The Classic Invitation RSVP

Today's Warrior Woman Topic - The Classic Invitation RSVP

In the last six years, I've thrown about 50 parties of one kind or another including my own wedding, other people's bridal and baby showers, etc..  Some were house parties and others were held at restaurants.  Some were family only and others included friends and neighbors.  It never ceases to amaze me that people do not understand what an RSVP is!  RSVP actually stands for the French phrase, "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".  

 

So when you receive an invitation and it says RSVP by June 1st, it is a courtesy to the party host that you call them to tell them you will be attending.  I'm willing to bet that those people who don't reply to the host of a party HATE it when their guests don't RSVP for THEIR parties.  I hear that complaint all the time! 

 

Bottom line is, if you don't want to come, don't come.  But give me the courtesy of calling me to let me know so I don't spend money on extra favors, too much food, or get stuck paying for more dinners than I needed to.  Just some common courtesy would suffice.  Here are my tips for a proper and thoughtful RSVP.

- Call as soon as you receive the invitation if you are sure you can or cannot attend. Why wait?
- Don't call someone else other than the host to let them know you are coming.  People do this all the time.  They call my mom to tell her they are coming to my sister's shower that I am throwing.  Mom's name is not anywhere on the invite.  Why call her and expect her to pass the message along?
- Don't assume that the host will know that you are coming
- Don't assume that the host will know that you are not coming
- Don't miss the RSVP deadline.  It's there for a reason.  The host probably has to decide how much food to cook or how many dinners to pay for at some point.  If you call after the deadline, you probably just caused her some unneeded stress
- Don't wait till the last minute to see if a better offer comes along
- Don't be late to the party.  It makes people think that you would rathe rbe doing something else other than attending. 
- Don't feel bad about saying no.  It's ok.  There will be other parties! 

The Awesome Hubs

With all this talk about fire and fighting and defending, I should explain that I am only able to go out and fight in the world because I have someone who ALWAYS has my back.  My husband and I have been friends for 14 years and together as a couple for 10 of those years.  He gets me.  That simple sentence means more than I could ever write or explain.  Not only does he get me in the sense that he understands what makes me tick, but he LIKES what makes me tick! 

 

He actually likes the fact that I am Warrior Woman by day and his to protect by night.  The duality in my personality endears me to him.  Strong on the outside but mushy on the inside is his thing and I am his. 

 

He's a pretty amazing person.  He's patient and kind and more than a little protective of me and our furbaby.  I think he fights his own battles all day but coming home to us makes it all worth while.  In a sense, he is my rock.  Did you ever play tag as a kid?  When you run around with everyone chasing you from all directions and all you want to do is get to "base" to catch your breath.  Base was usually a big oak tree or a car or some other large sturdy object where no one could tag you.  You were safe.  Well, the hubs is my "base" and I think I'm his. 

 

All becomes right in the world when I get a hug at night and I forget about the battles of the day.  He kisses the scrapes and reminds me of how awesome I am and I feel refreshed and ready to head out the next morning.  Behind (no... NEXT TO) every good Warrior Woman is a man strong enough to love her in spite of herself.  Even when the tip of the sword tilts toward him, he knows her and knows she is only fighting because she is hurting.  He knows he can heal her. 

 

He is awesome. 

Catholicism - Not for the faint of heart!

Being a Catholic in the United States in 2010 is not easy. Everywhere you go you are assaulted by the media encouraging you to do what feels good. Catholicism is not about giving in to your desires and always doing what makes you happy. It is about realizing that God has a plan for your life. The ultimate plan is for you to join Him in heaven.

Unfortunately, if you do most of the things American society thinks is ok, a trip upstairs to meet the heavenly Father is probably not in your future. You are much more likely to need shorts and some air conditioning where you are headed! Sex, drugs, alcohol, cheating, lying, adultery... All ten commandments are broken in the first five minutes of the evening news, prime time TV shows or movies.

