Tag: mothers
Are you ready for the primary?
One of my favorite sets of childhood memories is riding down to the neighborhood fire station with my mom to vote. Several of my family members were poll workers, so it was always a friendly experience that I looked forward to. The best part of the going to the poll was fake voting. 🙂 There were child-size voting machines there, so I got to click down the old school pegs and “cast” my vote as well. I’m sure this is one reason I’m civically engaged as an adult.
On Saturday, July 10, 2010, from 8:30 am to 5 pm, Fulton County is hosting its first Family Voting Day. Serving a dual purpose, this event will allow yet another opportunity to cast ballots for the primary election early, and it encourages families to vote together (and expose kids to the duty of being heard through voting).
It’s important to vote–but it’s imperative to be an educated voter. If you’re a Fulton County resident, below are some links to help you prepare for the Tuesday, July 20 primary. If you’re not a Fulton County resident, please visit your state’s Secretary of State website and your county government website to find information on registering to vote (deadlines and rules), poll locations, and candidates. Be engaged in your community.
- It’s too late to register to vote in the upcoming primary, but here is the link to future registration deadlines and election dates. You can still register to vote in future elections.
- Here’s a great guide to voting regulations in GA.
- Need to check your voter registration status or find out where your poll is? Click here.
- Are you not able to vote on the 20th or attend Family Voting Day? Here are the locations for early voting.
- Don’t know what we’re voting for in this election? Here are sample ballots: Democratic and Republican.
- Interested in upcoming debates? Go here. (Also, stay tuned for more information on the gubernatorial debate hosted Tau Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.)
- Finally, for more information about the candidates, visit this site.
Get involved. Remember that local politics are just as, if not more, important as national politics. Don’t just complain–identify your issues and make your voice heard. Voting is your bare minimum civic responsibility. Do your part.
Be true to you.
I got an extremely random set of text messages today, and it got me thinking. I want to share with you my conclusion from the exchange.
Lesson of the Day: Be true to yourself. Consider advice from others, but make your own decisions. Follow your own heart and conscience. At the end of the day, no one will live with ur regrets but you. So why be bound by other people’s opinions?
I was blessed to have parents who believed in letting me be me. When I was faced with the decision of whether or not to skip my senior year of high school and start college at 16, my mom said, “This one is on you. I’m not going to make this decision for you and have you resenting me one day if you don’t do what you really want.” I will always remember those words.
I truly believe everything happens as they are supposed to–but how we feel about all of everything depends on several factors. Attitude and perspective (during and after the fact) are part of it, but our regrets play a major role as well.
Listen up. You only have one life. Live it the way you’re led to live it. Don’t depend on anyone else to bestow upon you the dreams they have. Accept the ones God puts inside of you, and pursue those. Don’t wait for anyone’s permission. DO YOU.
Mothers and their Daughters
Today seems like one of those days that I’m supposed to pick up on a common theme. Well, a few seconds ago, I figured it out when my bestie emailed me the inspirational start of a story that’s destined for a happy ending. She and her mother are on a journey together to build up her mom’s spirit. And their closeness and today’s triumph reminded me immediately of an interchange my mom and I had this morning.
Somewhat randomly during a convo this morning, my mom said this:
You are such a joy to me. I just want you to know you live up to the renewal of hope your name invokes. Love you.
That made me tear up this morning, and it’s making me tear up now. (And on top of the teariness LYH’s email just invoked, I need to chill out before I’m on the extreme side of things I just mentioned!) The relationship between mother and daughter is an amazing one. I’ve spent my life loving my mom and trying to make her proud, and she spent hers trying to make my life exponentially better than hers. At some point, we transitioned from just a parent-child relationship to a parent-child-friends relationship. And now that I’m an adult, I understand the sacrifices she has made, and I worry about her probably just as much as she worries about me. Now, add to the loving and the making proud other things such as checking up on, praying for, trying to prevent worry and stress, defending and threatening on behalf of–all the stuff I owe her for being there for me since even before I was born.
Here’s to all the mothers and daughters out there who are ride or die with each other! We could not be where we are without the exceptional love of them, and we’re trying our best to return the favor now. Love you, mama!
Just the Two of Us 