The Christianville Spirit: People and Animals is Distress Rerun

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Keeps Learning with Hope and Resilience

May 30th, 2018-TCS # 595

Bonjour, My Readers! That is One of My Favourite Greetings. So, Every Once in a While, A Question or Concern comes up from One of Our Lovely PTLS Family Members. At First, It always makes me think, “Hey, That’s a Good Question! Something that has not been talked about or asked in a while!” Usually, It is Something that Hits Home as well as The Fact that I realize that It is Something that is not discussed as commonly as Other Things like The Common Things of PTLS like Walking, Talking, Potty Training, Special Needs Meeting (ARD Meeting in The United States), Routine, and of course, Eating. This Topic is not a common topic in The PTLS Realm as much as It should be. The “It” I am referring to is People and Animals in Distress and How It bothers us. I briefly mentioned it in a Newsletter that I wrote Earlier This Year called “My Three Biggest Triggers” (Refer to That Newsletter) but, I did not go into that much detail about it. I actually wrote a Newsletter in My History that details it a lot more. I hope that You enjoy it and Learn more from It. 

This Newsletter was written on September 21st of 2011 (Refer to Newsletter 267)

So, This Week I’m going to tell you something that is Personal to me, Something that bothers me. I think I need to write about this because it’ll help you greater understand me. The thing that bothers me is called Humans and Animals in Distress; For Example, People screaming because they’re in danger, about to die, or stuck in something like a capsule or anything. Another Example would be Animals making noises because they’re hurt or being taken. It’s why I don’t see Action or Horror Movies because that stuff just doesn’t interest me. Most of My Life, I’ve felt this way about it; As I describe it now I “feel what Other People are feeling”. If I see Adults, Children, or  a Baby that is crying I feel what they’re feeling and it upsets me. Feeling what Others feel at times to me can become an annoyance. However, it is a blessing because if someone who is Sad talks to me about how they feel, I can relate to them. I think the first time I saw a person in distress I think was watching a show on Nickelodeon called Are You Afraid of The Dark? And this kid had a dream of walking in a graveyard and he fell into a wooden coffin and the coffin closed, he banged on the wood while being buried alive and then, the dream ended. By the way, this show in My Day (being the 90’s) was Rated TV-Y7 and I must have been around that age when I saw it. Another Time was watching the Movie, Hook (Again, a Movie that was in my day) in the beginning when the guy is shoved into the treasure chest and then, he is saying,“Help” and medal things are being dropped in. I should mention that at the time, it was a kids movie. As far as Animals in distress go; I hate watching them be stolen from the owner, or just hearing Animals whine and being killed for food. The worst example was on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Puerto Rico episode where they have a Roast in the forest and Anthony is seen carrying The Animal in a bag, while squirming and making the noise that the animal makes then, later he shoves a spear in it. All in All, Having PTLS makes me very sensitive to how People and Animals feel. 

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Be more Sensitive to how People feel and They’ll appreciate You.    

The Christianville Spirit: 10th Lynee Day Lesson

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Keeps Learning with Hope and Resilience

