Friday, April 28, 2017

FRENCH I  AM......


Some years ago when moving to Hannibal and than getting engaged to a farmer from Ralls County, I was told, LaBon, what kind of name is that.  You aren't from here, are you!!!!   It was not a question as you may note by the exclaimation mark I used.  So LaBon, no, it is a FRENCH name, my great grandfather's name in fact, and my dear materal grandmother's maiden name.  

When I got divorced after 23 years, I asked my children if it was okay with them to change my name.  I believe they thought I would change it back to my maiden name.  However, my parents had long since disowned me when I became a Christian.  I did not fit into their life either, name or not.  They were atheist.  So I did change it, to LaBon, after speaking with my aunts about it.  They thought it was wonderful.  You see, Franc LaBon only had three daughters and they all married.  No more lineage of LaBon from them by name anyway.  I thought this a way to carry on my FRENCH heritage and also  the name.

My paternal grandparents also came from FRANCE, in fact, in the same area of the country, Alsace/Lorraine area which is North Eastern FRANCE, up against the German border.  It was an area of much trouble for years so it seems generations left the area and the country.  But I have carried on many traditions from grandparents and also from learning about and visiting this wonderful country.

LaBon, yes, and do I care if I fit into the area I now live.  Absolutely not.  I care about my heritage and my little world here, and it does not matter to me which county I come from, as if Ralls is such a great county.  Most places say the city they are near, but in this rural area, it is the county.  

When I visit other places, they like me for who I am, not where I came from.  It is good to be proud of your heritage, including the place you came from or family came from, but don't exclude others.  Our country is known for welcoming all.  I still want it to be that way.  I also would like to be welcomed, but know, even after 24 years, I am not and will not be as I don't have their high school stories, etc.  I have my own and find it sad they don't want to listen to them.  They would be so overwhelmed to have gone to the large high school I did, and traveled as I have, and lived so many different and wonderful places also.  

But that is all my story, and FRENCH I AM.  

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

WRITINGS AND RAMBLINGS:


This plan to do more on my blog went well for a very brief time and then I slipped again.  Yes, I do like to write and have been doing some other things in my space at home, but challenge myself to do more.  A good friend encouraged me to write more as she always says I have much to say as a deep thinker and encourager.

Nice things to say, but also some hard times with family as of recent, which causes me to think about toxic people.  This is the first year that I did not invite family or friends for an Easter Sunday meal at our home.  Instead my husband and I headed to a friend's church to be what some churches call the C and E Christians, Christmas and Easter.  However, I do not fit this mold they would like to place me in just because I no longer attend weekly anywhere and don't even care to.  I no longer fit the mold of the "organized church", but I do fit with GOD, maybe even more that I don't.  So my friend's church would not label me, and I was comfortable.  Than we headed to a local restaurant for a nice meal.  The fun part was that there were lots of people we knew, our age, that could be having meals at home or with family, but were not.  I felt better with that also.  With all those activities, we headed home for a good afternoon nap time.  

All in all, my Easter was a great day, a transition of age, time and also attitude.  I no longer care to try to please everyone at my expense.  I no longer want to try to have people come to my home and watch that they treat each other with respect.  I do expect it from them but they do not always do so to each other which I believe is not showing me as the host respect either.  After sharing this with my grown children and some friends, I concluded that the next holiday which they always expected to come to at my  home, I would not entertain and did not.  

I say, yes, yes, yes, to my new move as I realized that just because people are related does not mean that they are not some of the toxic people of my world.  This will no longer be tolerated by this woman who has recently turned 69.  Just saying,  "It is time!"    

Hoping you all had a happy spring holiday also, whatever you call it, Spring Time, Easter, Passover, etc.

And, I really will try to do better on my blog.