The Sail Adjuster

Elizabeth Edwards died recently, in December, 2010.  She was the wife of presidential candidate of 2004 and 2008 John Edwards, senator of North Carolina. Mrs. Edwards lived a very public life as political candidates and their families do. 

Mrs. Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer originally in 2004. Her battle with breast cancer was a roller coaster ride with it returning in 2007.  It was also during this time frame that she was forced to deal with the unfaithfulness of her husband. In 2010, at the age of 61, her fight with breast cancer ended.

While I didn't agree with much that Mrs. Edwards stood for politically, I found her role as a mother to be inspiring. From all that I could tell, she seemed to truely love and care for her children. She tried to protect them, shield them...something any mother would do. I could relate to that.  She had a 28 year old daughter and two other living children, a daughter and a son, who were 12 and 10.

Her memoir, Resilience, was released in the spring of 2009.  When asked the question about what she considered was the most important lesson to teach her children, Elizabeth Edwards responded this way.

 “I have said before that I do not know what the most important lesson is that I will ever teach my children, Cate and Emma Claire and Jack. I do know that when they are older and telling their own children about their grandmother, they will be able to say that she stood in the storm, and when the wind did not go her way — and surely it has not — she adjusted her sails.”

He asked her if that’s still the message she hopes people come away with.
It is,” she said. “I hope that it is when bad things happen, you have the strength to face them."

I read that quote and thought, you know, that is one of our main jobs as a parent - to teach our children how to adjust their sails when the wind does not blow their way.  I've heard it said that life is 10% what happens and 90% how we respond. Sometimes when life happens, it's in our favor; sometimes it isn't. How do we respond?  When we respond inappropriately, we teach our kids the inappropriate way to respond. It's that simple.

Don't know about you but I think I have some work to do in the sail adjusting department.

What They Were Saying in 1957...

Below is an excerpt from a story written by my Dad, Jerry Sutton. These are some things he remembers growing up.  These are just a few of the things that folks were saying back then. Kind of makes you smile just to think of them.

1.  I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.00.
2.  Have you seen the new cars coming out next year?  It won't be long before $2,000 will only buy a used one.
3.  If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm gonna quit.  A quarter a pack is ridiculous!
4.  Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?
5.  I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas.
6.  It won't be long before young couple are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.
7.  The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.
8.  No one can afford to be sick anymore! $35.00 a day in the hospital is too rich for my blood!
9.  If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it!