It Is What It Is: The Challenge

If you are on Facebook, or possibly any other social media site, chances are you have been called out to do some sort of challange: the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, 100 Days of Happiness Challenge, 7 Days of Gratitude Challenge, etc.

Pretty much what happens is someone is called out or "challenged" by one or more of their wonderful friends. Then you have to either make a video, donate, post daily or any combination of whatever the challenge is. You then have the right to "call ou"t or challenge 3 people of your choice.

Call me cynical but I have been called out on them all and have ignored them all. To me, it's a version of the chain email or letter. If you don't forward this letter/email any number if bad things can happen. Conversely, if you forward to a certain number of people blessings, riches and generally good things will be yours. Not happenin'.

Where am I going with this? Well, 2 days ago would have been my parents 55 wedding anniversary. My mom passed away in June of 2010 from breast cancer that had eventually moved to her lungs. One of the things I am most grateful for is her insistence that the family travel.

We were lucky growing up that my dad was a pilot and we got to go many places for almost FREE! Back in the "golden days of air travel", we went in first class many times. We would come home to hear, "pack up, kids. Your father has a 3 day layover in____. We are all going." We went to tons of places, all over the US, the Carribean and even Europe. Even after we were grown with families, we took cruises and field trips as a family. She wanted the grandchildren to see places such as New York City, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii. We are all sorry that she wasn't around cruise back to the place where it all started, Bermuda, the beloved island of my parents honeymoon.

I am so grateful for the opportunities that were given to us, and to the grandchildren. My children have gotten to experience places that we would NEVER have been able to provide in today's economy. And had not Bobbi Pocher been in charge, I would never have had those opportunities either.
So, I'm raising my glass to my parents, Charles and Bobbi Pocher. Cheers! I'm grateful and thankful. Personal, private and I'm not videoing or calling anyone out.

It is what it is...
Namaste

Christmas 1967