is everything and nothing I thought I would be like.  All in a good way.
22. The love I have for my child is stronger than any love I have ever known or will ever know.
23. I may not be the perfect Mom, but I will always try to  be the best that I can be.
24. I have probably learned more about life in the past 10 years with my son than I did in all the years prior to his birth.
25. Try to find the positive in most situations.  I may not always find it but at least I tried.
26. You only get one life. Make the best of the one you are given.
27. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.  Be Kind.  Always.  – My favorite quote ever.
28. Even at my age, it is always okay to act like a kid again in appropriate situations.
29. Every once in a while, you will need a day to reset yourself.  For me, that means staying in my pjs, binge watching Netflix and laying on the couch all day.
30. Try new things. Step out of your comfort zone every once in a while.  You might just surprise yourself.
31. Everyone is different but everyone is the same. Embrace your differences, enjoy your similarities.
32. Burpees are a pure form of torture. They may be good for you, but I don’t know a single person who actually likes them.
33. Coffee is the nectar of the Gods.  Although I was into my 20’s before I discovered it’s goodness.
34. Take lots and lots of pictures.  You can’t relive those special moments but pictures can help.
35. But on the contrary of that, be sure to enjoy the moments and not just focus on getting that perfect picture.  Once they have past, you can’t get them back.
36. I have a great respect for people who grow things.  I don’t have a green thumb at all and wish I did.
37. As much as I am a planner, sometime throwing the plans out the window and just rolling with it makes for a much better adventure.
38. Unplug from the world for a day/couple of days when you can.  It’s very liberating.  I need to do it more often.
39. Never underestimate the power of a good book.  Reading can be a great way to escape the madness in the world sometimes.
40. Everyone has their own religion/beliefs. I won’t force my beliefs on to you, do not impose yours on me.
41. I probably will never, ever understand Minecraft. (As much as my son tries to teach me.)
42. I’ve tried to adopt the mantra “Never Miss a Monday”. Not only for my fitness goals but other things.  It just sets the week up for success.
43. I still can not figure out how socks constantly go missing from my dryer.  And somehow laundry piles mysteriously regenerate.
44. Try and catch a sunrise every once in a while (on purpose).  It can be the perfect way to start a day.
45. Please and thank you are always appreciated.
46. Laugh hard, laugh long, laugh often.

I have to say coming up with 46 things was much harder than I had anticipated.  Enjoy!

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An open letter to last minute holiday shoppers

It’s only days before Christmas and the stores are jammed with those getting their last minute shopping done.  Normally I am one of them, but luckily this year, aside from a Secret Santa gift, I am completely done.  I know what I need to get and where to get it and will be in and out in hopefully less than 10 minutes.

Over the years I have seen 2 different types of last minute shoppers.  They are:

1. The “I never meant to leave it this late.” Shoppers

These are the shoppers that truly did not ever want to leave their shopping this late.  They hate the crowds but life sometimes gets in the way and schedules don’t always fall into perfect place.  They have their list ready, they know what stores they want to hit and knowing that it is this last in the game, they have a back up list in case  the items they want are not available.   They go in with a mission and do not stray from that mission.  They are patient, they are courteous and they try to make the entire experience pleasant as possible for everyone involved.

2.  The “I don’t care about anyone but myself.” Shoppers

These are the shoppers that quite frankly, feel like Christmas is more of a nuisance than it is about family and giving.  They can’t be bothered to think ahead, make a game plan, they leave it all to the last minute without a care for anyone else it may involve. They don’t have a list so they wander aimlessly, completely oblivious to anyone around them.  Then when they decide they know what they want to buy and subsequently find it is not in stock, they huff and puff and are rude to the staff in the stores.  They expect everyone to stop and serve them regardless of the inconvenience it causes others around them.

These are the shoppers that I have a real issue with.  The holidays are a busy time for EVERYONE.  Being rude and obnoxious because you left everything to the last minute just makes it bad for everyone.  Yes, not finding what you want can be frustrating.  I started looking for a few certain items in the beginning of November and found they were already out of stock then.  So leaving it until the week before and complaining to store staff because everything isn’t readily available is uncalled for.

