Remember your first love? The summer after graduation? A special college get-together? Your wedding? An epic road trip? I’d bet that for every one of these occasions and dozens more, you have a song that, when you hear it, takes you right back to that moment in your history. It evokes a memory and a feeling and maybe a person. Sometimes it’s a welcome memory, sometimes something you’d rather forget, and sometimes it provokes a good cry. Every time Rick Springfield comes on the radio or TV or pops up in social media, I immediately think of Jen, my best friend, and comrade in all things Rick. We’ve been “Rick’s biggest fans” since sixth grade. His music is good and he’s played in the background of our lives for the past thirty years. Continue Reading
Culture: I love exploring new cultures, their music, their food, their ways of living. When I had the opportunity to accompany my boy on a school field trip to see a band from China–a folk fusion band, no less–I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. Being analytical and curious, I truly enjoy learning what life looks like through the eyes of others. Today was nothing short of a treat as I got to experience our downtown theatre treasure I’ve been wanting to see coupled with a great concert with my son. Since it was a short trip, I opted to ride the bus, with my son’s permission. He’s almost a teenager so I’m careful to tune into how much my kids want me involved in certain things.
The knees on the bus go…
The bus ride was an immediate joy. Sitting down, my knees slammed into the seat in front of me and I was transported back to my own school days when the buses were far too crowded with three to a seat, which meant any corner or slight turn involved gymnastic moves to keep me from falling out into the aisle. Simply put, unless you’re a toddler, there is no room to put your legs. I felt loads of empathy towards the tall boys and girls who must endure this on a twice-daily basis. Once my kneecaps recovered and I found a semi-tolerable sitting position, my son and I started chatting. I may have very quietly in a severely hushed tone asked if he was using those Stridex pads I purchased. He doesn’t need them per se but an ounce of prevention…”Mom!! Oh my gosh! You’re never coming on a field trip with me again!!”
What? Does everyone suddenly have bionic hearing?? This is the same kid who yawned out loud during the sermon in church yesterday and wondered why I wanted to melt into my seat. But somehow my raspy whisper admist a bus full of 60-some kids all talking loudly at once as the bus rattles down the highway is far more mortifying. He immediately apologized because I’ve mastered the guilt look. This is the look the falls upon my motherly face when my kids accidentally insult me or speak too harshly and they’re instantly consumed with guilt about it. The look works. I’m not ashamed.
Such beautiful architecture!
The rest of the trip was fantastic. We poured into this beautiful theatre and enjoyed music from a Chinese band whose members, except for one, don’t speak English. The Chinese young man who was interpreting into English speaks in a British accent. Perfect! They were highly entertaining and we got to learn a little about where they live, in different remote areas of China. One band member lives in a deep valley between two very tall mountains (is there any other kind?) so he sings on the hillside and relies on the echo of his song to communicate with the village on the other side of mountain. How amazing is that? We can send a message with a few keystrokes and a button on our phone, but he sings his message and the echo carries it to others who live a day’s walk away. I take for granted how easy it is to communicate, how with the push of a button or two, this blog post will reach hundreds, possibly thousands of people, just that easily.
Monday pretty often gets a bad name. But today, cultural experience that I could share with my son and a bunch of other youngsters, a crampy bus ride where we laughed all the way back, and a little lesson in not taking things for granted is pretty impressive for a Monday.
When I say “The Duggars” most people know who I’m talking about. The Duggar family has been long-known as “the ones with all the kids.” They do have “19 Kids and Counting”, which is the appropriate title of their reality TV show on TLC. Many people have strong feelings about this larger-than-average family. They either love them or…they don’t.
I’ll admit when they first came into the public eye (when there were fewer than 19 children), I wasn’t a fan. I couldn’t understand how it was responsible to have that many children. After all, how could parents possibly keep track of each one and give them much-needed undivided attention on a daily basis? I judged them, assuming the older kids all but raised the younger ones. I didn’t dislike them per se, but I didn’t understand their ways so I didn’t make any attempts to investigate and see what they were really about.
Eventually I gave them a chance and started watching their show here and there and no one was more surprised than I to find that this family grew on me. Here are my ten reasons why:
1. I just plain like them.
The Duggars are likable, it’s just that simple. They seem like people who I could be friends with and have some laughs with and learn from.
2. They have an unshakable faith.
The Duggars have been raked over the coals time and again for their beliefs and the way they choose to live. But they’re confident in their spirituality and they haven’t let the criticism sway them. They live out their faith.
3. They’re honest about their mistakes.
Jim Bob and Michelle have been open about some mistakes they made early on in their life. They’ve copped to some debt and some other circumstances they’d change if they could go back and do so. They are very straight forward that some of their parenting strategies are formed around preventing their children from making similar poor decisions.
4. They make messes.
There is a big bunch of little ones running around the Duggar house which translates into bigger messes than in most homes. The struggle is real, people. Keeping a house neat and tidy when we have two children is practically an Olympic event some days. Imagine keeping any kind of order with 19 (nineteen!) kids playing, finger painting, making blanket forts. They don’t pretend that they’ve got it all together at all times. There are messes and they just clean them up and move on to the next one.
5. They laugh a lot.
Laughter is huge in my life. I’m a firm believer in laughing every chance there is. So when I see this family joking around, especially between Jim Bob and Michelle, it really endears me. The family that laughs together, stays together.
6. They shop secondhand and are proud of it.
Be still my heart. Celebrities who buy secondhand! I’m a bargain shopper, born and bred, and even if I break the millionaire tax bracket someday, I’ll still be a bargain shopper. Why pay more for something if you don’t have to? The Duggars buy secondhand and even make some of their own clothing and it’s admirable and it’s also smart. They make good use of what God has given them.
7. They have real talents and interests.
It appears most if not all of the Duggar children have musical ability. They take musical lessons and have vast interests. Many of the boys help with construction and home improvement (as we saw when the family readied an investment home for newlyweds Jill and Derick).
Jill has a love of midwifery and coaching mothers and helping newborns enter the world and the other children have displayed various interests. They are individuals and their uniqueness shows.
8. They have each other’s backs.
There is real comradery and support amongst the members of the Duggar family. There is genuine love and tenderness and a healthy amount of teasing. But overall, the kids seem very supportive and truly happy for the others’ successes.
9. They have great hair.
Seriously, this family has been blessed from a follicular standpoint. The girls have long hair and volume for days. It’s beautiful and I’ve noticed them mention more than once how they enjoy doing each other’s hair in different braids and curls.
10. They make it all work.
I’m sure they’re like any other family. They have problems. There are cross words and sibling rivalry that crop up. But they love each other and have developed a system and they make it work. It seems effortless, but I’m sure it’s not. To make sure 19 kids and 2 parents are cared for and have the attention they need is sure to be a challenge but they’re in it together.
They’re a formidable team and their faith is the glue that makes them stick. They’ve really endeared themselves to me over the years and I’ve found myself tearing up at the wedding proposals and cheering for them as Michelle and Jim Bob become grandparents and in-laws to the young people marrying into their family. As they go on mission trips, help others, and keep on keeping on, I’ll keep on tuning in.
