So I was watching the special on Randy Pausch.  He is the man who wrote "The Last Lecture" and also gave a WONDERFUL and inspiring lecture last year to his students.  The more I watched the more thankful I am for my life.  Each day is a gift. Appreciate each gift as they come, remember, you may not have a tomorrow.  Enjoy your life, have fun, do what makes you happy. Additionally, I read a book called The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle.  I highly recommend it to anyone who knows how to read.  It is extremely powerful and in conjunction with Randy Pausch really helps you to live in the NOW.  I no longer regret my past or anything that happened.  I am figuring out there were lessons learned in each mistake and helped to make me the person that I am today.  I am no longer worrying too much about the future for there may not be one. I Realize we should plan for the future...but do NOT worry about the "What ifs" in life...if we worry about the what if's then we miss out on what is happening NOW.

I know life may seem horrible to people, like everyone is against you...but if you let it get you down then you are definitely beaten.  If you take what is before you and use it to your advantage, learn from it and move to the next step...you will be fine.  My friend lost her house, her car, and her husband all in the same month.  The house was foreclosed upon, because her landlord did not pay the mortgage..she paid her rent but he did not pay the mortgage.  The husband who, planned on leaving and was responsible for finances, did not pay the car payment and it got reposessed.  This would BREAK a normal person. She is happy to have a roof over her head, healthy children, and a life that will only get better....she was allowing it to get her down..but she and I are very close friends and we talked things over...she decided that life is what you make of it...she is MAKING it be great.... She has 2 kids and he has not paid one lick of child support since he left.  Anyway, she woke up one morning, made a conscious decision to NOT let it get her down and she found a new place to live, found a beat up car, with NO payments and is taking care of her family.  I just wanted to share that with you all...always remember if things are bad, someone has it worse...and you can only fix what YOU have control over...and the rest is somethingyou need to either accept or move past.  Use the serenity prayer...I have...

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change the things I Can

and the wisdom to know the difference....

Please believe me when it all comes down to it...this TRULY helps....

So, everyone..I wish you all happiness, love, and fun in your life....make the best of what you have.....

LOVE,

JoJo

Why is it so hard to find a truly good guy in this world?  I am not a woman who goes lightly about in her relationships.  I want a man who will be truly a friend to me, loved, confidante, and honest.  I just do not understand why it is so hard for people to be true to themselves first of all and then have ONE special signifcant other?  A GREAT relationship has trust, honesty, fun, loyalty, and intimacy (lots of intmacy).  For some reason men (and I do realize that I am generalizing here), have issues with that.  I am not saying that women are perfect by any means. I am basing all of this off of past experiences and hypothesis I have made over the years.

Being alone is not a bad thing by any means. It is just NICER to share your life with someone...am I crazy?

So, as we all know....we cannot pick our family.  I have a father that I have seen 3x since I was 11 years old.  I am his namesake (my name is Bobbie Jo and his is Robert) and wish to change that to take on my DAD's (my mom remarried and he is WONDERFUL).  He is the man I call dad, Joseph.  I love this man as if I were his own blood.  He was there when I went to prom, learned to drive, and my first date.....he is a true dad.  I would like opinions on this matter.  I plan on taking his last name and he legally adopting me as his daughter.  I may be 33 years old...but I think it is high time to make this right and make this AMAZING man my legal father.  My mom may not have gotten it right the first time...but 2nd tine around she got a winner.

I am blessed to have him in my life.  I love him more each day.  I am proud to call him DAD.  I just was wondering if I am the only one around who thinks of such things.  I will be changing my name but I am open to comments and opinions.