May 23rd, 2018-TCS # 594

Happy Lynee Remembrance Day, My Readers! Okay, so Lynee Remembrance Day was Yesterday but, also continues Today. So, In Case You did not know, Lynee Remembrance Day is a Day that I remember a Great Childhood Friend named Lynee who past away (Refer to “The Untold Story of Lynee” Newsletter in My Christianville Classics List). Anyway, Each Lynee Remembrance Day (or LRD, as I call it) simply known as “Lynee Day”, I post a “In Memory of Lynee Watson” Lesson. What Lesson I learned each Year on Lynee Day because It seems that Every Year I learn a Lesson. So, This is going to be The Lesson of This Year’s Lynee Day. The 10th Lynee Day. You Know, those Times when Things don’t seems to be going Your Way or What You thought something would be, is not. 2018 has not started The Way I wanted it too. On Top of The Plumbing Issue We had and All associated, The Grandma Honey Thing, I have not actually seen Lynee’s Mom since The Beginning of The Year (Christmas Actually), and My Laser Process is still on Pause. In Times of Annoyance or Frustration, I start voicing toward God, My Heavenly Father. I wonder and try to Understand The Ways of God. Low Points lead to Really High Points later. I remember a Sermon that I listened to while Watching The Royal Wedding. Yes, THAT Royal Wedding. Congrats to The American Princess-who’s-not-really-Technically-A-Princess-But, Kind of Is, Meghan Markle. I Loved The Second Party Dress! Anyway, The Person who did The Sermon said Something about God that I understand but, Most People don’t understand. And,  Believe Me, I feel ya, There are Parts of God I don’t Understand. Now, to be Clear, The Word, “God” I feel applies to The Three Abrahamic Religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I actually Learned that from a TV Show on National Geographic called The Story of God with Morgan Freeman. It Explains Perfectly about God, Heaven, Hell, or of Course, All Religions from Christianity to Buddhism. Now, As I write this, I am trying not to Offend Anyone with What I am going to Say But, I am going to tell you how It processes in My Mind which is Very Literal Mind. So, It may not make so much sense in What I am about to Say because My Mind sees things differently. Symbolism does not always make sense. So, Hang in There with Me!

Now, Some Sections of Christianity see God, The Heavenly Father, in different Ways. Catholicism says that God is Pretty UnMerciful and He will Strike You if He sees You doing ANYTHING UnPure, Even If It is a Little Thing. Baptists see God as Very Judgmental. He Judges You all the Time. Episcopalians, or at Least The Pastor at The Royal Wedding sees God in The Purest Form, Love, which I am going to highlight in a Second and Finally, Non-Denominational believe that God is Cool and You should Serve God. and, Sometimes, They take it Very Literally. Now, That is Something that between Me and God, Heaven and Earth, I really don’t understand. You See, When Us PTLSers are taught about Something, We see it at Face Value. Basically, It means that Everything is Literal to Us. We basically have to be told Told whether It is Literal or Not. Unfortunately, God, Nor The Bible itself is at all, Literal. God is Very Much Symbolic when It comes to His Word or Actions. Now, In My Literal Mind, even though It is Symbolic, I have a Strange Satisfaction in The Part of Revelations where Satan dies in a Fiery Lake. When A Friend of Mine told me that God was Symbolic, It stung a little but, I also knew to be True. Now, Of Course, We can not forget that God is also Very Humorous about Things. So, Humor and Symbolism, does not work well with Someone like Me who is Very Literal. I mean, Okay, I Appreciate His Humor and Sometimes, I know when He is Joking, but Other Times, I don’t know when He is not, if that makes Sense. The Symbolism is probably The Part that Frustrates Me The Most. Because, What I think is a Clear Message about This, is really a Symbolic Message for That. It is just how My Mind is because It is The Way I see It. Now, Back to the Love Thing and This is probably Most Literal Part of God that is so Simple. God is Love and Love is God. Wow, Right? So Simple! Basically, It means that Without God, There is No Love in Any Form, and Without Love, There is No God. Simple as that. That Means as Long as You are Kind and Loving Toward Other People (Yourself included I Am Sure) then, You are Worshipping God, without Even Knowing It. Isn’t that Amazing?! Very Simple. I honestly, can not Imagine a World without Love. I mean, I know Love can be Painful and Complicated, and It really should not be. But, The Most Important Part is that Love is a Wonderful Feeling. Without It, We might as well be Dead.

 All in all, That is This Year’s 10th Lynee Remembrance Day Lesson. Remember to Love Everyone, even if They are a Little Different than You.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Thank You, Lynee for Inspiring Me and Showing Me what Real Love is!

