Acceptance /defiance

[Lin]

Today I am using ACCEPTANCe to help me have a godo day.

We have a family situation. There was a 36 yer old cousin who died over a year ago. Her 6 year old son lives where with HIS dad. Her other 2 kids live in Indiana with their grandmnoother. A situation happened in Nov. and the young one is not allowed to go back to Indiana. (it involved Marijuana) Today we are celebrating the 16 year old sister's birthday and I offered to have the dinner at my house so we can be with the 6 year old little brother. It seems it is the only way for now he can even see his brother, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. So the dinner is here. We planned it 6 weks ago.

Last ngiht the little boy called and said he was spending the night with a friend and woudl nto be home early. Instead of trying to lay a guyilt trip on him..I was very swet. I told him to have a great time with his freind. I told him I know his cousins and his sister andbrother really do want to spend some tiems with him..so whatever time he gets home, to call me and I'll come and get him. He said he'd call.

So I am using acceptance. The original plan fell through a bit..but HOPEFULLY he will be home by 12 or 1 and we can get to see him and spend some quality time with him. I'd take an hour even.

So I am not angry and won't be when the others get here and find he will probably be late. He's little and may not realize the importance of this. SO I am accepting that he said h'ed at least call me when he gets in.

No need to get defiant over it all. Accepting the things I cannot change.
He can't go to Indiana.
He wantd to spend the night with his freind.
The party is alreadyt -planned and too late to change the location.
He said he'd call..so we will wait and see how much time we get to spend with him.

LIN

[caressa]

Acceptance is a big thing. More importantly, a big healing tool. For me it is the pathway to serenity. Thanks for sharing.

[Lin]

The party is over. The problems kept coming and I jstu accepted each one and did the next right thing.

WHen the first guessts arrived they had bad news. The grandfather does nto live with them. HE was assigned to smoke the meat and bring the drinks. They called him to see if he was ready and he thought it was NEXT weekend. SO they came over and told us..no chips, no meat, no drinks. This was 10:30 and dinner at 11. LOL So I asked my husband to run to SAM's and get a meat tray, chips and drinks. He did that and got home about 11. By then we had made some side dishes, and the little cousin called and was ready to come over. I picked him up and we all got to sit down to lunch about 11:15. The day was fine. We had a nice dinner...not the dinner we had planned, but it came out fine. The dogs were good and the children were fine. (I had to keep reminding them to not throw baseballs and toys in the house or toward the vehicles, but noting got broken.)

Accepting that this was how it was supposed to turn out.

LIN