What you are about to read is a REAL EXPERIENCE that happened to me today. After I managed to re-group, I got to thinking about my role as a parent. What have I really taught my daughter in 18 years? Did I fail as a parent? Have I made her too dependent on me? Can she really survive on her own without my interference?

I am like most parents who only want the best for her child so have I failed to make the grade?

Here's the story:

I get up at 5am, shower, dress and finishing packing the car for the two hour college road trip.

We get to the place my daughter says is where orientation is going to be held. Nobody's there. It was the Animal Sciences Building. (That should've been my first clue that something wasn't quite right).

Then I see a lady walking towards the building. I ask her if she knows anything about student orientation. She did not. (That's certainly another clue! How can a University employee not know what's going on???)

My daughter, who went into the Animal Science building, comes out and says student orientation and freshman move in was CHANGED to Thursday, August 14.

OK so how come we weren't notified? I drive to the Admissions office, desperately seeking someone to give me some answers. The building is wide open but no one is inside.

Just as I was getting back in the car, a man drove up. He identified himself as the Chief of Staff to the Chancellor. I told him I was not a happy parent since I drove all the way up there for an orientation that wasn't taking place.

He said all parents and students were supposed to have been notified of the change. Well, it seems everyone else got the memo but my daughter and me---

OH BUT WAIT A MINUTE---she did get notified we learned upon our return home. It was an UNOPENED email dated Friday, August 8!

OH BUT WAIT A MINUTE---there was also a scroll going across the website when I went to check into it.

So we'll be doing the same thing all over again tomorrow but at least this time, the car is already packed!

When I meditated on the word: “Guidance“, I kept seeing ‘dance’ at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.

It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word: Guidance.

When I saw ‘G‘: I thought of God, followed by ‘u’ and ‘i‘.

‘God, ‘u’ and ‘i’ dance.’

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.

And I Hope You Dance

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back-

Time

Words

Opportunity

Three things in life that are most valuable –

Love

Self-confidence

Friends

*Three things in life that are never certain *–

Dreams

Success

Fortune

Three things that make a man/woman –

Hard work

Sincerity

Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman –

Alcohol

Pride

Anger

Three things in life that, once lost, hard to build-up –

Respect

Trust

Friendship

P.——-pray

U.——until

S.——something

H.——happens

We‘re in the midst of the summer wedding season. One of the most important decisions a bride will have to make is what songs she would like to hear on her big day.

The cool thing about baby boomers getting married is we get to re-live the music we grew up with, made out with and fell in love with. We remember a time when certain songs made your heart melt.

Here is my list of Top Ten Baby Boomer Wedding Songs (in no particular order):

And I Love Her—The Beatles
I Only Have Eyes for You—The Flamingos
At Last—Etta James
Love Can Make You Happy—Mercy
Groovy Kind of Love—Mindbenders
Hopelessly Devoted to You—Olivia Newton John
For Once in My Life—Stevie Wonder
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours—Stevie Wonder
Words—The Bee Gees
Unforgettable—Nat King Cole (mixed with his daughter Natalie Cole)

What would you add to the list?

I hear it all the time: “You don't look old enough to be a grandparent." As a 51-year-old baby boomer, I am among a growing trend of women who are not only wives and mothers---we are also grandmothers.

Personally, I don’t mind being called grandma by my two-year-old grandson but there are some baby boomers who shun the notion of being identified as the traditional "grandma" and "grandpa."

Gone are the days when you saw gray-haired women wearing their hair in buns and dresses near their ankles. They are no longer baking cookies for the grandkids and sitting in rocking chairs. Today’s grandmothers are, more than likely, still in the workforce or entrepreneurs. They are probably also more likely to take an active role in their grandchildren's day-to-day lives.

So what do you call today’s “new grandma”? Is it acceptable for a grandchild to call his/her grandmother by her first name?

I’ve been pretty busy lately trying to put the finishing touches on my upcoming books. One of them is “Lies Women Tell” (that title will be changing).

What I’m looking for are short (very short) stories about “lies” you may have told during your lifetime.

You may have lied to an old boyfriend or you may have a lie you told a family member.

What about a lie you told years ago that is STILL A LIE? I’m breaking the book up into categories:

Lies women tell to each other
Lies women tell to men
Lies women tell to their children and about their children to others.
Lies women tell their parents

Please PM me at beverly@talk2bev.com with your story. It can be funny or whatever. I also want to know if you got caught in your lie and what lesson you learned from it.

One example I received is from a woman who said she learned to lie better after she got caught the second time.

I realize there are some who may not want their names mentioned due to the sensitive nature of the book and if that’s the case, just send me how you want to be identified: initials—-middle name only—-or something creative.

I will be selecting about a dozen stories from the ones I receive.

By the way, the book is supposed to be available in October.

Thanks in advance for your help.