Advice I Sometimes Forget

I am writing this post today for a therapeutic release. Also, I know that I can come back and reference it later if I need to be reminded of how I felt today.Every night before I say my prayers and fall asleep I have a nightly routine of reading the news and looking at Facebook on my phone. This routine helps me to relax and unwind but on some nights, like last night, I will read or see something that doesn't set well with me. As I looked at Facebook last night I came across something that hurt my feelings pretty bad and today when I woke up those feelings were still there. Not knowing how to handle these feelings I feel like God placed me at the doorstep of a dear sweet friend of mine. She has been having some personal struggles and just needed to vent and be reassured that she is doing a good job handling things in her life. As we talked about things I felt the urge to give her the rules of my life that I try to follow. Sometimes I am not great a following these rules and need a kick in my rear from Mark or my mom to remind me of my own advice. Here is the rules that I have established for myself since Jakob's diagnosis last year: 1) Jakob's diagnosis does NOT define him. It is only a small portion of the puzzle that makes him my Jakob. I know that Jakob is a handful at times but that doesn't give people a right to talk about us or laugh behind our backs. Walk a mile in our shoes before you pass judgement on what you think is bad parenting or a bad child that just needs discipline. 2) Struggles will either make you or break you. I choose to let them make me! 3) You are your child's biggest fan and advocate in life. Speak up!! 4) Get thicker skin. You may think I put up a tough wall and exterior but I still have feelings and they do get hurt. (I wonder when things really won't bother me anymore). 5) When struggles happen to you or your family you figure out real quick who your real friends are. Not all of these rules apply to her or her situation but I hope that I did some good in her life today. I also hope that she knows how much her friendship means to me and that I will always be there for her to talk to.