Being Fair.... and Disappointed

I come from a blended family and I know my parents (Dad and step mom) have always worked at being very fair to my step sister and I, but it's still frustrating to know that no matter how much they try.... it just doesn't happen.
I don't want to sound like I'm doing the whole poor me thing because my parents have always been very generous, but there are still a few things that bother me.

When my sister was pregnant with her youngest, my Mom made a big deal about telling me about things they did for her family (buying a new dishwasher and helping her buy maternity clothes). When I was pregnant, I was at their house and my Mom made a big deal about saying she wanted to take me shopping for maternity clothes... But, I was home for a funeral, so it didn't happen. She commented that she would send me a check, well, the check never came.
My family just got back from a vacation at my parents house. All summer when we've talked about coming for this trip and for a trip over the holidays, my Mom has been saying that they want to pay for my daughter's flight. Well, that never happened either.

I know I just need to get over it, because my parents do a ton of little things for us that I know all add up. It's just hard to get over broken promises.....

Social Security and Congress

I received this e-mail the other day and thought it was worth sharing. It seems like I keep hearing stories about how Congress has set asides for itself that are vastly different from programs that they are proposing for the American people. If we really expect them to make decisions that are best for us, shouldn't they have to abide by the same programs and laws???

Here is the original message I received:
Propose this in 2009:

START A BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.

Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of
course, they do not collect from it.

You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their
rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for
themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan.

In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it.
After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die
Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments...


For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect
to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand
Dollars), with their 2 wives drawing $275, 000..00 during the last years of
their lives.
This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two
Dignitaries..

Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more
during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!!

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I
pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan
come directly from the General Funds;

"OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!

From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid)
into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our
employer), We can expect to get an average of
$1,000 per month after retirement.

Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly
benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's
benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to

Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and
Congressmen.. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us

Then sit back....

And see how fast they would fix it!

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted
and maybe good changes will evolve.