The Christianville Spirit: Mother's Day Reflections

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Keeps Learning with Hope and Resilience

May 16th, 2018-TCS # 593

So, Mother’s Day, My Readers. I know, know, It already past but, I want to talk to You about Something. “Let’s Talk” as The Late Joan Rivers said. Boy, She had a Way with Words! So, Mother’s Day, I told you last week that It was My Favourite Holiday when I was a Child and It is My Sort-of Favourite Holiday Now. Well, This Year’s Mother’s Day was Very Different. Now, No It was not Bad per se. But, It was Most Definitely one of those Mother’s Days that Every One has that “Holy Crap-Schnikies What If” kind of Reflecting kind of Mother’s Day. Now, Yes, My Mom and I had Good Mother’s Day, could have been better with My Brother in Town, but, What can You do. We watched the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday (It is basically like Europe’s American Idol only with Groups per Country) and We topped it with Dessert for Dinner (Who would not want that every once and while!). On Mother’s Day Proper, We just hung out and Watched a few Movies. I always thought of Mother’s Day as The Day to Spoil Your Mom, The Day to Make Breakfast (My Brother does The Best Breakfast) along with “MOMosas” as My Brother would call them. Being 2018, This Year has come not as Easy as I had hoped  and At The Same Time, Teaching Us Lessons that We needed to learn or even think about. Now, as a Kid, When You want Your Mommy and Yes, Even Grandma, You just shout, “I Want My Mooommmyy” and She’ll come. Get Your Grandma’s Attention, You would either pound on the Table and Say, “Grandma! Mommmy is giving Me that Yucky Stuff (Vegetables) again!” or Do The Same Thing on The Phone and Your Grandma will take you to Her House and Give You Heaps of Junk Food and Tons of Stuff You do not need. As an Adult, However, It is Harder to even admit that There are Times when You need Your Mother (ahem..Clearing Throat) Mommy. Now, At The Realization of The Emergency that happened with Grandma Honey, which By The Way, I should mention that She’s actually doing really well since The Ordeal, She is Walking more than She pretty much ever has, Mind is Clear, You would swear She was in her 60’s Healthy. Anyway, This Mother’s Day has really made me reflect (and, Spoil My Mom as much as I can) about What would I do, should anything happen to either Grandma Honey or  Even Worse, My Mom. Now, My Mom and Grandma Honey, Lord knows, I Love Them, but, I see them as Two Separate Regions, Two Separate Membranes, Two Separate Thought Bubbles. One over Here and One over There. They both are Moms in Some Way but, Still. Grandmas and Moms are Needed in different ways, whether They realize it or not. Grandmas are needed to Spoil You, Take You for a Treat that May or May Not be Good for You, Take You to Your Favourite Place. Moms on The Other Hand, are There on a Daily Basis, They know You Inside and Out.  So, What happens if You Lose one or both of them? How would I react? Would I be able to function afterwords? I always told both Grandma Honey and My Mom that I would be devastated if I lost them, Most Importantly My Mom. Now, although, My Mom and I already have a System in Place for Should Something Happen to Her, I have Guardianship, so The Next Person to take care of Me, Outside of My Mom, would be My Brother. Now, The Reflection of Mother’s Day that I had made me think that The Membranes of Grandma Honey and My Mom are Separate but, This Reflection has forced me to think about it as One Full Membrane instead of Two. This May sound a bit Morbid but, People lose Loved Ones Every Day, It does not it is a Holiday, A Birthday, or Whatever. It is rather Heartbreaking to think about Losing Someone in Your Life but, that is Life. All in all, It makes me realize how much I truly need My Mom in One Way or another. Even though, I have been working hard on My Independence and My Mom has always been focused on Helping Me be Independent even when I was Little. I still will need her around Every Once and While like My 2 AM Lessons.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Love Your Mom and Grandma with All You Got!

The Christianville Spirit: Mother's Day, My Favourite

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Keeps Learning with Hope and Resilience

May 9th, 2018-TCS # 592

Happy Mother’s Day, My Readers! This Sunday is Mother’s Day here in The United States. And, Happy Mother’s Day last week to My PTLS Moms in Spain!

