Sunday, September 24, 2006
ARE YOU SURE?????A new question has arose in my life....When people find out that we are going to adopt a little girl from China, the first question is:
Why China?The second question is:
ARE YOU SURE?Now, I could sit here and write down a list of all the Pros and the Cons as to starting a family after so many years of it just being the two of US and maybe someday I will write it and post it, but for now the answer came in a email to me. I thought it was too good to not share.
As always Be Good and Be Safe.The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.
But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
$8,896.66 a year,
$741.38 a month, or
$171.08 a week.
That's a mere $24.24 a day!
Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?
Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:
finger-paint,
carve pumpkins,
play hide-and-seek,
catch lightning bugs, and
never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
watching Saturday morning cartoons,
going to Disney movies, and
wishing on stars.
You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
taking the training wheels off a bike,
removing a splinter,
filling a wading pool,
coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs
coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat to history to witness the:
first step,
first word,
first bra,
first date, and
first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!
Labels: Adoption
| posted by Unknown at 7:07 PM
Monday, September 18, 2006
DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR FRIENDS
In two of my previous post I spoke of how short life is and not to take anything for granted. Once again we were slammed with the sudden death of a good friend. Last Tuesday on September 12, Andrew’s good friends and bowling partner died at the age of 55. We met Jim and his wife Ronnie over 10 years ago, at where else, but on a bowling league. Over the years there has been many, birthdays celebration, graduations, bowling tournaments across the state, BBQ’s, Sunday morning bowling practices and Sunday night dinners. You think you know someone and then they die. As we sat at the wake on Thursday night with friends from the bowling league and listened to the stories people were telling of Jim we were surprised that we didn’t know all sides of him, the active member of the K.O.C, the man who went to the 7am mass every Sunday with a bag of food for the less fortunate and the storyteller. Of course on Friday night as we were driving home from the funeral we had a terrible storm here on Long Island. Pouring rain, thunder and lighting. OK Jim, we get it, you arrived home safe and made the starting lineup on the Angels bowling team. Rest In Peace Our Friend, you will be missed. As always be good and be safe.
| posted by Unknown at 5:31 PM
Monday, September 11, 2006
Do you remember how you felt on this day five years ago? The promises you made to god and yourself? Although I lose my patiences at times with the people in my life, I know how quickly the people you love can be gone. I try to always let those in my life know what they mean to me. Try to take a moment out of your day and let those in your life know what they mean to you. As always Be Good and Be Safe.
| posted by Unknown at 12:14 PM
