My earliest memories of my grandparents are at a funeral.  I don’t know what kind of funerals you people are going to-but in my experience-the only sad funerals are the one in which a young person has passed. The rest of the time it is a celebration of the person’s life.  There is lots of story telling and memory sharing followed by a big meal that the wonderful church ladies bring.

Funerals are for the living.  In our family we have had the discussion about what each of us thinks; but in reality, the living need to morn, the dead don’t. 

I agree! I have never considered being tall a negative or bad thing at all! Neither have my sisters or their kids. As a matter of fact I always wanted to be just one inch taller so I could wear a 34 inseam. 32 is just slightly too short and a 34 just a bit too long.  It is the short people in our family that get the good natured ribbing’s.  I have a nephew that is 7 and look 9 or 10.  NONE of us eve take comments about being tall as a bad thing.  I don’t care how the remark was meant to be taken-I take it as a compliment.  Children learn how to react from their parents. Sounds like Mom is the one with the problem and she is transferring that uncomfortableness to her daughter.

James-

Another problem I see, at least at the stations I have worked at, time is a huge issue.  Staff is being cut at every turn. There are less reporters in the field on a local news level, so they are all concentrating on "same day" what is happening right now instead of getting the whole story. There is no time allowed for follow up or stories that require too much digging because "we just don’t have time or staff for that"  Journalisim requires time and effort, but ratings are right now this minute focused.  News has become a business instead of a service.  This coming from someone that loves finding the story and asking the questions.

I also had the privilege of meeting and spending a few minutes with Mr. Cronkite.  One of the highlights of my life. Great great man and on of my heros.

First marriage I had been 19 all of three weeks.  I had nothing better to do and that is what was expected of me.  After five years of controlling hell, I got out.  But I made the same mistake a year an a half later, thinking some how if I just loved him enough he would stop drinking and get better, not so much.  Been divorced for 8 years.  Thought I found Prince Charming, but I was wrong again.  I call them mistake number one, two, and almost three. 

Unlike some others-I have not given up hope.  There is someone out there that will love me just for me and be happy to call me his wife and me to call him my husband.  But unlike earlier in life-I am no longer in a rush.  It is not the priority.  I have my kids, lots of really great friends, I date and have a life, and I am much more calm and truly in control of my life.  For now, that is good enough.

I just have to say as an older sister, I will ALWAYS be an older sister and will ALWAYS have sibling issues with all of my sisters…that is just life.  We are all grown up now with kids and lives of our own; but we still nag, give unsolicited advice, fight, complain, etc and we laugh, hoot and holler and have fun!  I guarantee, one phone call for help and we would all be there in heart beat. 

We have all chosen different lives and paths and as the sisters in the latter get older, things will shift and change.  But if they are like my family, they will still be critical. If you can look yourself in the mirror and are happy with the choices you have made, just take it all with a grain of salt.

Just my experiance and opinoin.

James-Really? I find it hard to believe that someone as charming as you has trouble being around attractive women!  If you are tired of being alone-DO something about it!  I would wager that there are probably lots of women that would love to go out with you but are waiting for you to express interest.  (I would go out with you…just saying)  I am 40 and single, but I have teenagers and that is usually a pretty big turn off for men, but I still go out and have fun on occasion.  I agree, being lonely sucks, so I do not plan on being that way forever. 

Oh Gigi I loved this article!  How funny! I too love Facebook.  It has been such a great way to reconnect to old friends and stay connected to new ones.  I have a sister-in-law that I only really got to know after becoming Facebook friends and learning we had so much more in common than we realized.  It has been a great way to say thank you to those that have impacted my life and an easy way to plan get togethers.  I am totally hooked! 

I have seen babies and weddings I would have missed because they posted pictures on Facebook.  I have started many conversations that have spilled over to the phone and over coffee.  I get to talk to my 13 year old niece that is having a trauma in a way comfortable to her through Facebook.

I love and need lots of people in my world and Facebook has help. It is just one peice, one tool, that I use to help me stay connected to all the wonderful, important people in my world. 

Margo you made my day! I love people and get crazy if I do not have them around, so I love to have people over.  I am no craft queen; I leave that to my sisters.  But I love to cook, mostly simple kid friendly dishes, even when it is adults coming over, maybe it is because come from a very large family.  If people care more about the food than the socializing, they probably are not coming to my house.  We all end-up in the kitchen cooking and cleaning together anyway! 

I know there are people out there that see their house as a place to get away from the world.  I invite the world in.  Isn’t that what is so great about this world we live in? Everybody is different! 

Mr. Wow-I don’t care who you are, I just love reading your articles!  You are funny and understand women.  Please keep writing.  I rush to read your articles first whenever I see them here.

P.S. I love that you are reading and responding to the comments!