Utter Failures

When I was in elementary, we had a collection of kids' abridged classics. The thing is, I didn't know they were abridged. And, after reading through all the Nancy Drews and other things I was interested in, I needed something "bigger" to read. So around age 11 or so, I got interested in the classics. I remember looking at the stack and being excited to read Treasure Island, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Around the World in 80 Days, etc. So, I started reading and was like... ok these aren't so hard. I don't see what the big deal is. And then... And then. I discovered that these books WERE NOT THE REAL BOOKS. I was furious. I had been tricked! The nerve! Who pays money for fake, incomplete books?? (I was in full-on "speak to the manager" mode... a miniature vesrion of "Janet", if you will) Deciding never again to be fooled by the publishers of these imposters, I went in search of the real thing, and I started collecting unabridged classic

I was driving alone a few weeks ago and talking/praying out loud about some things that I wasn't thrilled about and hoped would change. Vehicles and appliances that needed repair... basically smallish things that just weren't status quo. And in the middle of my conversation, I suddenly had a thought occur to me. Almost like a voice spoke to me. And what it said was this: "Laura, you are kind of a negative person." I stopped talking, my mouth wide open. Uh... what? And then I thought about it for a second and just had to smile at that realization. Yeah. Yeah, I am. I would have always described myself as a pragmatic or realistic person, definitely not overly positive, but not negative. But in the past year, I've been... shall we say, in a funk. Which is a long time to be in a funk. But having my second child and working full-time and also doing all the "mom" things while trying to manage chronic pain and fatigue... that really started to take more