My husband went to a seminar a month or so ago and was telling me about what he learned. One of the classes was about our brain. One part of the brain is the Prefrontal Cortex. With it we have effective communication, emotional balance, ability to choose, strategic thinking, empathy, intuition, fear moderation, and morality. Another part of our brain is the Limbic. It is the seat of emotion and memory and is crucial in decision-making and it contains the "amygdala". The third part of our brain is the Reptilian (kind of a creepy name). It regulates our breathing, heartbeat, etc., basic reproduction, and makes us react to given situations in either a Fight, Flight or Freeze mode (triggered by the amygdala).
I thought this was extremely interesting. It made me think how I react in situations. Do I run away, stand and fight, or freeze? After thinking about this, I decided that in most cases I "fight". There may be times when I "freeze" also. I may even "freeze" and then in a minute "fight". It makes me think that next time I start to "freeze", I'll recoginize what I am doing and change my reaction to "fight". I think that whatever you do, it is because of how you were raised, things that happened to you in your life, and what makes up your character. It also has made me look at other people and try to figure out if they are a Fight, Flight or Freeze person. Sometimes it's easy to see in other people, and sometimes not.
But here's one more question I have? Is "fight" the answer for every situation?
Monday, March 31, 2008
BELATED BIRTHDAY
Yesterday was my son, Survival Knife's birthday. Due to helping with a wedding all weekend and doing a big belated Easter/Triple Birthday dinner yesterday, I am blogging about his birthday today. Survival Knife was my first boy after 3 girls and 2 miscarriages. Here are some funny stories about him.
When he was about 4 we had been out doing errands and I decided to go stop at McDonalds and get everyone a soda. When I pulled up to the drive-up window to order, I asked the kids what they wanted to drink. Survival Knife said, "I don't want anything to drink - I don't want to drink and drive!"
One day Survival Knife came up to me and said, "Mama, why don't we kill our dog and buy a cat?" I said, "Heavens no! We love our dog!" He said, 'Well, I like cats too!"
One morning Survival Knife woke up about 5am and came and got in bed with us and went back to sleep. When I got up at 7am, I noticed that he was smiling and laughing in his sleep. Later he woke up at 7:30 and when he came into the kitchen he told Gilbert Girl, "I close my eyes and go to sleep and I dream about [Delirious]. Gilbert Girl tried to find out what his dream was about but all he could remember is that it was about Delirious.
Our family had been reading the Book of Mormon and we took turns reading. One day Amberlilies was reading and Survival Knife came over to me and whispered, "Can I read? I never get to read, 'And it came to pass'. I let him read the last two verses of that chapter, both of which started with 'And it came to pass'."
When Bullet for Babs was born, Survival Knife was about 4. I told Knife that all Babs could eat was milk and water because he was just newly born. The first time I nursed Babs in front of Survival Knife he looked at me funny so I told him Babs was drinking milk. Knife said, "What comes out of the other one, water?"
One summer when Knife was 4, I had to have him and Amberlilies share a bedroom. Knife didn't like this and didn't want to share a room with her. He was more of a neat freak than she was. He would come to me periodically throughout the day and say, "[Amberlilies] messed up my room, come and clean it up."
Gilbert Girl had a toy and was acting like she was going to hit Survival Knife with it. He got up and went to the toy box and got Amberlilies space helmet, put it on and went back and sat down by Gilbert Girl.
We're glad it's your birthday, dear Survival Knife!
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!
We sing you this song for your birthday!
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!
When he was about 4 we had been out doing errands and I decided to go stop at McDonalds and get everyone a soda. When I pulled up to the drive-up window to order, I asked the kids what they wanted to drink. Survival Knife said, "I don't want anything to drink - I don't want to drink and drive!"
One day Survival Knife came up to me and said, "Mama, why don't we kill our dog and buy a cat?" I said, "Heavens no! We love our dog!" He said, 'Well, I like cats too!"
One morning Survival Knife woke up about 5am and came and got in bed with us and went back to sleep. When I got up at 7am, I noticed that he was smiling and laughing in his sleep. Later he woke up at 7:30 and when he came into the kitchen he told Gilbert Girl, "I close my eyes and go to sleep and I dream about [Delirious]. Gilbert Girl tried to find out what his dream was about but all he could remember is that it was about Delirious.
Our family had been reading the Book of Mormon and we took turns reading. One day Amberlilies was reading and Survival Knife came over to me and whispered, "Can I read? I never get to read, 'And it came to pass'. I let him read the last two verses of that chapter, both of which started with 'And it came to pass'."
When Bullet for Babs was born, Survival Knife was about 4. I told Knife that all Babs could eat was milk and water because he was just newly born. The first time I nursed Babs in front of Survival Knife he looked at me funny so I told him Babs was drinking milk. Knife said, "What comes out of the other one, water?"
One summer when Knife was 4, I had to have him and Amberlilies share a bedroom. Knife didn't like this and didn't want to share a room with her. He was more of a neat freak than she was. He would come to me periodically throughout the day and say, "[Amberlilies] messed up my room, come and clean it up."
