Honor Thy Mother

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If you haven’t yet, take a moment to reflect on the woman who gave you birth. In all her glory. In all her flaws. Picture her in your mind. Do you see her? Good. Now smile, and thank God for placing such a woman on this earth to carry and give birth to little you.

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Yes, Even Intimacy Needs Boundaries

When my husband and I had been married for two years, a single girlfriend of mine (we’ll call her Macy) asked me a very personal question.

Macy’s personality was that of a desperate chameleon, a toxic mixture of trying to be what she thought the man she dated wanted her to be, and, approaching the age of twenty-five, feeling pressure to get married.

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On Men and Cologne

I furtively watched the young woman out of the corner of my eye at the dentist’s office, all while pretending to be engrossed in my People magazine. She was looking through a high fashion periodical and had proceeded to crack open the fragrance strip of a perfume ad and rub it on her neck and wrists.

I’ve often encountered the aftermath of such an incident. Who hasn’t thumbed through a well-read magazine in a waiting room only to come across a dog-eared fragrance ad that smells faintly like its former self? However, this was the first time I’d seen someone do this in public.

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You Are What You Eat In More Ways Than One

In this world of mass consumption, I think that there is a basic rule that people keep on forgetting, and it’s this: You are what you eat. This logic applies to life in many ways- from what people you choose as your friends, to what you put in your body. Statistics have proven that people who tend to hang around overweight people also tend to be overweight. People who exercise regularly tend to hang around other people who do the same.

This has really been my lesson for this week, mostly due to a happy hour conversation I had with me, my friend The Irishman and his friend Abby. We were in a bar downtown at about 4:30 in the afternoon and started discussing Abby’s past relationships and the complete lack of available men in the DFW area. She was on her second drink in less than thirty minutes, and complaining that all the men she dated were alcoholics. (more…)

Five Classic Love Stories Everyone Should Read

Summer is quickly approaching, which means that many of us will be perusing the bookstands for some beach reading. Instead of numbing your brain with the latest grocery store checkout throwaway, why not reach for a romantic classic? It will tug on your heartstrings, as well as enrich your mind.

Many of us read these classics in school, but it doesn’t hurt to revisit them. In fact, these stories evoke more emotion and inspire more creative imagination than contemporary romance novels.

Below are five love stories everyone should read. Do yourself a favor and check them out. (more…)

Of Course You Have Real Friends… Don’t You?

 If you're like me, you have met many people you call a friend. But what is a friend, really? There are several different types. There's your user-friendly type. You know: the ones that are there for you when there is something that can benefit them with anything they are needing. Then there's the half of the time friend when you don't really count on them but every once in a great while will surprise you, the party friends that don't really care about you but are always up for a good night on the town and the Best friend that says they are there with you until the end! But what is a true friend?

In my opinion, a friend is someone who is there no matter what time you call and gets you out of whatever trouble you have made; the one who is there to do the dirt when no one else will. The one who accepts you in all your glory. The one that you call when someone has hurt you beyond repair, who will cry with you when you are hurting.

Throughout our lives, we encounter so many types of "friends" and truly believe that they are with us no matter what, but then there comes a time when just like love, friendship is tested. And sometimes, just like a bad breakup, you can lose your best friend. Who are these people we let into our daily lives to have full advantage of our weakest moments and trust that they will not let us fall? And when they do, we feel as if we we're fooled and screwed over? They are EVERYONE. They are you and me.

We never mean to hurt anyone, but we all have made our mistakes as a friend. If you counted how many friends you have, could you count them on one hand or two? Would you trust them with the very last breath you take? Isn't it scary to think of situations where you have compromised yourself to help out a friend; someone who now you don't even keep in contact with.

Friends are liars: deceitful, lovable, caring, and honest people. But how do we know which friends are the real deal? Tell me, Who really are your friends?

Cecil and Prince: A Father’s Responsibility

It is a father's natural responsibility to affirm and approve of his son. It doesn't matter whether you intended to be a father or not. It doesn't matter how absent your father was. Too many men apparently don't want to know that they have the power of assigning value and worth to a child. It's not a sexist statement. Fathers and mothers impart different things to their children. 

I am saddened when I hear about Prince Fielder, a consideration for Major League Baseball's NL MVP award, say that he doesn't care about awards except insofar as his father (Cecil Fielder) never won one and to do what his father hasn't done is to finally shut him up.  

What happened here, Cecil? I'm hearing on the radio that you made asinine statements about your own son to the public. What the hell is the matter with you? He's YOUR SON. 

Prince has 50 home runs, but doesn't care about any of it until he supercedes his father with number 52. The comments I heard on ESPN radio yesterday indicate that Cecil Fielder (the father) once commented publicly that the main reason his son Prince received so much attention as a newcomer to the league was because of the family name.

There's also the whole divorce and family issues. Apparently, Cecil dropped his wife and his son Prince like a hot potato earlier in his career. Prince is on the cusp of accomplishing things his father never did, and his wounds are starting to show through.

I don't want to see anyone writing about how Prince needs to stop complaining about the old man. Give him a break. It's hard enough to grow up and mature WITH a functional family. Without one, there are always emotional casualties. Cecil wasn't around to father. He's said things that demean his son's abilities in front of the national media. In essence, he has not affirmed his son. I applaud Prince's drive to overcome the insults heaved toward him. He's attempting to be the overcomer.

Once he's accomplished what his father could not, Prince Fielder will stand on his own two feet as an accomplished athlete. No one will talk to him like he's in his deadbeat dad's shadow. Forgive me for judging, because we're all imperfect and wonderfully flawed. But give this guy a break. He should be applauded by his father. Cecil Fielder should be going on the record saying how much he hopes and expects his son to surpass his own accomplishments. That's what a father's heart does. It longs for more for the son that the father himself could have.

I'm looking for prominent men in all walks of life who truly father their children. I want to applaud them for raising up a generation of sons who will know their value and will believe in themselves and stand firmly for what they believe in. In the meantime, we must call a spade a spade and not condone poor fathering on the grounds of stardom.