Read

I like trampolines, British TV, and swings. I like listening to my children tell stories of the funny, sad, or surprising events of their lives. I like sleeping with the windows open in my bedroom on cool fall nights. I like roasted marshmallows that stick to your fingers when you pull them off the stick. I like long drives on dirt roads with music blaring on the radio and quiet Sunday afternoons spent on the couch laying around with my babies. I like staying up half the night reading a great book that I just can't put down. I like the sound of water. I like to spend all day crafting sand castles that I know the waves will wash away. Life is much the same way. I like knowing that I can take care of myself, and I like it when my husband, my kids, or my mom take care of me.

 

I believe that dreams can come true, but not without hard work. I believe that everyone has a soul mate, but love isn’t easy, so you better be ready to fight and to sacrifice. I don't believe your first love matters, only your last. I believe that respect should be freely given and that admiration must be earned. I believe in being awesome. I have high expectations for others, but the highest for myself. I believe that we live in a great country, but if we don't make some big changes soon, we are going to become a nation divided. I believe that when you mess up, you need to admit it and ask for forgiveness. I believe that forgiveness is hard and that life is a fragile gift. I believe in smiles and all the little things. I believe that it's important to say "Thank you" to people while you still have the chance. I believe that a bad day or a bad choice does not mean a bad life - mistakes are part of the story. I believe (like Eliot) that time is both a great healer and a destroyer. I believe that science and religion are compatible and that God is both a mathematician and a poet.

 

I am tired of hearing excuses. If we don’t like the results we are getting, we must make a change- not an excuse. I am tired of hearing what is wrong in lieu of all that is right. I am tired of hearing politicians and the news media blame each other when congress fails to do their jobs due to lobbyists and big business. We are a country built and made great by the power of the individual, but the individual has been lost on Capitol Hill. And I am tired of hearing about the risks of genetically engineered and preservative filled foods while the FDA turns a blind eye. Why do Europe and China have healthier foods made in America than the American consumer? I am tired of hearing music that degrades women and minorities being sung by women and minorities. And I am just plain tired of the media telling young girls that less is more-- less is, in fact, LESS. And young boys can be smart and sensitive and kind. Stop and consider the message you are buying.

 

I do not care for bullies or braggarts or those who put down others to make themselves look better. I do not care for smug people who take joy in belittling others. I do not care for fat free anything. I do not care for parents who yell instead of cheer at sporting events. I do not care for career politicians with no term limits. I do not care for media conglomerates or professional sports or the Alabama Crimson tide. I also do not care for the fact that teams outside of the SEC are allowed in the top 5. Most of all-- I do not care for people who do not CARE. I care what you think, what you say, what you feel. I care to do my best and I do not care for those who don't.

 

I am in favor of working together to find solutions to problems. I am in favor of slowing down and making time for family dinners, whiffle ball games, and sitting on the deck watching the sky grow dark. I am in favor of study halls and teacher work days. I am in favor of government mandates that would require the automobile industry to produce cars that are more fuel efficient. I am in favor of standing up for the underdogs of the world and helping those who haven’t been able to help themselves. I am in favor of drastically changing insurance, healthcare, and tax codes. I am in favor of taking care of the youngest and the oldest. I am in favor of choices and God and this is where I stand.