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Location: Canada

I am a wife and a mother. I have a gap in my teeth and funny thumbs. I have found that life doesn't always turn out the way you plan - sometimes the best things are not planned. My husband and I met in line for a roller coaster. We eloped 2 years later and were married by a one-legged Justice of the Peace. Our sons are 9 years apart and sometimes it feels like we are still riding that roller coaster. I like to write -- and love to think even more. Life is a complicated, exciting adventure and this is me sharing it with you as I try to cross my ocean.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

happy?

why do people look to other people to provide their happiness. how can an empty shell give nothing -- and expect to be fulfilled in return?

Friday, November 11, 2005

full

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded unanimously again; yes, indeed it was.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor; " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things in your life: family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else -- the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a coffee with a friend."