This Strange Thing Called Dependability

"When are you going to start being someone people can depend on?" was the question my dad asked me one afternoon after failing to do something I had told him I'd do.

The question got to me. I snapped at him with a smart remark which ended our heated discussion. I plopped my body like a blob of mashed potatoes on to the couch and sulked. I thought about the question. It seemed kind of unanswerable. How DOES one know when they are going to be dependable? Was dependability a trait that you need to switch "on" in your life? It suddenly hit me; YES! All at once I was like "I just got to turn in the switch!" I emailed my dad the answer to his question.

This was about 3 weeks ago. Since then I've been an ESL teacher and I've organized food menus for an orphanage. I've also been checking and responding to my emails.

Just turn on the switch and never turn it off.

Cookies Came Running Behind Her

She finally ran today- more like walked. I had been pushing my mom to try running with me ever since I started, at the end of my school year. Today she thought she'd give it a try. She descended down our house stairs with her crisp white sneakers on her feet and a sweat rag in her hand. I heard one of the kids say, "Look your mom is coming...and she looks like she's about to run".

With a big grin on her face she skipped over to the field to "run".

She circled the field in a fast pace walk a few times. Her new endeavor attracted a large group of children, a few of which decided to walk with her. I heard them talking behind her as she walked, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Later on, as we sat together at a table we discussed her "first run".

"The kids were listing the foods that Americans eat to make them big." she said to me.

"Chocolate, cookies, cake and hotdogs...and I was like 'Ah, I understand them!'"

Daddy.....You Were Right

Today is July 6th. It happens to be my father's birthday. I absolutely love my father! It wasn't until this entire Haitian missions trip experience, though, that I started to feel like, "Hey, I wanna be like him when I'm older." I'm not saying he wasn't merited that sediment before hand. He was...I just happened to start feeling this way after I had seen him move his whole family to a third world country with 12 bags of luggage and total and complete faith in God. He literally without a doubt INSPIRES me!

With that said, him and I sometimes get into long and longer discussions about, well, anything and everything. It usually goes something like- I feel like I'm right and he's trying to have me look at something another way, but I'm stubborn and decide to try with all my might to show him that my way is indeed the best. But you know what, I'm only right 5% of the time. And more often than not I end up having to walk up to him, after trying it my way and failing, with my tail behind my legs to utter these words:

"Daddy... you were right".

And he responds, "Yes, and you were..."

After a few minutes of funny faces and thumb twiddling I confess,

"And I was wrong"

Love you daddy! Happy Birthday!