 It seems kinda sooner than I thought that It was. It feels like It should be Later. Perhaps, With Everything that was going on Grandma Honey, I Lost Track a Bit. Yes, It is that Time of Year, A Time to reflect, Love on, and Thank Your Mom! Boy, I’ll Tell You, This Year is definitely a Year to reflect on Having Your Mom. I Love My Mom Very Much! I don’t know What I would Do without Her! Most Times, I Love Her to Pieces but, There are Times, like any Mom, that You are driven a Little Nuts. I am reminded of a Story from My Childhood about My Mom, not driving me nuts, but How I Love Her. Now, as a Child and Present Day, My Dad is not The Best so, I just loved My Mom more. I believe it was a Questionnaire, I think for My 5th Grade Graduation for Me to see Later in Life and to see My Likes and Dislikes along with My Favourite (I like that spelling!) Things including TV Shows, Thing to Do, and Of Course My Favourite Holiday. At The Time, I answered that My Favourite Holiday was Mother’s Day because I Loved My Mom. Now, that is not to Say that I love her less now or that Mother’s Day is not my favorite holiday. I mean, I Love Mother’s Day, not as much My True Favourite Holiday, Christmas. But, Still I think it is funny that I wrote that. Anyway, so onto This Week’s Newsletter! It explains a Question that People always Wonder but, also Love to Wonder. As a Reminder, This Newsletter is a Christianville Classic, So You can check out This One and Many Others, on My Christianville Classics List. This Christianville Classic is called “Why We Have Moms”. Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day!

This Week, I am going to Rerun a Gold Newsletter that I had Written about Mother’s Day. A Bit of a Background here though, First of All, the Basics, This Newsletter was written on May 15th of 2013 (Refer to Newsletter 351). I’m not sure if I mentioned in The Newsletter below about The Origin but, Before This Newsletter entitled “Why We have Moms”, I had written one about “Why We have Children” so, If You Will, The “Why We Have Moms” was sort of an Extension, A Sequel to The “Why We have Children” Newsletter. (Refer to Newsletter 273; November 2011). Anyway, I hope You know You PTLS Member Moms are Brilliant (I Love that Word!) Moms and My Mom is By Far, The Most Brilliant! Enjoy!

So, As You all know, Sunday was Mother’s Day here in The United States, I say that because Mother’s Day is on a different day in other parts of The World. But, Anyway, Mother’s Day is a very important holiday to Me because of one thing that I am ever grateful for, My Mom, as well as Moms in general. Moms are Awesome! But, Why do we have Moms? Now, I’m sure you are reading this, thinking, “Why do We Have Moms?! What kind of Crazy Question is that?!” and others would wonder and ponder about it. So, I’m going to answer that question, “Why Do We Have Moms?”. Well, Truth is, there are a lot of reason why, but here are MY Reasons Why.

1. They birthed us; through hard labor, sometimes, Hours of it. In My Mom’s Case, A C-section that she felt the whole time (the anesthesia didn’t work!)  
2. They are our Secondary Quilt, Beanie Baby, or Blankie when we are Babies (Because We like to Snuggle)
3. They are “Best Friends” when we don’t have any Real Friends and They always will be, whether you like it or not.
4. In The 90’s (And, Probably still now) They are Our Seat Belts when someone slams on their brakes. Even though We already have our Seat Belt on.
5. They are our Protecter, Guard, and Guard-Rail Fence against Evil, Mean, or Hurtful Forces.
6. (If You Let Her Do This One, You are Lucky) They are Your Matchmaker. As in, walking up to the Prettiest Girl around and saying, “Hey, Check Out My Son, He’s a REALLY Good Catch!” and You always say, “Moooom!”. But, You never know if that girl might be the Girl of Your Dreams!
7. If You have a Bully or Hateful/Hurtful Person in Your Life, “Momma Bear” will come out and it will NOT be Pretty!
8. In My Case, If You have Special Needs, Your Mom will go to all lengths to get you what you need, help you in anyway possible, and be there for you when you need her. Even going through many teary-eyed and bull-headed IEP Meetings!
9. They know what is best for You, Way before You Do.
10. Most Importantly, They are Your Mother and Whether You Like it or Not, They will be the only person besides Your Soulmate that will be by your side Forever!
11. When It comes to Your Dreams, They will be do One (or All) of A Few Things; Be right beside You as You ride through It (like My Laser Hair Removal), Help You in The Middle of It, or Cheer The Loudest for You (Who is That?! Oh, That’s My Mom!) along The Side Lines.
12. In The Moment that You say, “I Do”. She will be There. Most likely in front cheering, following being in The Back, Crying Her Eyes out. (Ohh Mom!)
13. When You Graduate from High School or Any Life Event that is Important to both of You. Yep, She’ll be Crying there too. 
14. They will always be There if You need to have a Heart-to-Heart Talk or Vice Versa, Where They have a Heart-to-Heart with You
15. They will let You go Where ever You want when You are an Adult on Three Conditions. One, It is not Dangerous. Two, It is not a Stupid Decision and, Three, You shall at some point, Come back and Live Near Mom (Or at Least, That is My Own Old-Fashioned Mom) Are You Listening, Michael?!
16. They will be Honest with You. Sometimes more than You want them to. But, Believe Me, You will be Grateful in The End.
17. They will have Many Talks with You. In One of Three Versions; Either a Heart-to-Heart Talk, “Step into My Office”(Sometimes Good and Sometimes Not) , or “A Come-to-Jesus Meeting”.
18. She’ll be there to Pick You Up if You are Down and Cheer when You are Up.
19. In My Case, they are your Road Buddy or Your Chauffeur when you want to go somewhere. By The Way, That is a Condition that Can not be taken advantaged of. 
20. This may sound a bit too Honest, but from a Man’s View, Let’s face it, Your Family, Your House (applying to Guys), and Your Life would be a Mess without Your Mom.
21. No Matter How Young or Old You are, It is Perfectly Okay to say that You need Your Mommy.

