My first column

Here it is. Feel free to think that it's a little bit hokey. We'll see how my readers feel about it tomorrow.


My resolution? Go against the grain
"If it bleeds, it leads."

In this around-the-clock industry of mine, it's that age-old adage
that keeps sad stories and tragic tales on the front page of every
newspaper and at the top of each nightly newscast.

I'm not sure who decided long ago that we needed a daily overdose of
disappointment and distress, but it seems inescapable, especially
lately with Wall Street's woes, a bailout for the Big Three and
record-high unemployment — which I was part of last month.

I often wonder if we remain in such a glass-half-empty mentality
because, subconciously, the mass media tells us to. They give gloomy
economic forecasts and, in response, shoppers seal up their
pocketbooks. Then they report that we're not spending money.

So in the face of downheartedness and worrisome reports of a
recession, I have come to a decision: I'm not participating.

It's a detox of sorts; a diet from the depressing. And while I'm not
much into setting New Year's resolutions — I believe you can start
fresh at any time of the year — this is one I am making.

I want to spend 2009 focusing on the hopeful, reflecting on the inspiring.

I want to hear about stories of promise, of neighbor encouraging
neighbor and stranger helping stranger. I want to dig deep and
discover successes I know are tucked in there somewhere, in between
statistics of childhood obesity and the latest political scandal: a
job that finally comes through; a family that steps outside of its own
struggles to serve others in deeper need; a charity whose donations
are surpassed; a faith that is restored; and a realization that
whether or not a prayer is answered, there is a bigger plan at work.

I want to celebrate daily accomplishments, even if they are as simple
as smiling at those who pass by me on the sidewalk and finishing the
56 ounces of water I lug around with me.

I want to take time to count my blessings, and to strive each day to
have an attitude of gratitude, even when the road gets a little foggy.

This resolution may not always be easy to stick to, especially when
we're so used to reacting to the worst. But I have a feeling that of
all the places to search for inspiration, the Pointes are a great
place to start.

So, if you're up for it, I invite you to walk alongside me in my
challenge of finding the extraordinary in the everyday, of searching
for happiness in simplicity, of tuning out the negative and turning to
the cheerful. Be surprised by joy. Dare to wonder what it would be
like in a world with less worry and more wit.

And don't laugh off what might seem like a lofty dream or an
unattainable goal. For as Mark Twain once said, "Don't part with your
illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have
ceased to live."

Baby gifts

I've been trying to figure out what to buy my sister-in-law for her baby shower in three weeks.

Every time I visit her two registries, I become overwhelmed with all that's out there for babies: steam sterilizers, a bottle and food warmer (hello, how about the old-fashioned, bottle-in-hot-water method?), sleep positioners, a flat screen video monitor ...

And then there's this thing:

A newborn soothing center. Not sure how safe that is. But it says it was developed "with significant scientific research to address the multisensory needs of newborns" and has four "four unique seat positions mimic how you hold your baby."

What will they think of next?

Anyway, her color scheme is cute -- pink and brown -- and most of the items seem pretty practical. Except I cannot understand why she has registered for two Baby Bjorn carriers. She's only having one baby and only parent can carry the little one at a time.



Davin and I disagree about going in on something expensive with my mom. He wants to spoil his first niece, but I know that her side of the family and the father's side are both going to be very generous. And we'll have years and years to spoil little Gianna.

I'd still like to get her something sweet on the side, something meaningful. Maybe her christening/dedication outfit, since my sister-in-law has wisely decided not to have her daughter baptized in the Catholic church. Nothing against Catholics, as I have many family members who are, Grandma included. I think she's just realizing things as an adult that she just didn't stick to as a child -- or an adult, for that matter.

I'm for sure bringing a baby Bible as my book. And there was something on the invitation that my mother-in-law wrote out mentioning everyone bring an item for a baby wishing well. I have no idea what that is, nor does anyone else I've so far asked. Have you?

Interpretation

Last night, I had a dream that I had fallen asleep for seven years. Miraculously, when I awoke, neither I nor my husband had aged at all.

Anyway, while I slept, Davin had built a big, beautiful house. Parts of it were covered in floor-length windows, and we walked atop wood floors and through hallways lined in wood paneling. One of the bathrooms had very tall, very wide cabinets and multiple sinks. One of the drawers I opened was filled with all of my makeup, perfectly placed, and I'm sure, by then, quite expired.

I remember passing a large, see-through refrigerator (I would never have picked that out) stocked with condiments, milk and other necessities that each seemed just right for a giant. Even the wine was in large, several-gallon jugs. Very strange.

Another oddity: his stepmother had been staying there and I distinctly recall urging Davin to make her leave, now that I was back.

He had put everything of mine away in one corner of the house -- where I guess I had been kept -- from the drinking glasses we had once used to my shoes.

I remember feeling very sad that my husband had been without me all that time, and grateful that he waited. When I awoke from the dream, my heart still hurt and I reached over and clung to him until the alarm went off.

I've been wrestling all day with the meaning of this dream. I rarely have ones this vivid or this peculiar. Maybe I'm just anxious to start first-house hunting, an exciting adventure we'll be embarking upon in the next month or so.

Hmmmmm...

I say

At my new job, reporters rotate weekly writing a roughly 500-word column in the editorial section of the paper ... on anything. My first entry is due January 12.

It can be controversial, witty, entertaining, insightful ... or even a sob story. The only requirement is it be about something in my life.

You'd think I'd have a bounty of ideas, between this candid venue and my semi-adventurous life (at least it is in my eyes). But somehow, my mind is as blank as an empty page.

And I'd love some suggestions.

I suppose I could share about my Christmastime experience with my mother-in-law: how she broke down in the middle of Costco when my husband told her we weren't coming over on Christmas, but instead going to their Christmas Eve get-together — she refused to give up a night with friends, rather than start a new tradition with her growing family — and how that back-and-forth banter eventually led to our compromise (never again!) of going over to her set-to-music, Clark Griswold-esque home for dessert. And I could mention one the gifts we received: a 1500-volt electric bug swatter. Fabulous.

Hmmmm....

Or I could recount my surprise summertime trip to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for our one-year wedding anniversary, and how, once we reached the ferry after a five-hour drive, realized we had left the garment bag hanging in the closet at home. A little back story: when you stay at the 150-year-old hotel, you have to be dressed 'in your finest' after 6 o'clock — men in a suit and women in skirts or dresses. That meant we couldn't go to the five-course dinner, couldn't dance to the hotel band or head up to the cupola bar for a drink. And we were there for three nights. After my very sweet husband let me cry on his shoulder and then calmed me down, we went on a mini-shopping spree for first-night outfits, and were also able to get my very patient mother to go into our apartment, grab the garment bag and ship it to the island. Fortunately, it was there by our second afternoon.

Maybe I could share about the excitment of becoming a first-time aunt and the anticipation of waiting for the baby girl who is almost here; the joy of newfound friendships, even those unwavering admist the rocking of a cruise ship veering off a hurricane's path; or the discovery of talents you didn't know you had.

It would be fitting to talk about New Year's resolutions that for the first time I am more than determined to keep, and I don't mean in the habit arena. Dreams I've stumbled upon and hobbies I want to better persue. Or perhaps, most importantly, the constant presence of God's hand, from blessings to frustration to complete vulnerability.

I suppose I have a wealth of moments and memories to share, or maybe a brief re-introduction to a community that has gotten to know me these past four years is all that's needed.

I guess a weekend's worth of brainstorming will tell.