And fighting with people in the parking lot over spots, come on people!  The holidays seem to bring out the worst in some people, when it should be bringing out the best.

I don’t work in retail and it is times like this that I am thankful for that.  I really have to give credit to those that do.  Having to put up with people that don’t care about anyone but themselves and don’t care if they are rude and upset others has to be stressful.  They work longer hours and have very little time off for the holidays so that people can get their shopping done, so give them a break and remember that a little kindness goes a long way.

So there is my rant for the holiday season.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and kindness and love reign over you.

Note:  This post was originally published in December 2016 but has been updated.

5 Things Not to Say to a Single Mom

I am not going to lie and say that being a single Mom is the worst thing ever…it’s not.  It does have it’s perks, sometimes.  But there are definitely more times than other that I struggle and it’s hard.  Having a partner there that it there to help me through the tough times would be a blessing.  So needless to say, when some of my fellow Mom’s with partner’s make comments about how hard they have it, it doesn’t always sit well with me.   Sometimes it is me being oversensitive but sometimes it’s they really don’t think about it from my perspective.  I am not trying to be over critical of 2 parent families, nor am I saying “oh woe is me”.  Things are just different and not always in a good way when your a single parent.

So, here is my list of 5 things you really shouldn’t say to a single Mom.

1.  Must be nice to have all that free time when you child is at his Father’s.  – Sure, there are times when having that bit of break is nice.  I will not deny that.    But it’s not like we are off partying the whole time and living it up.  No, it means coming home to an empty house, and having to do everything on your own to maintain the household and being alone most of the time. I totally understand that families don’t get the luxury of having that break to catch up on chores, but there are 2 instead of one to get things done and they have each other to count on.  And truth be told, I would give up that free time in a heartbeat given the opportunity.
2. My husband is away for the weekend, so I am “single Momming it”.  No, you are not a single Mom.  Not even close.  At the end of that weekend, your husband will return and so will his help, his companionship, his help making ends meet and his support.  So for 2 days, you will have to do it all on your own but that is it…2 days.  This one really frustrates me.   If I can full time single Mom it, you can do it for 2 days.  It won’t be sunshine and unicorns the whole time but you can do it.
3. My husband is being a pain in the ass , you’re lucky to be single.  Really, I am lucky?  Not quite sure I see it that way.  Being single, means coming home to an empty house some days, no adult to talk to after the kids are put to bed, no shoulder to cry on when having a bad day, no one to help pay the mortgage, the bills and put food on the table or clothing on your kids back.  It’s just me.  Sure I have friends, but trust me, it’s not the same.
4. Why don’t you go out more?  I guess this really depends on the context of this statement.  If it means dating, well, when you are a 40 something Mom looking to date a 40 something man, a lot of the time said man comes with children of his own.  That means a virtual scheduling nightmare.  I am not about to give up time with my child for a person I have just met and I don’t expect them to do that either.  And if they do, is that the type of person I want to be with? No.  And if they mean just going out for the evening, again most times it is a scheduling nightmare. Most of my friends are married with kids and that involves arranging babysitters or convincing their hubby to stay home with the kids and truth be told, at this age, we aren’t partying until all hours of the night people.
5. My kids are with me 24/7 and it drives me crazy.  This is the one that drives me the most crazy.  Anyone who know me, knows I never signed up to be a “part time parent”.  When I had my son, I never thought I would only see him 50% of his life.  I miss his kisses, his hugs, certain holidays,  some milestones and it kills me.  I would give my right arm to have my child with me 24/7 but I don’t get that luxury.  So when I hear other Moms’ complain about it, I want them to take a step or 2 in my shoes and see if that is really the life they want.

