Melinda, one time newspaper writer

So, my dad at one time was the editor of The Searcy Sun, a newspaper that was competition for The Daily Citizen for a short time. His editorial column was called "Point of View." And one time, he asked me to write a guest article for it.

I'm going to type it here, because, well, I don't want to hang on to the newspaper clipping anymore, and it will be easier to keep it here. ;)

Enjoy!
Hugs,
Melinda

The following is written by a guest that has made sacrifices in sending
her husband as one of the "deployed" servicemen. She has the same problems
we all have, but some of her problems seem to be in the forefront of at least
her life. Editor

Sacrifices. Everyone makes them. Some are easy, like having a
second piece of pie or letting my kid sister have it. Some are difficult,
like sending my husband off to an unknown destination for an unknown length of
time. There are some things I refuse to sacarifice, like my health, but
there are some things I would love to get rid of, such as long lines in
Wal-Mart, or all the leftover boxes from my recent move.

Sometimes, sacrifices are for the good of a fellow human being, such as
volunteering to help a deaf neighbor. Sometimes, they are simply for
convience sake. After all, is it really worth getting upset about when
someone cuts in front of me in traffic? How many things are really worth
getting upset about? What is the most important thing in your life?
Is it cars? Money? Computers? Clothes? Friends?
Take it a step further. Are you worried about how the people in your life
see you? Do you want to be rich and famous? Or are you worried about
the people themselves?

Recently, I've seen the importance of being a true and loyal friend.
Being loyal sometimes seems to be counted for naught these days. I could
retaliate and backstab with the best of them, but I've chosen to make the
sacrifice of being a loyal friend instead of being popular. At times it
can be hard, but in the long run, I feel better about myself as a person.
However, my friend has chosen to make the sacrifice of friendship rather than
face her problems. Does this bother me? Am I upset? Well, I
would be lying if I said no, but it's not what I dwell on. I dwell on
keeping my family together no matter how many miles separate us. I do not
choose to dwell on the sacrifice of being what amounts to a single parent these
days. That is a sacrifice we made when my husband enlisted. (By the
way, to all you single parents out there, I applaud you!)

Making sacrifices are a part of life, but how you handle the sacrifices you
make is all up to you. Are you going to make the sacrifice of high blood
pressure, heart attacks, and a stroke? Or will you sacrifice a good
attitude? Attitude, after all, is simply a state of mind, but that's just
my point of view. -- Friday, March 14, 2003