Gilbert Girl had a toy and was acting like she was going to hit Survival Knife with it. He got up and went to the toy box and got Amberlilies space helmet, put it on and went back and sat down by Gilbert Girl.
We're glad it's your birthday, dear Survival Knife!
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!
We sing you this song for your birthday!
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!
Friday, March 28, 2008
PHOTO ANSWER
The answer to my PHOTO QUESTION is: This is a picture of the head waters of the Mamoth River. :0}
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Today is my husband's birthday. I'm a terrible person. I forgot what day it was. Now, I didn't forget his birthday. I just forgot to keep track of the days. I didn't realize that today's date was the 28th. Anyway, this blog is devoted to him.
I met my husband through a mutual friend. My friend and I were at the local teenage hangout - a drive-in fast food place called the Hi-D-Ho. She was in her car and I was in mine and we were talking to each other with our windows down. All of a sudden she said, "I'll be right back" and started her car and drove off. Come to find out, she had seen my husband and his friends circle the drive-in and went to chase them down. She had gone to high school in their town which was about 2 1/2 hours south of our town. In a few minutes she came back in their car. The reason they were in our town, was that they were there to go to college. Only they had basically messed around and not really attended enough to get credit. We hung out with them that night. A few days later (can't remember how long) my friend called me to say that my husband wanted to go out with me. I told her that if he wanted to go out with me then he needed to call me himself and ask me. He didn't. I saw him the next night at a party with another girl. So I ignored him. A few more days went by and my friend and I were up at the Hi-D-Ho again and here they came again. We hung out with them again, and then started dating. In 2 weeks we were engaged, and 2 months later we were married. We have been married for 38 years.
My husband is a do-it-yourselfer. I think he can fix anything. One time we bought an old Ford cargo van and decided to customize it. He had bought windows for it but had never put windows in before. I was helping him and he knew I was kind of nervous about actually cutting a hole for the windows since we had never done this before. After he cut the hole, he handed me the sheet of metal and said, very seriously, "Now put this someplace safe, because we might have to weld it back if the window doesn't fit." I almost had a heart attack! I yelled, "WHAT?!!" When he started laughing, I knew he had just said that to get my goat.
Here are some things I love about him: When he listens to me I truly believe he is interested in what I have to say, He gets the morning paper for me, he never forgets my birthday or our anniversary, I used to think we were very different, but now I see that we are alike in many ways. He thinks I'm funny. He still flirts with me. He loves his children and grandchildren. He loves me in spite of my shortcomings. He was my biggest strength when I had my operation to have my both my knees replaced. He worries about me still. He is a hard worker. He has remained strong in the church even though he is the only member in his family. He loves my family.
Happy Birthday! I love you!
I met my husband through a mutual friend. My friend and I were at the local teenage hangout - a drive-in fast food place called the Hi-D-Ho. She was in her car and I was in mine and we were talking to each other with our windows down. All of a sudden she said, "I'll be right back" and started her car and drove off. Come to find out, she had seen my husband and his friends circle the drive-in and went to chase them down. She had gone to high school in their town which was about 2 1/2 hours south of our town. In a few minutes she came back in their car. The reason they were in our town, was that they were there to go to college. Only they had basically messed around and not really attended enough to get credit. We hung out with them that night. A few days later (can't remember how long) my friend called me to say that my husband wanted to go out with me. I told her that if he wanted to go out with me then he needed to call me himself and ask me. He didn't. I saw him the next night at a party with another girl. So I ignored him. A few more days went by and my friend and I were up at the Hi-D-Ho again and here they came again. We hung out with them again, and then started dating. In 2 weeks we were engaged, and 2 months later we were married. We have been married for 38 years.
My husband is a do-it-yourselfer. I think he can fix anything. One time we bought an old Ford cargo van and decided to customize it. He had bought windows for it but had never put windows in before. I was helping him and he knew I was kind of nervous about actually cutting a hole for the windows since we had never done this before. After he cut the hole, he handed me the sheet of metal and said, very seriously, "Now put this someplace safe, because we might have to weld it back if the window doesn't fit." I almost had a heart attack! I yelled, "WHAT?!!" When he started laughing, I knew he had just said that to get my goat.
Here are some things I love about him: When he listens to me I truly believe he is interested in what I have to say, He gets the morning paper for me, he never forgets my birthday or our anniversary, I used to think we were very different, but now I see that we are alike in many ways. He thinks I'm funny. He still flirts with me. He loves his children and grandchildren. He loves me in spite of my shortcomings. He was my biggest strength when I had my operation to have my both my knees replaced. He worries about me still. He is a hard worker. He has remained strong in the church even though he is the only member in his family. He loves my family.
Happy Birthday! I love you!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
PHOTO QUESTION
Just thought I'd ask this question - does anyone recognize the picture on my blog? Do you know where this is?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
FOR ONE MORE DAY
I just finished reading Mitch Albom's newest book, For One More Day. I thought this was a great book. It is the story of a man who is given the chance, in a very unique way, of having one more day with his mother, who passed a way several years before. In this "one more day" he spends with his mother, he has the opportunity to heal himself through questions that are answered about his life as well as his mother's and father's lives. He also has the opportunity to say the things he didn't say before she died.