I am sure some of you will read this and roll your eyes and think that I am just whining about my bad luck.  That is not it at all.  Being a single Mom is tough but when I do have my son, I get quality one on one time that I don’t think I would be able to cherish and enjoy as much as I do if I was in a different situation. But I don`t get to choose what time I get to spend with him and what event/milestones, etc that I get to be present for, that has been chosen for me.  It’s hard but I know this has made me a much stronger, independent woman.  But what bothers me is when people see single parenting as somewhat of a luxury or treat or when they complain about being able to be in every part of their children’s’ lives.  It’s just my 2 cents.

How to Save Money as a Single Parent

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post, however, all opinions are strictly mine.

Raising a child alone is not an easy thing. Often, even as a couple, parents can feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day. Adding financial stress will only make this feeling worse, and make you short tempered, and stressed. Not the example we ever want to set for our kids! Here are a few tips that I’ve developed to help me save money over the years.

1. Pay cash!

Debit and credit cards can make life easier, but they also make it a lot harder to keep track of what you’ve spent. When you use cash, you are sure to never sure to go over your budget. If you don’t have it, you can’t spend it! Right? It also helps your kids to understand the concept of money, and that a bank account doesn’t have an infinite supply.

2. Make an appointment with your bank

No one likes going to the bank, however you can get a lot accomplished in one visit. By opening a savings account (TFSA, RRSP or RESP), you are sure that your money isn’t going to unnecessary items (more on how to avoid impulse shopping).

Even a small amount every month will make a difference in the long run. The earlier you start, the more your money will grow.

3. Renegotiate your contracts

Both cable and cellphone companies understand the value of a customer. Calling and simply expressing an interest in changing suppliers can lead to discounts. While you’re at it, look at cancelling a few of those extra TV channels. Your time is better spent doing anything other than flipping through looking for something to watch. And if you’re really brave, cut the cord! For around $30 you can get a good quality antenna that will give you access to over a dozen HD channels.

4. Make a budget, and stick to it and save.

First things first, make a plan. There are plenty of tools available to help organize your finances. The Government of Canada has a handy tool that helps you track your spending and identify opportunities to save.

Next is the sticking to it. That’s the hard part, in my humble opinion. These tips help me stay on track:

• Daily monitoring: review your spending every day. It takes 2-3 minutes to review and can help keep you on track for the week.
• Make a meal plan and only buy the groceries that you need for the week.  (And don’t go hungry to the store.)
• Keep your bills. At the end of the week, review your purchases, and see if anything falls on the “did I really need this”
• Pay cash: as I mentioned before, it’s a great way to make sure you don’t go over budget.

With these practical tips, you can learn to run your finances, and not let them run you. If only I could make that happen with my kid too!

Don’t Put Your Eggs in One Basket

Recently, I was at a blogging event and felt like something was wrong with one of my social media accounts.  I made a comment about it to a fellow blogger and her comment back to me was “this is why you don’t but all your eggs in one basket”.   Of course, I stewed about the account for a while but what she said really resonated with me.  We’ve all heard the “eggs in one basket” metaphor before, but now more than ever in my life, they are truly words to live by.

For the social media/blogging portion of my life, relying on one platform to support me is ridiculous.  For times like this, when you feel like something is wrong with an account, all your hard work could come to a grinding halt.  I know there are a lot of people out there that think that blogging is just getting free stuff and going to fun events.  I wish that was the case.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about the work it takes to blog, I am actually quite proud of the work I do, but I wish people outside the blogging realm understood the time it takes to actually maintain a blog.

In life, you can never put all your eggs in that one basket, for many reasons.

1. Doing the same things over and over again gets boring.  Try something never, you never know where it will take you.  Maybe you will discover that you are really good at something that you never imagined yourself doing.
2. Life will not always go as planned.  There will be curves and bumps in the road.  Remember that detailed birth plan you worked so hard on, only to end up with an emergency c-section and all those plans going right out the window?
3. Always counting on something will never allow you to see what else is out there.  Sure, the grass is not always greener on the other side, but you won’t know until you try.
4. You always want to be growing as a person, not one of those eggs just sitting in that basket.

So no matter how pretty that basket is that you have, never settle….always be wanting for more.  You never know what could be out there.

