Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. It’s hard to believe that we are two weeks into the new year already. I know resolutions can be hard to make and stick to, so I wish you luck on whatever you are trying to improve. But remember, you are the best you this world has!
Quote of the week: “Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” –C.S. Lewis
Movie of the week: The movie I would like to suggest this week is an older movie called Yours, Mine & Ours, starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. The premise is that two people who had children from previous marriages meet, fall in love, and get married. It is a comedic display of the chaos that comes from blending two different families. Personalities clash, but love wins out overall. I hope you like it.
Joke of the week: An iPhone and a firework were arrested on New Year’s Eve. One was charged and the other was let off.
Nugget of Wisdom for the week: The theme for this blog post is blended families. I have a blended family. My parents divorced when I was 15. My dad remarried first, with a little brother arriving a year later. My sister and I suddenly had two stepsisters and a baby brother. I also have stepsiblings from my mother’s second marriage. Sometimes having a blended family can be complicated. Certain personalities may not get along. One child seems to get away with anything. I want to encourage you to take a look at the family that surrounds you. Each person is special and has a great deal to contribute. Will you always get along? Of course, not…but don’t let that keep you from being yourself.
Podcast of the week: This week, Dr. John DeGarmo is speaking with award-winning author Clark Burbridge on the topic of blended families. With his wife, Leah, Burbridge raises their 10 children; he is also a CFO, cyclist, and scuba diver. Click here to listen as Dr. John and Clark discuss how to live in a large family made up of members from many different backgrounds…whether it be the result of foster care or divorce and remarriage.
Have a great week. Remember, you are most awesome and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has 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.
