Bethgribas's Blog

I Wanted

bethgribas — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:48:18 +0000

The Soldier

bethgribas — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:46:17 +0000

The Beginning of My Faith

bethgribas — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:44:58 +0000

Depression

bethgribas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:05:37 +0000

The Tale of Sebastian and Zoe

bethgribas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:02:10 +0000

Life gets complicated. You don’t always see it coming either. One day you just wake up and suddenly you are an adult with responsibilities at work and at home. There is money to be made, bills to be paid, family to be clothed and fed and the list goes on. You get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life in the fast lane that you forget to take time out to recharge your batteries. My sister, Rebecca, told me a story about my nephew a couple of years ago and it warms my heart every time I think about it. It makes me realize that we all just need to slow it down and enjoy these random moments.

My four year old nephew, Sebastian, asked his mother if he could go downstairs and get a drink out of the refrigerator. She readily agreed and continued on with what she was doing. After several minutes, my sister noticed that Sebastian had not returned. She turned to the family dog, a black lab, and said, “Zoe, go downstairs and get Sebastian.” The dog did as she was told and headed for the kitchen. A few more minutes passed and neither the dog nor the boy had come back upstairs. Rebecca headed downstairs to see what had become of them. (She should have known they were up to no good because the house was silent!) She rounded the corner of the stairs and stopped dead in her tracks at the entrance to the kitchen. There stood Zoe covered in butter from the tip of her nose to the tip of her wagging tail. Sebastian was caught in the act of smearing it on her sides. Rebecca quickly washed Sebastian’s hands and sent him to his room. She took Zoe outside and tried to the wash the yellow, greasy butter off the dog. When this task was completed, and her temper somewhat subsided, she headed upstairs to talk with Sebastian.

“Sebastian, you know it was wrong to put butter all over the dog, right?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Then why did you do it?” Rebecca queried.

He looked her straight in the eye and burst out laughing, “Because I wanted to. It was so funny!”

Well, that was hard to argue with. It would have been hilarious to see. It reminds me that we should not always take life so seriously that we forget the little things that bring us such joy. Please be assured that no dogs were harmed in this story. In fact, Zoe’s fur looked pretty shiny.

–Beth Gribas
Copyright 2008

True Patriotism

bethgribas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:58:22 +0000

Patriotism gets drug out at Fourth of July, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day and Election Day. The rest of the time people literally hide their patriotism by shoving the flag into the hall closet. The rest of the year they grumble about the Republicans or the Democrats or the Liberals or the Conservatives. They grumble about too many taxes and not enough government programs for this or that. They say the government is meddling where they don’t belong and some say the government isn’t doing enough. People complain that not enough is being done to protect the home front and then complain when there are delays at the airports because of security checks.

I wish that those people could appreciate the freedoms that they have as citizens of the United States. Are we a perfect nation? No, there is no perfect country, no Utopia. But what we do have is freedom. We can read the books we choose, listen to the music of our choice, elect the officials to government offices, travel where we wish, provide an education to our children, give equal rights to our citizens, and we can grumble and complain about our government without fear of retribution. Patriotism should be an everyday thing. Flags should be proudly displayed every day, not just on holidays or times of national crisis.

An e-mail was circulated recently that said we should all wear red shirts on a certain date to show our solidarity, our patriotism but I challenge you to let your actions, not your clothes, reflect your patriotism. We need to be more tolerant of the various religions that comprise our nation and of the rights of those who choose not to believe at all. We need to show tolerance for people of all nations though their views differ from ours. We need to recognize their right to exist without sacrificing our rights and the principles that we founded our nation on. We don’t have to agree with all the choices our government officials make, but they are making difficult decisions in difficult times. They are attempting to shine as a beacon of freedom for other countries, so that they, too, can achieve freedom.

Are you up to the challenge personally to exhibit small acts of patriotism? Trust me, the other countries are watching. Let them see US flags flying proudly, every day of the year at homes as well as businesses. Let them see a nation united in the belief that democracy is the way to go. Let them see that while we disagree over certain issues, we agree on our right to disagree, to illicit change through thought and democratic actions rather than through military coops. I will fly my flag proudly from my front porch. I will show kindness to all I meet. I will show tolerance for those whose opinions are different than mine. I will show true patriotism.

Beth Gribas
Copyright 2007

Published in The Gull’s Cry
A student publication of Gulf Coast Community College

THE ALMOST-EMPTY NEST SYNDROME

bethgribas — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:52:30 +0000

I’m sure you’ve read about, and maybe experienced, the phenomena called “empty nest syndrome.” Well, the syndrome that precedes it is rarely talked about. I call it the “almost-empty nest syndrome.” It affects parents of ‘tweens and teens and differs from the traditional empty nest syndrome in that the kids are still home (occasionally), asking for the car keys, hogging the phone and raiding the refrigerator. These ‘tweens and teens rarely speak when spoken to except to ask to be driven somewhere or to borrow money.

I recently became aware of the phenomena when I returned home from dropping my thirteen-year-old daughter and friends at the mall and my fourteen-year-old son at the movies. My sixteen-year-old was out with his buddies as was my still-living-at-home twenty-year-old son. My husband sat in his recliner channel-surfing as I plopped down on the couch. I idly scratched the dog’s belly. “Do you hear that?” I asked excitedly. “What? I don’t hear anything,” replied my husband. “Exactly! That’s what I mean, no noise,” I exclaimed in awe. We eyed each other across the living room. “What do you want to do now?” I asked. “Get something to eat,” he suggested. “You mean just the two of us? It’s been so long, will we know how to act?”

We got in the car and headed to a local restaurant, barely saying two words. Feeling almost like a first date, we were nervous, unsure of each other. We took our seats and placed our orders. We locked eyes and began a conversation. Instead of romantic bantering, we talked of our children. About our hopes and dreams, their schooling, their futures. We reminisced of their childhood antics. Conversation crept around to what life-without-kids would be like in the not-so-distant future. We talked about buying an RV and traveling, of taking an Alaskan cruise, of down-sizing our home. It was starting to sound quite enticing. Before we finished the meal, the cell phone rang. The here-and-now was calling. The girls needed to be picked up. As we gathered up our things and headed to the car, the cell phone rang again. Our son needed a ride home. We climbed into the car with visions of the future swirling in our heads. Time enough for us in the future but for now, we will enjoy the last few years with our children at home.

Almost-empty nest syndrome lasts only a couple of years and is a training ground for both parents and teens. Parents learn to rekindle a relationship that got sidetracked by the day-to-day life with kids, to begin to be a “couple” again. Teens learn independence, important social skills and how to ask for the car keys.

Printed in Bay Life Magazine

Hello world!

bethgribas — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:58:27 +0000

This is my first blog. I was inspired by my cousin at www.irisheyes756.wordpress.com. Thanks for the inspiration Brenda.

I turned 50 years old on January 7th of this new year. I have been married for 27 years and am mother to four: Alex (24), Jake (20), Zachary (17), and Kaitlyn (16). I am a dog lover and have four of those as well: Annie, Elsie, Peanut, and Silky.

I graduated from The Florida State University (Panama City Campus) on December 13, 2009 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in communication but I don’t actually walk the stage until May 2, 2010. I got the email Saturday that the diplomas have been mailed. I can’t wait to get mine and have it framed. I have worked very hard to reach this milestone and I am receiving it later than most. I plan now to sit back and take some time off and write a little each day.