 So, Those are My Reason as to “Why We Have Moms”. All in All, My Mom and I have always had this system where I ask her, “Mom, Why do you do this?” and she answers, “It is in The Book of Moms!”.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Cherish Your Mom, She is Your Best Friend!

The Christianville Spirit: Family Emergency in Atlanta

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Keeps Learning with Hope and Resilience

May 2nd, 2018-TCS # 591

Cherish The Ones You Love, My Readers! Yes, This is a Different Greeting and Boy, Do I mean It! This is going to be a Rather Difficult Newsletter because It was Something that I had not really planned on Writing nor, Planned for. You Know, There are Times in Life, When It throws you a Big Curveball at You, like a Coach throwing a Baseball at You to Test Your Attention. Sure, You grab that bat and hit it, But, then, You yell “What The Fettuccine was That For?!”. Yes, Life does that sometimes. Also, Sometimes The Catfish in Life, not always a Fake Catfish, nips at Your Fin hard! So, What am I talking about? Well, Here’s an Unplanned Edition to My Grandma Honey themed Newsletters These past Couple Weeks. So, My Grandma Honey, as I have told you, She lives in Atlanta. Easy to say when Things are Planned and are going Right. It is only a 12 Hour Drive, a 2 Hour flight, and an Hour Difference between us, right? At Least, It is not a 15 Hours Drive or a 3 or 4 Hour Difference. Yeah... Well, What happens when There is a Family Emergency and You have to get there, like 2 Hours Ago kind of Thing. Now, Okay, Knowing Grandma Honey is getting, ahem (Clearing Throat) Younger each Year, It is something that We have to start Mentally Preparing for. Now, This Family Emergency was only a Smidge close to “The Big Emergency”, had we not reacted in Time. You See, Last Saturday, My Grandma Honey was doin’ her thing, going to Her Nail Salon when She started to have a Fainting Spell. They were pretty close to either Calling Security or Calling 911. She figured that It was only Temporary, Something that like A Headache, You can just sleep it off. Now, Whenever Grandma Honey has a Health Problem (She is Very Healthy, by the way!), A Health Question, or Just to Show off Her Daughter’s Talents, She calls My Mom. Minding You here, that We live in Dallas.... Texas. But, She does it anyway and Honestly, We thank God for it. So, Sunday comes and She is not much better, therefore, The Lovely Neighbor, Sarah called 911 and My Grandma Honey’s Favorite Firemen (“Her Boys”, as She calls them); The Ones who She sees at her Waffle House and Pays for Their Breakfasts; They came to Save Her! So, Now, Grandma Honey is in The Hospital at This Point. Both My Mom and I are freaking out wondering What on Earth is going on. Grandma Honey along with Doctors and Nurses, where on The Phone with My Mom every couple Hours with Updates. My Mom grew Tired of This Very Quickly. Medical Things and Distance does not Work! So, A Couple Days Later, My Mom gave me The Option of either Staying Here at Home for an Undetermined Amount of Time, I was thinking either a Minimum of 3 Days and Maximum of a Week or Longer, or We just hop in The Car and Drive out there. So, My Mom got home and Both of us literally Packed within an Hour, and were Out The Door. Now, My Anxiety was Sky High, on Top of The Slime Issue that I had the Last Time I went to Atlanta, Literally Two Weeks before, and Sarah took care of that after We got there, and Of Course, That Fear of Assuming The Worst. I mean, My Neighbor had to go out to Tennessee for Her Mom and She ended up out there for 2 Months. I digress. My Mom and I agreed that It was Better for it to be Nothing and Go to Atlanta rather than Something and We felt Stupid for Not Going. 