Ten Years Ago……….

Ten years ago today I put on the dress, I took my Daddy’s arm to walk down that aisle, I said “I do”.  My head swirled with a future of white picket fences and happy endings.

Now ten years later, I didn’t get the happy ending that I envisioned that day, I have a different happy ending.  Sure, divorce is probably the farthest thing from the white picket fence life that I had wanted, but it doesn’t mean I still can’t have a life full of amazing memories and smiles.

Divorce doesn’t mean that I look back on my wedding day with bitterness and regret.  I still look back on my wedding day with fond memories and happiness.  Even pulling out my wedding album to get a few photos for this post did not bring any bad feelings.  Looking at those photos, I remember a day surrounded by friends and family, and nothing but pure joy.  At the moment, I could not have foretold the future that was ahead of me.

I look at those photos and I think…..Damn, I looked good.  And even through the worst of times, I never looked back on that day with an ounce of regret.

Because of that day, just over a  year later, I was able to see my greatest accomplishment.  The love of my life, my baby boy was born.  I didn’t know that kind of love existed until I held him in my arms.  And at that point I thought I had the perfect life…..until it all fell apart.

I am not going to dwell on how it all  came to and end, nor do I care to share it.  But the life that I thought that was all I ever wanted came to an end.  I was now a single Mom and didn’t know how I would ever get through it.

But I surprised myself, in fact, I think I have surprise a few people in my persistence to move forward and move onward with my life.  Sure, for the first few years, I let life get the best of me.  I allowed my sorrow and pain define me.  But one day I decided to stand up, and be the person I needed to be.  Not only for me, but for my son.

He needed a mother that was a role model, that made the best of what life was handed to her and not to dwell on the past.  Hardships make you stronger, not weaker. And moving forward was the best thing that could ever happen to me.  I was able to realize that was handed to me in life, was there for a reason.

And now ten years later, I have a family that supports me and loves me through thick of thin.  I have friends, some old and now some new that love me unconditionally and although I know I sometimes sound like a broken record, they still listen and tell me everything I am doing is okay.  Some of these friends, I would never had known had my life had taken that curve in the road.

My relationship with my son is more than I could have ever hoped for.  I look forward to every minute I am able to spend with him instead of looking for “me time”.  I get enough of that when he is not with me.  We make the best of the time we spend together instead of just allow each day to pass by without it having a reason. There are things we have done, places we have gone, that I don’t think we would have ever done if life hadn’t taken the path that it did.

Divorce does not have to be the end of the perfect life you pictured on the day you said your I do’s.  It just paints a different picture.  A picture that can mean bigger and better things.  A life that means a greater appreciation and stronger relationship with your children, your family, your friends.

Wedding Day Photos credit:  Danielle Wilson Photography – the most amazing wedding photographer a girl could ever ask for.  Thank you for capturing that day.

An InLinkz Link-up

Monday Motivation – It’s a whole new year

I decided that with a new year starting, it was time to change things up a bit here on the blog.  Instead of my Friday Fitness posts, I felt that Motivation Mondays were the new year to do things around here.  As much as my fitness and healthy eating are a big priority still, I felt that my journey was more a reflection of my motivation to be a better “me” overall.

I also decided that this will not be a weekly post, but bi-weekly.  I found that trying to post a weekly Fitness Friday a little bit stressful.  I didn’t want to just post for the sake of posting and not have any real, worthy content.  Every other week is probably a little more manageable to get decent, readable content out there.

2017 is a biggie for me, as I will be turning 45.  Eeeks!!!  It’s about time I really focus on what I want in life and how I can achieve it, as I am not getting any younger and it won’t get any easier.  I want to make 45 my best year yet and this is giving me the motivation to eat better, continue my fitness routine (or even step it up a bit) and see what else there is out there for me to improve.

Like 90% of the population, I started 2017 with my “got to eat better and workout more” resolution.  I have been doing okay so far.  Not the best, but not completely horrible.  But today, with the boy back to school and I am starting to get into the groove of working from home full time, I can really move forward and get things going.

