Hello, Grandma?

Hi, Folks.

Quick question. When is the last time you've called up your grandma or grandpa just to say hi? If your answer is one that causes shame or guilt, please pick up the phone and finish this blog later.

Baby Teacher lesson of the day: Never EVER take your grandparents for granted.

I don't know if anyone has ever loved me more than my grandparents. I lost my Grandpa Parker, so I can't speak of him in the present tense, but I would have little issue in saying that I was the miniature love of his life. I am sure the same could be said for any of you reading this.

Grandparents are the cute, cuddly people who want to know every minute detail of your life wrapped in between hugs and card games. They want to hear of every personal triumph from a promotion to a successful oil change so that they can brag to every single person who they come in contact with that they do in fact have the most wonderful grandchild in the world. It's the truth. Grandparents have a love for their grandchildren that's impossible to explain. Sometimes I catch my grandma just staring at me with the cutest smile on her face. She asks me a 101 questions (even though I see her almost daily) because cares more than anything that I am happy and successful.

Don't take these people for granted. Don't let weeks pass without communicating with them. Tell them you love them. Share your stories. Visit them just because. Bring dinner and watch "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" or "Bonanza" with them. They want nothing more from you than time because they know that their time is becoming even more precious.

Looking back on my life, I missed a lot of parties, nights out with friends, or time that I could have been using to find Mr. Right, but I spent countless hours putting together puzzles, playing cards, baking bread, watching TV, and laughing with the people who own each tiny ounce of my heart. I'll never regret the time with them.

Pick up the iPhone. Call now. :)

Go do good things,

BT

Lessons from the Bottom

There is little in life that I hate more than losing or failing at anything that I try. I'll admit it. I can put on a smile and tell the other person or team that they did a nice job, but I am seething inside. (Note: This does not count for my brother.) However, I am a sucker for learning lessons. I know I am supposed to learn something from everything I do, and, unfortunately, the most important lessons are learned through tragedy or defeat.

Baby Teacher is here to say you all should join me in searching for the messages and life lessons not when we are flying high but when we have hit the bottom.

"Why did this happen to me? This isn't fair." I think it would be impossible to find a person who has not uttered either of these phrases. Sometimes life is not fair. I can't argue that, but I can and will argue that we are supposed to see or understand something if we take the time to wipe our eyes and pay attention. Each of us needs the moments where we have been knocked down to see the fight each of us has within us. We need to see the strength that maybe we didn't know we possessed. To know how much you can take and still move forward is a true gift.

Besides learning one's own strength, I think some of the other most important lessons to learn are appreciating what you have and learning who truly supports you. We have a tendency of overlooking and taking for granted all of the wonderful blessings we have. When something is taken away from you, it is time to look around and appreciate what you do have. Likewise, notice who sticks by your side when everything crumbles around you. It is easy to be friends with someone when she has an abundance of success, but who is going to stick around when things are in shambles? That's a true friend, and those are the people we need to hold on to for dear life.

Wallow in pity for a day if you need to, but please remove yourself and try to find the lesson. I promise it is worth it.

Go do good things,

BT