Happy Birthday Julia!!!

Happy Birthday Julia!!!

Today is my friend's birthday.  She's the same age as I am (so no need to mention any numbers, although she's so cool she probably wouldn't even care). 

Julia has been my friend for over 20 years.  She has awesome parents, and cool sister and a very spirited brother (just like me!).

Julia's request this year was that instead of everyone posting birthday wishes on her FB wall we all choose a word that describes her & Take a picture holding a sign with that word *or* acting that word out.

I think that's a fabulous idea!!  I see many many people stealing it and using it from now on! 

I immediately knew what word I wanted to use.

OPEN

Julia has always led a very open life.  She has always been a very open person.  Of course she went through her moody teenage years like the rest of us, but she maintained her openness throughout that phase. 

She is a smart, helpful, loving mother as well. 

She is doing something similar to this for her son's birthday coming up this month.  We are all sending Postcards to him and she will put them together in a book for him to treasure always.  Isn't that an awesome idea??

Anyways.  I admire Julia and her very open life.  She never shuns anyone that questions her and she remains calm (for the most part) and gives people the chance to expand their understanding of the world through her. 

I wish that we could have remained closer friends since high school, but, alas - life happens.

So, for now, I can only offer this.

My picture of her unique openness outside in the windy rain

(which MJ had to get into at the last minute).

My family is OK!

There is nothing wrong with my family.  OK, maybe we are all a little grouchy, edgy, short with each other.  Maybe we are all on our own paths of destruction.  We are good people though.  If you ask us for help - we will help you.  We don't expect you to pay us or repay the favor at all.  It is always a nice surprise when people do though.
When I get angry though is when someone asks for help, and I offer it freely and willingly and it gets turned down.  Why is my family not good enough to help you when you obviously need it ( or you wouldn't have asked to begin with).
I get especially angry when I feel like this is a personal attack (for lack of a better word at the moment) against one of my children.  Yes, my son is going through some shit right now because of a poor decision he made, but that doesn't mean he is a worthless lump.  It doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to work hard!

Here's where I get mad and call people out.  Read on if you dare!

A family member (Mike's family) posted on FB that they needed some help.  They even said they would pay (and SAW could really use the money!!!).  I called and offered SAW's help.  They "hmmmm"'d and "uh, well"'d and finally said "no thanks" on the premise that it would be too hard for SAW and that Mike wouldn't be there to supervise him.

 Are you F'ing serious???  What's so special about your damn HAY that he can't help you with it???

Here's where I take a page from Big Brother Ken's book and decide to NOT offer to help them again.  If one of us isn't good enough then none of us are.  And -  I kinda hope that no one else offered to help and that karma kicks them in the butt for this.

I am often amazed at peoples prejudices.