I am a creature of habit and when my day to day routine goes off track, so do I.  So hopefully this week with routine returning, my motivation and success will return as well.  One of the biggest ways for me to keep on track is to put my workout clothes on as early as possible in the day so that when the time comes for me to workout, there is no excuses, I am ready to go!   I also need to ensure I am wearing my Fitbit.  I have been really, really bad about getting my steps in since way before the holidays, so I need step it up.  Pun intended.

 

I talk about my Fitbit a lot, and if you don’t have an activity tracker, I totally suggest you look into getting one.  They are so motivating and it really shows you how active or inactive you are each day.  If you don’t know much about trackers, you can check out this article that compares and rates some of the more well know trackers out there.  They can be a bit of an investment, but again, totally worth it you are looking to get moving and motivated.

There is that age old saying “you are what you eat”.   As much as one exercises, if you are eating way more calories then you are exerting, there is no way you are going to ever lose any weight.  I decided to try following the 21 Day fix program.  I started following it loosely last week and this week I am really trying to really stick to it.  It has been a total eye opener in that I truly do not have a well balance diet.  I am way to carb heavy and never get enough protein. I am really trying to change this and hoping it will be a huge help in my weight loss journey.

I know that eating well and exercising rank highly on a lot of peoples New Years Resolution list, and I hope that if you are one of those people, that you are staying on track and keeping motivated.

Fitness Friday – How Exercise Helps My Mood

Yesterday I woke up pissed off.  And as the day progressed my mood worsened.  Blame it on the insensitivity of people in this world, blame it on my lack of sleep, blame it on the fact the holidays sometimes get me down, blame it on the fact I haven’t been getting to exercise as much as I have wanted to lately.  Regardless, the tone of my day was set as soon as I woke up.

I felt like no matter what the day brought me, nothing was going to make my mood any better.  Sadly, on days like this, I often wish my day away so that I can wake up hopefully in a better mood the next day.  Life is too damn short to be wishing it away.  I need to do something about it but being stuck at the office all day, I knew there wasn’t much I could really do to improve my situation while there.

My son was going to be with me that evening and the last thing I wanted to do was subject him to my grumpiness.  I needed to come up with a solution before I got home.  I had to look at some of the reasons I was initially blaming for this bad mood.  I can’t really change the fact that I have had to deal with insensitive people in this world.  Although, I could just choose to ignore them.  I can’t take a nap at work, so sleep would have to fix itself that night.  The holidays aren’t going anywhere fast, so again, just ignore that as much as I can.  So the only fix that seemed to be viable was the exercise.

After a few minutes of pondering, I knew that if I really put my mind into it, I could fit in some time to exercise that evening while my son was playing a game on his tablet.  I could throw in an exercise dvd that I had and sweat away the grump.  I know in the past, exercise has always lifted my spirits when down in the dumps, so I knew it would probably help in this case.   Even just planning the exercise time made me feel slightly better.

Being overly tired when I got home, I was almost happy to wallow in my grumpiness instead of working out but that wasn’t the example I wanted to set for my son.  So I got him set up to play and I got the dvd player going.  My mood started to lift almost instantly.  That, and the fact my son was laughing at me made me laugh too.

By the end I was in a completely different frame of mind for the rest of our evening together.  I need to remind myself that as much as some days I really hate the thought of working out, I need it.  My body needs it and my mental health needs it.  When something as simple as a short workout can greatly improve my mood, there is no need to go thru life grumpy.

Fitness Friday – I am feeling like a fraud

Not going to lie, I am feeling like a bit of a fraud these days.  Not only to myself, but whomever actually reads these posts.  The past 2 weeks have been so far removed from being “Fit”,  it isn’t even funny.

The gym and I have been complete and utter strangers.  It’s like we have never met or we’ve had a bad break up.  We don’t see each other at all anymore it seems.  And I almost feel like I was the one who got dumped, because I have no idea why we aren’t seeing each other.

