Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you. It’s hard to believe we can almost check off three months into 2025. With Spring Break behind us, once TCAPS is over, the school year will finish quickly. This winter whiplash is beginning to calm down, but I am READY for consistently warm weather. Whatever you have planned this weekend, I hope you can enjoy every minute of it!
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: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” –from the movie Cool Hand Luke
Joke of the Week: My GPS told me a joke, but I didn’t get it. I was lost.
Song of the Week: Rupert Holmes is known mostly for his song “Escape-The Pina Colada Song.” Well, in 1979, he released a song called “Answering Machine.” It’s a fun song about a man who decides he is ready to settle down with his girl. He gives her a call but gets her machine. I won’t spoil it for you, but this is why communication is key. I hope you have fun with it.
Nugget of Wisdom of the Week: I’m sure you have noticed the theme for this week…communication. Communication is needed to effectively convey your wants, needs, and hopes for your life. If you make any mistakes, it could lead to unpleasant results.
As for the quote above, though I have never seen the movie from which it comes, my husband’s family has used it many times in jest when things get mixed up. I have always said there is a movie quote for almost any situation.
There are five C’s that are needed to get understandable communication across. They are clarity, conciseness, coherence, completeness, and courtesy. When I was the executive director of the TFACA, one of my colleagues taught me the importance of making sure you let the people you ask know how to do a job exactly how you are asking them to do it. This is where the clarity and conciseness come into play. But you must also ensure that it makes sense and that you have listed everything needed in the request. And be polite when asking.
I know what you’re thinking, that’s fine for work-related things, but how does this pertain to everyday life? I’m glad you asked. Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and you think you are on the same page, but the other person doesn’t understand? And only when a third person hears the conversation and tells you both want the same thing? This is an example of what my husband refers to as AM/FM communication. You are both “broadcasting” the same idea but for whatever reason the way you are expressing it is lost in translation. It brings to mind the childhood game of Telephones, but not in a good way. The purpose or fun of the telephone game is knowing that whatever was said at the beginning will not be what the last person hears.
Communication is especially important when you have children who don’t understand all the intricate parts of spoken language. Our youngest son is very concrete with EVERYTHING. So, as a result, we have had some interesting situations arise. He isn’t always able to understand sarcasm and often asks what something means. Most recently, he asked me about something in a movie. When I explained it to him, he said, “That makes sense to me now!” If your child has difficulty completing multiple-step requests, this is where using clarity and conciseness would be helpful. When our youngest was still a baby, we asked our number two son (age order, not favoritism) to get a bottle out of the refrigerator for him and a soda. Well, this son also struggles with communication, so he brought the bottle for the baby and also the ketchup.
The most important part of all this communication talk is to let the people in your life know how much they mean to you. A few positive words do wonders for the soul.
Recipe of the Week: I love breakfast food for dinner. This week I want to introduce Pancake Tacos.
What you’ll need:
Scrambled eggs
One pack of bacon–cooked (you can leave it sliced or crumbled)
Pancakes
Shredded cheese
Syrup-your favorite flavor
Scramble the eggs to your liking–you can add additional cheese, peppers, onions, etc. Once you have made your pancakes, place the pancake on a baking sheet. Add the scrambled eggs, bacon, additional cheese, and drizzle with your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Shout Out of the Week: This week, I want to give a shout-out to everyone who works call centers, retail jobs, or any others that throw you into the depths of communicating with others. Teachers, counselors, attorneys, judges–you help hold things together every day. Thank you for ensuring people get the help they need even when they may not be able to clearly say it. Sal-ute!
Have a great weekend. 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.