Wednesday Hodgepodge Vol. 387

I was so excited for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, but then the last two weeks I have been so busy, I haven’t been able to play along! I am finally catching my breath after our latest budget event at work, so now it is time to join up!

If you haven’t heard or participated in the Wednesday Hodgepodge, Joyce posts some random questions on her page at From this Side of the Pond, answer them on your own blog – then come back on Wednesday’s and link up for some random question fun!

Ready? Let’s go.

1. It’s fall y’all. What’s something you love about this season and also something you don’t? 

I LOVE this time of year! The crispness in the air, the leaves changing, the signs that another summer is gone (i HATE SUMMER!). I love Halloween and Thanksgiving, pumpkins, apples… the whole thing! I do, however, hate that the bugs start to make their way inside for the cold season coming up. It always seems we have a TON of spiders. Ick. They are the one “Halloween” thing I hate!

2. When you think of the colors of fall, which one is your favorite? Is there somewhere you could easily day trip to see the leaves in all their glory? Will you? 

I love the burgundy of the maple trees. It just always screams fall to me. I think it is because we had two maple trees in our yard while I was growing up. I am not big on the oranges or golds… burgundy is what screams fall to me.

Anywhere around me allows an breathtaking experience of “leaf peeping.” There are a few short drives near me where the leaves create a canopy of color over the road and it is beautiful. I am sure sometime soon the kids and I will head out for a drive to check out the fall colors.

3. What’s one thing you’ve let ‘fall’ by the wayside during this season of staying home and staying away?

Getting dressed and taking a shower until later in the afternoon. With working from home, I literally just roll out of bed and start working. I usually don’t take a shower and change out of my pajamas (if I even put on regular clothes) until about 3:30 or so.

4. If you’re wearing a sweater is it most likely a cardigan, crew neck, v-neck, or zip up hoodie? 

Do you have a camera on me or something?! I am actually wearing a zip-up hoodie right now I rarely wear any other type of sweater or sweat shirt.

5. What’s your secret to dealing with change? 

Years ago, my daddy told me that change is good – it means we are growing and evolving and becoming better at something. I have always tried to embrace change. My mom says I “roll with it” and I do – you either roll with it or get left behind. In my career, there are always changes being made and it is less stressful and easier if you just embrace it and try to make the most of it – nothing is guaranteed and life is way to short to be stressed out or resistant to something that occurs anyways.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

September 22nd marked the 20-year anniversary of my brother’s death. I have always hated September because of this. We had a 20-year virtual memorial for him – and it upset me that all his friends who were said they were coming didn’t show up. I was mad for a couple of days, but then came to the realization. I can’t change them – it’s all on them. Those who did show up told mom and I some great stories and had wonderful memories of my brother that they shared with the group.

One friend of his, reminded us how they had to shut down our town’s streets for the funeral procession to get to the cemetery. I remember we were at the cemetery and cars were still leaving the church across town – there were that many people at his funeral! People came out of businesses and stood at the street to honor him, as the hearse passed by.

I never truly “got” it the last 20 years until we had our memorial. I was gathering photos and poems and newspaper articles of the accident to create a memorial slideshow. Jeff touched countless lives – he was a supporter and encourager of the underdogs. He helped out others without any expectation of anything in return. He literally would give people the his shirt – or shoes – if they needed them.

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

Pericles

After I realized my anger of those who supposedly loved him most not showing up for his memorial, I realized – who cares? He lives on in the memory of those whose lives he touched whether they realized it or not.

My goal in life is to strive daily to be as strong and compassionate and loving as my brother was in the 17 short years he was alive. My brother was my hero, and while I miss him every day… I want to leave a legacy like he did.