Tuesday's Internet Edition, September 30, 2008.
By Betsy Monico
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| BEST DRESSED COWGIRL in the fair parade was Katy Webb, 5-year-old daughter of Matt and Lisa Webb of Dew. |
A phone conversation with my friend discussing kids being home, summer plans, and our attitudes prompted me about this week's column topic, if you can call it a topic. I will again be honest and make a private matter public because this begins with me being in a foul mood for really no reason at all. I pulled up at the soccer fields for t-ball pictures in a bad mood a few weeks ago. I am not sure where it came from or exactly why, but I was just in an awful mood, no other way to say it and no lengthy explanation necessary. I was a bit snappy with my boys about getting their cleats on and shirts tucked in. I made Blaise follow behind me whining instead of bending down and picking her up on my hip like I usually do. About half way through the pictures, my mood lightened.
Thank goodness! I visited with some of the moms, laughed, and watched my friend Jill snapping ball pictures with joy although she was hot, sweaty, and ushering around little ball players like crazy. We are the "Grasshoppers" and at times they do fit the name. I cheered up, but there was a consequence for my moodiness. I ended up happy and ready to roll then with the rest of the evening, but I had moody kids as a result of my negativity. I was reminded that I set the tone for my family more than I will ever know or maybe more than I care to know because when I gripe and frown, they all seem to act just like me!
This was just the lesson that I needed at the start of the summer with us all being at home together. Is it really true that it takes one apple to ruin the whole bunch? I am not sure about fruits and vegetables because our garden is nothing to brag about, but I do know that one person with the wrong outlook in this family can ruin our good time. There is no "I" in this team, and we are a team.
Likewise, one person can walk in the door at work and ruin the day for the entire group because of their negativity. One person in a class or group can set the tone and quickly upset the environment. One member of a family at a gathering can disrupt everything with a single comment. Can we always be chipper and expect everyone around us to be chipper all of the time? No, we are human; however, I do seem to be the captain of this ship and I do not want this ship going down because of me. How is your mood today? How is your outlook? How is the "I" in your team?
Remember me asking you all last summer to adopt my friend, Callie Smith, that I met at Baylor Dallas and make her part of our team? Well, I spoke with Miss Callie last week and she is great! She is cancer free, free from Baylor, and seems to be free of much more that was holding her back! Callie is living with her brother in Oak Cliff and happy. Prayers are answered everyday!