I was talking to my mother recently about teen pregnancy. She grew up in New York City in the 1950s. She didn't know anyone who got pregnant in high school. Why? Because people would have been horrified, embarrased, guilty, ostracized. You were sent away to have the baby. Sometimes it was put up for adoption, other times the grandmother would raise it as her own child. Many times the family moved out of town to avoid the whispers and stares. There were a million punishments for an unmarried girl who got pregnant in the 1950s. Society did not tolerate it well and that was a lot of incentive to avoid it. Too many people were following the Catholic Church's rules back then and didn't accept it well when someone decided to step out of line.

Fast forward to today when phrases like "baby momma" and shows like "16 and Pregnant" don't even raise any eyebrows. Why has teen pregnancy risen astronomically over the last 50 years? Because enough people started to accept it. Now, it's a slight inconvenience not a scarlet letter.

So many of the church's teachings center on the strength of the family and the importance of following God's rules. What is the purpose of these rules? Why does the church think it is so important to raise a child in a home with a mom and a dad who are married? I think their rules are in place simply to keep people on the straight and narrow as much as possible. They are intended to be an external moral compass to compliment your internal moral compass. You can choose to follow the rules of the Church, or not.

Personally, I choose to follow (or try to follow since I am NOT perfect) the Catholic rules. This does not make me stupid or old fashioned. It simply means that I believe in Jesus and want to follow his teachings to the best of my ability. But society wants me to go to the movies instead of church, to cheat on my husband if the sex isn't good, to cheat on my taxes and to lie about anything that is inconvenient.

I think it's harder to be Catholic in 2010 than it was for mom and dad in 1950. Few people around me go to church so if I want to sleep in, I can. No feeling bad, no guilt, no neighbors saying, "We missed you in church on Sunday. Are you feeling alright?"

The warrior woman comes out in me when people make fun of Catholics or discourage me from following my faith. I fight to be Catholic every day. My sword is my determination and faith that if I live as Jesus wants me to, I will have rewards in heaven beyond all imagination.

I'm willing to fight myself and the influences around me on earth for a chance to spend eternity in heaven. To me it's a fight worth winning.

Square Peg, Round Hole

I told you that I consider myself a warrior because I feel like I am always fighting everything in my life. What I believe, how I live my life and what I find interesting always seem to be at odds with everyone around me. Generally, I feel like a square peg in a round hole most of the time.

My first problem is that I am relatively conservative. I don't think that there's anything wrong with identifying as a conservative, moderate or liberal. I do find it offensive that I am asked to accept everyone else's opinions and told that my conservative leanings are old fashioned or out of touch. Not true. My beliefs are different, not wrong. In fact, I find it funny that people who consider themselves intellectually superior cannot understand this. If you want the freedom to express yourself, you need to allow others to do this too, even when they don't agree with you.

More on this later...

I am a Warrior Woman!

I am an Aries. No, it's not just a response to an old pick up line. Most people would think that your astrological sign is simply one of the many ways you could describe yourself. And while that is true, if you really want a quick snapshot of me, think Aries.

Go ahead and Google the word "Aries". Aries is the god of war. Aries is a Fire sign. Almost everything you find about this sign is a good description of my personality. Bold, demanding, warrior, leader, quick tempered, strong, passionate. That's me! I love that my personality is full of depth and fire.

Famous Aries people include Sandra Day O'Connor, Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem and Ethel Kennedy. No shrinking violets in this bunch!

The problem is that sometimes being a warrior princess can be exhausting! All those sword fights and enemies to defeat can make a girl long for a nice hot bath and a glass of wine. That's me too.

This blog is about my struggles as a Warrior. A person who often feels at odds with those around her. I'm proud to be different, thought of as a leader. But occasionally, I wish I could blend into the woodwork. Not possible but I can wish can't I?

By the way, I look nothing like Xena: Warrior Princess. However, there is a Xena inside of me and she shows herself whenever I feel that life is unfair or inane. I wish I could let loose with a warrior cry and simply smote my opponents. Alas, I usually sheath my sword and bite my tongue more than I want to. Those of you who know me probably laughed out loud thinking that I bite my tongue... EVER. I do! Can you imagine what I would say if I didn't? ;-P