The Golden Rule

I hope everyone had as great a Valentine's Day as Katie and I.  AND I hope that some of you followed my advice and made a gift for your significant other.  Katie and I both made gifts for each other and we both loved them! Plus, we didn't break the bank (bonus!).  She wrote me a wonderful and heartfelt card, made me a CD of songs that remind her of me and us, and bought me an apple pie! Did you know that she is a fantabulous wife?!  I gave her a card, flowers (tulips), 2 prenatal massages, and made her a book out of a deck of cards about the 52 things that I love about her.

Regardless of whether you made or bought (or both) gifts for your special someone, I bet you were really appreciative of what they gave you.  You most likely said "Thank you" and "Your welcome" (or some form of those words) to them.  If not, shame on you :)

However, what this brings me to is the infamous Golden Rule  (like how I put it in gold?).  "Treat others the way you wish to be treated."  Haven't we heard this since we were in kindergarten or even before that? Yet, I see people every day doing nasty things to each other.  I see this in my elementary school as well.  Students continue to bully each other, and instead of turning the other cheek and showing them love and understanding, they bully them right back.


Now I understand that I am talking about young children, and I know that sometimes they are irrational and retaliate before thinking through their actions.  BUT, I have also come to understand that they mimic adults more and more the older that they get.  So what does this say about us as adults and parents?  Why do we find it so hard to show our bullies (I wanted to use enemies, but I thought that might be a little strong) how to treat other people?  Why do we choose to yell, or swear, or hit, or degrade each other instead?


Don't go thinking that I am excluding myself, because I have done my fair share of bullying.  But, I need to do more showing, and less telling, of the Golden Rule, especially to my students.  I need to learn to have more patience with them when they become difficult.  I need to show them how to control their frustration and channel it into appropriate responses and actions at ALL times.  I feel that I have done a better job with this aspect of my teaching this year compared to last, but it is no where near where I want it to be.


So, will you take another small adventure with me, and try to show people how to love their neighbor and model the Golden Rule for everyone?  I hope that you do, because their are a lot of people out there that need to be shown the way.


Until Next Time,
Mr. Ryan

Too Much Money = No Love

UPDATE: Swear Jar total = $12.75 <---- Not too bad!! I have gone days without swearing at a time! Progress!!!

So it has been a bit since I have posted, but that also means that I have a lot of things on my mind.  I have been extremely busy with school, birthing classes, and randomness around the house.  However, that does not mean that I have not noticed that Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  Now I know that many of you believe that Valentine's Day was created by the candy companies, myself included, but that does not mean that we can't take advantage of a holiday that celebrates love.

She's my best friend and the love of my life!

Fellas, we could spend hours talking about all the money that we "have" to spend on the women that "demand" these gifts from us every year.  But, if we took the time to actually listen to the #1's in our lives we might hear what they want us to hear.  It doesn't matter how much you spend, it's how much thought that you put into it.

I can already hear what you are saying, "Ok Kirk, that is what they say, but not what they mean. They want a lot of flowers and expensive jewelry."  Now there might some women out there that will truly judge you by how much you spend on them, and if you are with a woman that is like that, do you really think a shallow person like that is worth being with?

I can honestly say that I don't remember what I did for Katie last year, other than the fact that I gave her flowers.  I also asked her if she could remember, and she couldn't.  THAT is how memorable our Valentine's Day was last year.  THAT is how memorable my gift was.

This year is going to be different.  I have learned that when you put your time, love, and effort into a gift people tend to remember it.  I have been working on a gift for Katie has taken some time, thought, effort, and love.

Now, of course I am not going to tell you what it is, because she will most likely read this (Hi Sweetie!).  But what I am trying to do is help all of you figure out some ways to show the love of your life how much she means to you without breaking your wallet, but also making your gift(s) memorable!

Flowers - Don't go with roses, they are expensive and overrated.  Go with some exotic flowers that POP! Plus, sometimes they go on sale during Valentine's Day.

Chocolates - Buying a box of chocolates is expensive! A better idea is to make your own chocolate treats.  Maybe make some chocolate covered strawberries, pineapple, or cherries.

Gifts - There are so many ideas out there (google it).  But some ideas off the top of my head are: Make her a special dinner, a picture frame with a picture of the two of you, or a short poem.

Whatever you decide to do, even if it is just flowers, make sure that she knows how much she means to you.

Until Next Time,
Mr. Ryan