Whose job is it to make you a good person? Are you one of those folks that stereotypes people? Do you usually do the right thing? Whose job is it to tell you to forgive and forget?  Do we look to others for this? Do we depend on Judge Judy to do this or Dr. Phil or perhaps the person you sleep with at night? My opinion is and I believe it with all my heart, that responsibility lies with one person and only one person…YOU!

It just seems to me that in situation after situation when we mess up that we blame it on everyone but the person with whom the blame really lies, ourselves. Many times life can be very difficult. It is definitely not always filled with cupcakes and cartwheels. Inevitably we all stumble across pain and suffering in our lives, whether it is through the economy, our health, our relationships or simple human stupidity, but no one is immune from suffering. Now, it is one’s choice how long you allow yourself to be miserable or go without forgiving. More Information…

Here’s a loaded question for you. How many of you knew last week was National Volunteer Week?  Hmmmm …how many people said, “Well, I knew it was in April” or “I have heard of it before” or as I would imagine the vast majority had absolutely no clue.

I was going to inform you last week and give you lists of fabulous ideas and pages of great projects that you could engage in, but then I thought, “No, let’s see what these fine upstanding citizens can come up with on their own.” If you are in the minority, and you are proudly having a discussion with your conscious saying, “Well, I took cookies to the fire station; she’s not as smart as she thinks she is” or you said to yourself, “I’m going to touch base with Ms. Leigh Anne Tuohy and let her know I helped clean up the local park” or “I did this or that.” Well, good for you; do more! More is badly needed. More Information…

One of my kids, I won’t mention which one, recently saw a news report that stated there have been new studies revealing that household cleaning supplies have a greater possibility of a carcinogenic effect on individuals than originally thought! This news flash instilled immediate fear in this child and “SHE” said I’ve got to call the other two siblings; we’re going to die!

She knows I use this time of year to engage everyone in a ritual we have all heard of and I really live for which is “Spring Cleaning.” I wait until after Easter; I don’t want to seem too eager. Gotta play the cool card, even when cleaning is involved. I’m not going to lie,  her revelation startled me a little as I pretty much have a Windex bottle attached to my right hand at all times. It is like an accessory to me, my watch and my Windex bottle. My family members are familiar with that yummy Windex taste and have actually grown to like it. I tell them, just as my father told me, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

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A shiny new pair of shoes, a hot cross bun, hiding colorful eggs, the big furry white bunny, the resurrection, a basket full of candy….What does Easter mean to you? Obviously, as we pass through different phases of life it means different things. As I am now 51 years old, which means I have completed several life phases, it is none of the above. It is more than something that is tangible. It is hope.

Hope is a powerful thing. It gives way to a new beginning, a tomorrow, another chance, a do over. Hope can chase away the darkest of days, despair and evil. Hope will illuminate a path that had previously seemed impossible to pass. Isaiah 40:31 says,

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

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‘Blind Side’ muse, key speaker at women’s conference, calls for less talk and more action.
By SUE MAYFIELD GEIGER

Correspondent Author Michael Lewis tends to favor stories about mavericks. So, when he penned “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” his maverick meter no doubt pegged out when he met Leigh Anne Tuohy.  Tuohy, played by actress Sandra Bullock in the 2009 movie version of the book, is a key speaker at the 2012 Women’s Conference on May 17 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston. And tickets are going fast. Tuohy and her husband, Sean, took in Michael Oher, a homeless, African-American teenager, and provided him with shelter in their Memphis home.

With their help, Oher also got an education and an opportunity to qualify for NCAA Division football. The couple eventually adopted him. Although Oher’s journey is heartwarming, it also became an important one for the Tuohy family. The family saw an opportunity to spread the word about how everyone has the potential to make a difference in others’ lives.

In a recent telephone interview, Tuohy spoke about her life, her background, her family and how everyone can be a “cheerful giver.”

Check out Leigh Anne’s Q&A session on pages 18 & 19 from the Galveston Daily News.  Please click here to continue.