Facebook Said So.

Yesterday Facebook blew up with back-to-school pics that everyone shared. Cute kids. All smiles. Super excited to head back to school. I smiled for my Facebook friends and then? Bawled like a baby for me.

I warned you that I hate the end of summer. Okay, let's face it. Hate isn't a strong enough word. I despise it. I want to yell at it. I want to punch it in the face. I want to kick and scream and swear and blubber at it until it yields to submission. Sigh. I say it all the time. No one listens to me. Therefore, summer ended and school began.

I dropped Jaden off to school and came home and cried. Inconsolably.

I know. I know. It's not such a big deal. It's good that he's growing up. I'm lucky that he is smart and handsome and rocks school. Whatever.

I want him home. I miss him when he's gone. I hate my empty house. I despise the silence.

There. It's said. And I meant every single word.

Yesterday afternoon I scrolled through my Facebook feed and someone had posted results from a test they had taken.  True confession. Every once in a while I take these tests. I don't "share" my test taking very often. I don't know why. But I don't.

This test would list my weaknesses. I was all geared up to answer a bunch of questions so Facebook would be able to get a clear picture of who I am. I sat in my recliner. Turned down the television so I could FOCUS on the enormity of the forthcoming questions and prepared myself to embark on the intense test at hand.

I clicked on the link. A little round circle chased it's tail for a few seconds and the test was done. What? No questions. No deep dark thoughts. No truth-be-told answers. Nothing.

I'm:
100% outspoken
95% impatient
94% overly emotional
79% too honest
38% confused (Facebook spelled it confussed. Ha! So much for intelligent testing.)

First of all, how in the crap does Facebook know so much about me?

I had to laugh at the "overly emotional" statement. Ya think? I'm ALWAYS being told how emotional I am. Maybe it's because I'm 79% too honest. I tell how I feel until I can tell that nobody really gives a crud how I feel. Then I blog about it.

So. School has started. I miss Jaden. I cry EVERY SINGLE YEAR on the first day of school. I'll probably bawl even when I don't have kids at home simply because I hold on to the fact that I hate the first day of school.

I hate the end of summer.

I'll miss ice cream nights.

I'll miss sitting on my porch swing.

I'll miss working in my yard.

I'll miss walking barefoot in warm, sunlit grass.

Name something about summer. I'll miss it.

Okay. Okay. I'm proud of each of my kids. I'm happy that they are growing into epic human beings. I love that we share movies and books and thoughts and opinions and dinners and gifts and lots and lots of love.

I adore being a grandma and that couldn't have happened without Tyson growing up and moving out. Right?

I love being a mother-in-law.

I love hot soup with fresh, homemade rolls.

I love cozy sweaters.

I love curling up with a fluffy quilt and reading.

I love watching the snow fall.

I hate. I love. I'm emotional. It's all true. Facebook said so.

Random Kindness

Let's face it. I'm not the get-excited-about-the-end-of-summer gal. Since Fall is looming, school begins soon, schedules must be adhered to, the cold is just around the corner and my house is about to echo with silence, I stay in bed extra long in the mornings. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I log onto Facebook and see what friends/family are up to and what excitement is going on. Today was a Facebook day.

I scrolled through postings this morning.  I read about a teacher in California who was in WalMart buying school supplies for her upcoming classroom. Notebooks. Crayons. Pencils. Things necessary in a classroom, but not supplied to our teachers who, more often than not, reach into their own pockets to purchase these items. A gentleman in the store offered to help this gal load her cart with the needed supplies and appeared again at the check out, offering to pay for the supplies for her class. Not only did he offer to pay for what was in the cart, he ran back to the school supply aisle and grabbed another box FULL of notebooks and more crayons.

Made me feel warm and fuzzy.

I kept scrolling.

I came across another post where a girl helped someone in need pay a light bill so the woman could get her lights turned back on.

Made me think of the help I have received over the years.

I kept scrolling.

I came across a picture of some beautiful flowers that a friend of mine received.

Made me smile.

I kept scrolling.

I saw a post from a girl thanking someone for saving her life. Literally.

Made me think of the angels among us.

I stopped scrolling and began thinking.

I thought about all the acts of kindness that had been shared. I thought that at times we don't REALLY live in a selfish and ugly world. I thought that I'm grateful to have friends that share the good in their lives. I thought about how I could contribute positively today. I thought about my most favorite quote. Of all time.