July 15th. It has been a while since my last entry. As soon as I walked in the front door after being gone a month, my hectic life as a wife and mother of four consumed my time and then some. It was good to be back with my family, but the obligations of a wife and mother are frustratingly endless. A mother can NEVER sit down and feel as though she can relax because she is "caught up". I am also back to not having the solitude to keep a train of thought.....some of you know what I mean. It seems as though every time I am on the verge of solving the mystery of the universe, a child interrupts my thoughts to ask for money! Teenage years are tough. There is all the stress of being a parent, but none of the hugs and kisses they were so full of as youngsters. We went to a July 4th party and a friend was complaining that he was the only one in his household of four that cared about being environmentally friendly. It is so difficult to be environmentally responsible...especially if it seems your family is working against your efforts. Some days I want to scream- and I do loudly! But ultimately, I believe it doesn't matter what anyone else does. It would be great if they were supportive and helped, but even if it seems everyone is sabotaging my efforts, it is important to continue acting responsibly and doing what I believe is "the right thing". I am the one who ultimately has to answer to God for my actions...no one else. There are no "whipping boys" to be held accountable for what I have or have not done. In addition, I am accountable to myself, and I have high standards. So, I am heading out to Michigan State for parent orientation, and will be gone for four days. In the meantime, I have a prescription for all of you. Practice three random acts of kindness: be it picking up someone else's litter, buying a little old lady some groceries, or complimenting the cashier who is scanning your groceries. You will be amazed at the mood elevating effects of your random acts. The greatest thing about them is they are catchy. I promise. Let me know, mimi