A GAY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you're having a wonderful day.


I wanted to bring back a post that was made a year ago from my mother who was celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time with her son and his partner. It's a pretty touching story, so I wanted to share it again this holiday season. Here's what she had to say:


"My son is 31 years old. He came out on his 21st birthday. He has been living with his partner for about a 8 years and a half. Until June of the first year we only knew of his partner as a roommate. After lots of conversation, lots of tears, I have accepted my son's sexuality and told him he and his partner will always be welcome in our home.


So, now it's the holidays. I'm cooking my first ever Thanksgiving dinner. I'm 31 years old so I guess it's time I become the grown-up and do the entertaining. We will have myself and husband, my two sons their dates, my two younger daughters. It's not the planning and cooking that's at issue. It's my youngest child.


My baby just turned 12 last week. She is just at the age where she is beginning to understand sex and sexuality. It hadn't been too long since we talked about sex and love and marriage when she learned her brother was gay.


For those of you who have good relationships with family, what helps most in breaking through uncomfortable barriers with family members? Is a holiday as good a time as any to have a first (after coming out) family gathering? Any words of advice for a 12 year old girl? And my big burning question, would I be out of line to ask my son and his partner not to show public affection in front of his younger sister?


Please, someone tell me I'm doing this right. I love my son more than life itself. I want him and his partner to feel welcome here. But I also am still responsible for my daughters' well being and I don't want to make her angry and confused. Boy, we thought parenting small children was tough. Those years were a breeze compared to parenting adults."

Sick and Tired

Why is it that the first trip to the ER never accomplished anything?  Went Saturday night, and now I'm going back because I'm not any better.  It gets very frustrating.  They sent me home because they didn't have any isolation beds, so they think I'm less contagious in the real world than I would be in the hospital.  Doesn't make any sense to me.  Hopefully they'll figure out what to do this time.  I get tired of going back and forth.

School and Long Sleepless Nights

Sleepless and stressfull night start playing havoc in you school and personal life. 

Everyone has trouble sleeping occasionally, but people with insomnia have trouble sleeping for more than three weeks without improvement(Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, 2006). Their sleep problems also interfere with their ability to function during the day.



Studies have also shown a correlation between sleep problems and levels of stress.

Not getting enough sleep can increase a person’s stress. Studies have shown that people who sleep less have higher amounts of cortisol — a hormone that is related to stress, depression and cardiovascular disease — in their bodies. With a good night’s rest, the body regulates the levels of the hormone that can cause stress, according to the Newsweek article.

But another study shows that stress is the main factor in students’ poor sleep quality. The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that stress from school and life keeps 68 percent of students awake. Of those students, 20 percent couldn’t sleep at least once a week due to stress.

“Students underestimate the importance of sleep in their daily lives. They forgo sleep during periods of stress, not realizing that they are sabotaging their physical and mental health" (Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, 2006).

Sharon L. Schutte-Rodin, M. (2006, May 18). SleepEducation.org. Retrieved 11 21, 2009, from Academy of Sleep Medicine : http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=6

Week of Horror

This week has been a god awful week in school. I can’t wait until this semester is over; I have just had issue after issue which makes it very hard to concentrate. One challenge I am facing at this point in class is communication. I feel that communication get lost in posts and emails. Communication is usually taken for granted—that is, until it breaks down. Why didn't my teacher get my point? How can I get my counselor to understand what I'm saying? Why does every discussion turn into an disagreement or conflict? Good communication skills help you express your ideas clearly, learn from other people, and resolve any conflicts.  These are guestions that I need to ask myself over and over agian.  If anyone can help let me know.  HELP !!!

Plagiarism, Why do you think we need to cite sources???

Documenting our sources provides essential information for your reader. By citing sources, we show our indebtedness to the work of others, and give our reader the chance to seek further information from the sources themselves. Citing sources also supports our own credibility as a writer and researcher. Citations reflect the careful and thorough work you have put into locating and exploring your sources.  They also help readers understand the context of your argument and are a courtesy to the reader, who may share your interest in a particular area of study.  Citations, by illustrating your own learning process, also draw attention to the originality and legitimacy of your own ideas. Plagiarism is a serious issue in the academic community. While plagiarism sometimes does occur intentionally, it also occurs because the writer doesn’t understand or does not know how to avoid it.