What defines a good person?

You can be everything in life but the important thing is to be a good person.

-Shams Tabrizi-

I've signed on to write numerous times before tonight, but when I finally decided today was the day I noticed I seem to be a once a month blogger, I guess I'm consistent. For those of you reading who spend a lot of time with me, I may say, "well at least they're consistent," a time or two in a day. I'm not short on topics, they are still in my pocket for later, but I want to tell you about the good people I'm raising.

I have so much more to talk about than the last 24 hours of my life, but for tonight I am going to focus on just that.

Riley and Logan - my boys. Tears as I write this, tears as I sat in their conferences this morning. Do you know what my friends/family? I have good boys. Do you know what is important to me as their mom? That I raise good boys; I do know that I preach that because one of their teachers said to me today, as she went to look for test scores, "Jolene, I know you care about them being good people, not test scores." I care about their test scores, I do, and she knows that, but, she gets it, she gets me. Do you know how many times I've had tears, lost sleep, overanalyzed their split family life? I can't put a number on it, because I think if I did most would question me as to when I find time to sleep, work, run a business and find Jolene "me" time. I've put in my time beating myself up about this.

You know what I do understand given what I do on a daily basis; what happens at home matters and my little men are understanding and responding to this.

I left parent teacher conferences in tears today, happy tears. They are getting it, they are understanding what I model to them, what I show them; my boys are good role models. My boys are making goals that surround continuing to be good role models and good people...I'm proud.

And guess what? Those goals are measurable.

Sure I know that they will make mistakes, but the foundation in place is what is so important. We own our mistakes and we move on. We make more mistakes, we own them, we learn from then and we move on. Isn't that what life is? Mistakes do not make you a bad person, good people make mistakes.

My son Riley shot his first deer last Saturday, I saw the picture, I wasn't present for the event, the in person conversation after the event, the moment to kiss him good night to tell him how proud I was of him, but he knows, he knows how proud I am of him.

And, last night, watching them wear their ranch shirts and be proud was so telling. They had the option to stay home and they chose to come. Yes, they wanted a burger, FF and a pop, but honestly, they chose to come there, to be a part of the business. They chose a Women In Business Boutique and supporting the ranch over the couch. I have neat boys.

I miss out on a lot of firsts, moments and events with my boys and I can't get that time back, but the time I have with them I value.

This may seem like it was a pat yourself on the back blog, it wasn't. This blog was healing for me. I have spent the past few weeks being questioned, ridiculed, used and at times unappreciated. This blog was my affirmation that character does matter.

"At the end of life, what really matters is not what we bought but what we built; not what we got but what we shared; not our competence but our character; and not our success, but our significance. Live a life that matters. Live a live of love." - Author Unknown

I'll be back in December.