Now, Of Course, This “Family Emergency” Drive did not come without It’s issues, The Back Window of Our Car messed up and Luckily, Grandma Honey’s Many Connections over The Years, Her “Car Guy”  fixed it for Us. After We got to Atlanta, She was released from The Hospital later that Evening, Again Thank God for That, because We did not think that We would make it for Her Discharge from The Hospital. So, after that, My Mom and I spent a Week helping her recover as well as Trying to Figure out what was wrong with Her. Her Legs Hurts for about Two Years and She was starting to show Dementia-like Behavior, but We (or at least I) just thought It was just Age. After about a Day, We figured out What was wrong. First Off, at The Hospital, They tested her for Literally Everything and Her Heart and others, Came out Perfect, Very Above Average for Her Youngness. It turned out that It was....Wait for It. Extremely LOW Potassium and Lack of Water. Yes, as in Bananas! Bananas are The Most Well-Known Food that has Potassium along with Avocado, Kale, Baked Potato or Sweet Potato, White Beans, and Brussels Sprouts, to name a few. I struggled with Figuring that out in My Head because I could not understand how Something as Small as Potassium or It’s Brother, Sodium (Salt in Regular English) can cause such a Problem, at least compared to Heart or Lungs, which I am sure The Doctors thought it was. No One except My Mom knew that the Issue was Lack of Potassium and Lack of Water. I mean, Her Potassium Level was Dangerously Low, It could have Killed Her had Her Lovely Neighbor, Sarah called 911. So, after The Stresses of Disaster, like The Window of Our Car or The Testing of The Fire Hydrant, Right next to Our Car, We did lighten up a Little Bit. I think The Most Funny Thing that Watching Grandma Honey try to talk to Her Neighbors, Friends, and Family with The Raspy Voice She got from Her Upper GI. It was Pretty Much a Whisper. It got better over Time though. One of The Best Things that We had over This “Family Emergency” Trip was All of The Love and Concern from Everyone including Her Neighbor Friends; Her and My Mom’s High School Friends; Her Waffle House People (including “Her Boys”); Even My own Readers as well as PTLS Family Members around The World! So, with that said, I Thank You all so much, for The Bottom of My Heart, that You reached out for Concerns for My Grandma Honey. It not only Showed us How Much People care for Her, but, Most Importantly, It is Showing Her just How Much She is Loved. In All Honesty, We should all get to Hear How Much we are Loved, by Friends, Family, Neighbors, even Strangers. Truth be Told, Most People have No Idea and Sadly, They end up Dying and All The Love that should be heard when They are Alive, Ends up Flooding when They can’t hear it. Now, Perhaps, They can hear it in Spirit, but Still. This “Family Emergency” Trip has also showed all of Us, Smith Family and otherwise, How We react and deal with such Events. Like I said, Preparing The Big One. I personally am hoping It does not happen anytime soon. By The Way, If You ever see The Video that My Mom took of Grandma Honey walking, when My Mom says “Boobs Out”, that basically is Our Code to Her to mean “Stand Up Straight”. If You want to Help, Keep in Contact with Her if You know Her. Make Sure that She is doin’ Her Thang as well as Taking Her Potassium and Drinking Water as well. Come to Think of It, We all should Take Our Potassium and Check The Levels Every Once and a while. All in All, It is One of Those Hard Life Lessons that You have to learn. Not just Yell at The Coach for It, but Wonder Why He did that.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. When Health throws You Curveballs, Go with It!