Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you.
Happy Birthday to all of you who turned a year older this past week. And Happy Anniversary to you and your loved one for reaching another milestone year together.
Quote of the Week: “Your worth consists in what you are, and not in what you have. What you are will show in what you do.” Thomas Davidson
Random Thought of the Week: Stay true to yourself. An original is worth more than a copy.
Song of the Week: While driving around doing errands with Jacob today, we listened to my Taylor Swift playlist. One of the songs is “Me,” a duet between Taylor and Brendon Urie. It’s a fun song talking about all the ways both people are different. It’s a good thing that everyone isn’t the same…the world would be boring. My husband and I are about as different in every way you can be different; this year will be our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Fortune (Cookie) of the Week: I know what you’re thinking…what can a fortune cookie possibly tell us about ourselves? Well, I’m glad you asked. I hit a bit of writer’s block this week, so I did a throwback to 2023 when I did a run on using fortune cookie strips for inspiration. Please bear with me.
The fortune you seek is already within you. First, I want to tell you that I have common sense, and I know that fortune cookie strips are meant for entertainment purposes only.
Let’s take a look at this. “The fortune you seek is already within you.” I have spent a lot of time in my life thinking less of myself than I should because I felt I didn’t measure up. When I worked in the educational field, especially as a teaching assistant, I discounted my value in actually having the ability to teach material to students because I did not have a degree. I let that slip of paper define who I thought I was. I constantly negated any value I thought I had by saying, “I’m not a real teacher.” Though I didn’t go to college for education, I had plenty of experience as a mother to use in the classroom. I often said I wore my “mom glasses” when dealing with students. The funny thing about that was I often had insights about the students that the “actual teachers” missed.
The main point I want to get across to you is not to look to others to make you feel valued. It’s like what Dorothy said in “The Wizard of Oz” about looking elsewhere for your heart’s desire. Instead of being in your own backyard, it’s within yourself.
Food Suggestion of the Week: I don’t have a recipe for you this week, but I want to make a suggestion for a refreshing drink from Starbucks. First, I loved the Pineapple Passionfruit refreshers. But they discontinued them. Then, I moved to the Blackberry Sage refreshers, but they are seasonal. So, now, I’m drinking the Strawberry Acai refresher. They come with lemonade, but I like them better with water. I hope you like them!
Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to all the people who are finding peace with themselves. You are more than you think. As I always say, the world needs your kind of you.
Have a great weekend. Remember, you are most awesome, and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent and lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She is a freelance writer and blogger, having written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.