Maybe it’s the change in the weather or life has been just a bit more busy than usual, but my motivation to get to the gym is gone.  My motivation to do anything is gone.  I think the fact it get dark so much earlier now makes me just want to hibernate.  With it Daylight Savings time this weekend and the clocks going back isn’t going to help either.

All the things I have been telling myself and you that I would keep doing no matter what, have gone out the window.  I used to be almost obsessed with getting my 10k steps in each day.  Realistically, I don’t think I have gotten the full 10k steps done in the past 2 weeks.  One day I didn’t even bother to even wear my Fitbit.

I stepped on the scale this morning and it hasn’t moved.  No loss, no gain.  So in retrospect, this is a good thing.  I was not expecting good things to come from me stepping on that scale.  Any sort of gain would have probably made things even worse.  My only saving grace these past few weeks is I have been sticking to my #FitMamaPlanner.  The past 2 Sunday nights, I have sat down and planned out my whole week’s worth of meals.  It helped a lot with my grocery shopping.  I didn’t buy things I didn’t need.  Although most importantly, I think most nights when my motivation was at it’s lowest point, it gave me the guidance to cook what I had planned and not hit the drive thru.

So what does this actually mean?  Why I am I even bothering to write this down?  I told myself that if I was going to write a “Fitness Friday” segment, I was going to keep myself accountable to myself and to whomever is reading this.  I am feeling like a fraud and I don’t want to.  I don’t want to write some sort of garbage to make it look like I am this wonderful Mom who is keeping fit ALL the time, keeping on track and not having a bad time.  Let’s get real, I am having a bad time.

BUT, this morning when I stepped on that scale, it gave me a bit of a wake up call.  I hadn’t fallen too far off that wagon.  It was still in sight.  And although I have been feeling sluggish and my body has been reminding me that I am not treating it well, I can recover from this set back.  I can do this.  Never give up!

So to everyone reading this rambling, first off thanks for listening.  I guess it’s ok to fail once in a while.  Recognizing the issues and doing something about it is the key.  So time to rekindle the romance with the gym and feeling better about this journey.

The Clouds are Crying, Mommy.

I was not planning to write a post today but then on the way to dropping my son off to school today, he said something that broke my heart.  It’s a typical rainy and windy fall day here today.  As we were getting in the car, he said “When it rains, it means the clouds are crying Mommy! Why are the clouds so sad?”

In retrospect, we’ve had a lot of death and sickness in our circle of family and friends lately.  We’ve had family members, family of friends, and even pets pass in the past few weeks.  It is also the anniversary of several friends family passing around this time of year.   By this time in my life, I had already been subjected to the death of my twin sister, more than any 8 year old should have to bear so I try to keep the subject of death as far removed from my son as possible.

I tried to explain that sometimes things happen that make the clouds sad.  Crying can help them deal with their emotions.  I tried to use examples of times he was sad and cried to make him understand. And then he said it “Mommy, why are so many sad things happening lately?”  My heart broke into a million pieces.  Keeping my composure was tough.  How was I supposed to respond to this?  I simply asked him what he meant.  As he started listing off a few things, I knew he wasn’t just a baby anymore that I could just pass things over.  He is a boy now and sadly able to comprehend the world around him.

I tried to explain to him that there was no explanation for it.  I tried to explain my superstition of things happening in 3’s.  I tried to explain that there will be times in our life with dark clouds and rain but we have to look for the sun shining behind those clouds.  I am not a overly religious person, but I try to believe that above those dark clouds are our angels up in heaven.  I tried to explain that sometimes our Angels up in Heaven get sad too and this is the result of that.

My explanation seemed to give him some comfort and give him an answer he could understand.  Crying is life helping us deal with our emotions, crying isn’t a bad thing.   So during those dark and gloomy days,  try to look on the other side of the darkness into the brightness ahead.   And when it seems like a multitude of bad things are happening, there will be an end and things will get better.  I want him not to dwell on the bad things life hands us but look for the good instead.

Tonight I will hug him a little tighter and try to focus on good things we have in our life and try to remove those rain clouds from his mind.