What Is the Best Thing You Ever Did?

For me it was my daughter's wedding dress.

When she was little, I sewed her clothes, then she got older and didn't want me to make her anything.

When she became engaged and started planning her wedding, she surprised me with a request that I sew her wedding dress.

She gave me a pattern and I said, "I will begin with the bow and see how that goes, if it turns out good I will keep going. If I don't like it we will toss it in the garbage and buy something."

It turned out to be very beautiful and I am very happy she asked me to do it.

7/24/2011


Writing four books, that was a great accomplishment.
Adopting Dusty, the best thing that ever happened to me.
Painting on canvas , my photography. Helping friends...


Cheers..Joe

Here I am with my three best things in 1978:

Ann,


Wonderful! They are a gift! Cute too.

I published a book for a friend.

You did a great job too!

Homeschooling my son.

JoElle,



How long did you do that?

Getting my book published, Vampire Heart, and Graduating Highschool with all credits needed. And...competiting and winning archery turnaments indoor and outdoor. Also making a quilt for a friend when I found out she had cancer.

Best is a difficult question. Most life changing was to join the USAF instead of going to Bible school.

Vampireheartauthor,
How very kind of you.






Abe,

You were going to be a preacher! How amazing.

Your decison to join the RAF was very wise.

Joe,



Your friends are very fortunate.

Hmmm. I can't pick a best thing. The time I spent carrying my child, his birth, and the first few months that followed were absolute perfection. Nothing else compares; but it was not my doing. It was the miracle of life itself -

Volunteering in the Georgetown, Bahamas elementary school was pretty special as were the people of the town, their kindness and generosity to this strange woman from the sailboat across the harbor.

My work has always been directed to providing a helping heart and program to people whose lives had many insurmountable challenges. I am honored by the chance to see their accomplishments. It was an honor to advocate on their behalf.

Many years ago I was a founding board member with a little band of do-gooders for a community foundation that has over $50 million in equity assets today.

I put the most effort into my roles as wife and mother. Yet, I found the experiences full of flaws I could not fix, thus imperfect representations of my hopes and dreams

I guess the speaker at my death memorial could say I was a wife and mother, a teacher and a person who put a lot of energy into hopes and dreams for a better future for my family and for my community. I tried to do the right thing and lead a life that would make my children proud that I was their mother. Only they would know if I was successful.

Thank you, DK,



You have all jogged my memory. The best thing I ever did was to quit Nursing school when I was halfway through college and marry, Dave, a blue eyed soldier. As of this Sat. we will be married 44 years.



It is unthinkable what my life would have been without him.

Another good thing I did was wake up to the stupidity of the Republican party. Better late than never.

You and me both, Alice. However, the my belief in the Republican party was in a rational party. Once they took on the religious right with its inherent bigotry and then one extreme position after another, the party in which I originally put my faith was smothered in extremism, hatred and radicalism.

I am not a "liberal." I am a great believer in individual freedoms. However, I see the republican party today as removing my freedoms, not increasing them. I see the republican governors destroying the states they lead.

But this is a bit of a digression except that leaving the republican party was a good move on my part. I do not want to be associated with their extreme positions and religiosity.

DK,

The Republicans changed--we didn't.
I hear and agree with you.



They have even given religion a bad name.

Very sad!

alice wrote:

JoElle,

How long did you do that?

About six years. My husband and I took our son out of public school when he was 12.
He'd been labeled and the schools had no expectations from him. Our son was failing middle school, had no self esteem, and my husband and I could see that leaving our kid in that environment would not be good for him.

Less than two years later, at age 14, our son took his first college class.

By age 18 he had:
- obtained his GED
- had 15 college credits in Fire Science
- had over 118 volunteer hours with the Red Cross
- had been employed part time four years
- had raised a guide dog puppy for a Guide Dog school
- had been a volunteer firefighter for a year
- been a certified firefighter Explorer for four years and had actively worked with the city fire department on fire and EMS calls and been involved in many firefighter community events.
- had a federal job offer to be a professional wildland firefighter from the Bureau of Land Management
- achieved his childhood dream

While homeschooling him, I also began writing more. I wrote homeschooling articles and was regional editor of a homeschool newsletter: http://www.rodriguezmarie.com/marieswritings.htm

His achieving his dream motivated me to finally pursue my own dream, to write a book. Homeschooling wasn't just the best thing I'd done for my son. It was the best thing I ever did for me too.

Wonderful, Jo Elle.

What a remarkable accomplishment!

I learnt to read and write, Alice. I'd say that is the best thing for me.

My parents had never been near a school playground, let alone sit inside a classroom with a teacher. Therefore, they had no encouragement for me to study anything beyond high school.

They did not measure their success on quite the same things that you or I would measure our success on. It was a different time...

Ahad,



I am so happy for you and glad for us. We'd have missed alot without you reading and writing.

The best thing is always in front of me.



But I have to say, one will stand out in my mind: handing a published copy of my first novel to my mother, dedicated to her.



The expression on her face is saved in my memory. Forever.



Isn't it funny, the best things are usually based on something you do that creates happiness for someone else?



Hmm....

Rhett,





You are so right.

Rhett: My novel, Ghost Orchid, also includes my mother in the acknowledgment. She has been one of my best publicists.

Can you imagine, I had three mothers at the same time who were all unique and special in their relationship with me. My own mother, my foster mother and my stepmother. Both my foster mother and stepmother have passed; their wisdom part of my essence forever.

I'm currently writing a novel that is inspired by my mother's grandfather, a POW during the Civil War. I'm trying to finish it as it's important to her. She is 92.

madhatter wrote:

...

Isn't it funny, the best things are usually based on something you do that creates happiness for someone else?



Hmm....

You are kind of wise, did you know that?