This book made me think a lot. It made me think of my own mother and father and my relationship, past and present, with them. It made me think of my own kids and their relationship, past and present, with me. It also made me think who I might want "one more day" with. I haven't totally answered this question yet. I don't know if I would want "one more day" with someone I have known. What I would like more is "one day" with someone I have never met. My father's sister was murdered by her husband, who then killed himself. I would like "one day" with her, I guess to just be nosey and ask her about her life and tell her how devastating the whole thing was to her children who had to continue to live their lives afterwards. Another person I would like "one day" with is my dad's father. He died, I think, when I was a year old. I would like to ask him about his life, and about my dad's life as a boy.
I guess if I were to pick someone to have "one more day" with, I would pick my grandfather, my mother's dad, mostly because I miss him. I think I was closer to my grandfather than I was to my grandmother. My grandfather was always teasing and making jokes. I think I only had one serious conversation with him in my whole life (of which I won't go into here). Maybe that is what I would talk to him about. I would be serious, just for part of the day, and talk to him about his life, and his testimony. Then maybe the rest of the day we could go back to joking around and teasing again. :0}
Who would your "one more day" be with?
This book made me think a lot. It made me think of my own mother and father and my relationship, past and present, with them. It made me think of my own kids and their relationship, past and present, with me. It also made me think who I might want "one more day" with. I haven't totally answered this question yet. I don't know if I would want "one more day" with someone I have known. What I would like more is "one day" with someone I have never met. My father's sister was murdered by her husband, who then killed himself. I would like "one day" with her, I guess to just be nosey and ask her about her life and tell her how devastating the whole thing was to her children who had to continue to live their lives afterwards. Another person I would like "one day" with is my dad's father. He died, I think, when I was a year old. I would like to ask him about his life, and about my dad's life as a boy.
I guess if I were to pick someone to have "one more day" with, I would pick my grandfather, my mother's dad, mostly because I miss him. I think I was closer to my grandfather than I was to my grandmother. My grandfather was always teasing and making jokes. I think I only had one serious conversation with him in my whole life (of which I won't go into here). Maybe that is what I would talk to him about. I would be serious, just for part of the day, and talk to him about his life, and his testimony. Then maybe the rest of the day we could go back to joking around and teasing again. :0}
Who would your "one more day" be with?
Monday, March 24, 2008
SACRIFICE BRINGS FORTH THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN
My husband teaches the Adult Sunday School class at our church. I have been reflecting on the lesson he taught Sunday. In this lesson, one thing he talked about was sacrifice, and how we think sometimes we are sacrificing certain things in our lives. He read a few really good quotes that have made me think about my own life. Here they are:
"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power proficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life". - N.B. Lundwall
"Sacrifice pertains to mortality; in the eternal sense there is none. Sacrifice involves giving up of the things of this world because of the promises of blessings to be gained in a better world. In the eternal perspective there is no sacrifice in giving up all things - even including the laying down of one's life - if eternal life is gained through such a course." - Bruce R. McConkie
"We once knew our Elder Brother and His and our Father in Heaven. We rejoiced at the prospects of earth life that could make it possible for us to have a fulness of joy. We could hardly wait to demonstrate to our Father and our Brother, the Lord, how much we loved them and how we would be obedient to them in spite of the earthly opposition to the evil one.
"Now we are here. Our memories are veiled. We are showing God and ourselves what we can do. Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side to realize how well we know our Father, and how familiar his face is to us.
"God loves us. He is waching us. He wants us to succeed. We will know some day that He has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew it, heavenly hosts are pulling for us - friends in heaven that we cannot now remember who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do - what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly make for God. If we give our all, we will get His all from the greatest of all.
"Give God your best and His best will come back to you." - President Ezra Taft Benson
"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power proficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life". - N.B. Lundwall
"Sacrifice pertains to mortality; in the eternal sense there is none. Sacrifice involves giving up of the things of this world because of the promises of blessings to be gained in a better world. In the eternal perspective there is no sacrifice in giving up all things - even including the laying down of one's life - if eternal life is gained through such a course." - Bruce R. McConkie
"We once knew our Elder Brother and His and our Father in Heaven. We rejoiced at the prospects of earth life that could make it possible for us to have a fulness of joy. We could hardly wait to demonstrate to our Father and our Brother, the Lord, how much we loved them and how we would be obedient to them in spite of the earthly opposition to the evil one.
"Now we are here. Our memories are veiled. We are showing God and ourselves what we can do. Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side to realize how well we know our Father, and how familiar his face is to us.
"God loves us. He is waching us. He wants us to succeed. We will know some day that He has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew it, heavenly hosts are pulling for us - friends in heaven that we cannot now remember who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do - what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly make for God. If we give our all, we will get His all from the greatest of all.
"Give God your best and His best will come back to you." - President Ezra Taft Benson
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
