In The Event of a “Cheerio Attack…”
by Jenny Hansen

Today is International Women’s Day, just in case you hadn’t heard. Around the world today, women are being mentored and celebrated. Thousands of events occur throughout March and this happens every year. I think that’s kinda nifty.

This last week I’ve been working overtime to elevate one of the strong, compassionate women in my life.

My cousin Tara Crooks, co-founder of Army Wife Network and one of the authors of was nominated this year for Military Spouse of the Year (#MSOY). My entire family has been working overtime on social media, trying to get the vote out and driving everyone around us nuts over it.

Yesterday we found out SHE MADE IT.

She gathered enough votes to be named MSOY for the Army and we are all just whooping it up over the news. Our entire family is thrilled.So I popped onto Facebook later in the day to comment on everyone’s statuses and join in the revelry.

And I saw this update from Tara:

When you put yourself out there…there is always one to piss in your cheerios.

It irked me because, hello? Don’t step on my peeps! But it also made me sad for her to have someone be unkind to her on such a big day. Then I looked down at the comments she received and I blessed social media.

The support was immediate and overwhelming. My three faves were:

Alice: Well you have a whole bunch of us willing to go and drown said someone with piss-covered Cheerios, just tell us who to go get!!!

Wendy: I know this wasn’t meant to be funny, but it did make me LOL – “Sometimes the only taste of success some people get is when they take a bite out of you.” – Zig Ziglar

Stephen: Don’t eat cheerios. Eat bacon. No one has the guts to piss on bacon.

But the best response was from her pal, Babette…just three little words:

Move. Your. Bowl.

Damn straight, Babette.

Why did I post this today? I see people all the time who lament about their “pee-pee covered Cheerios,” if you get my drift. I’m using a female example in honor of the day, but it’s really pretty universal.

There are tons of times when life truly is dark. And there are periods when we choose to stay in the dark. I hope every person who reads this today encourages someone else to inch on over toward their “happy.” Reach out to offer or accept a little support from your friends and family and inch on over toward that light.

An inch over several days becomes yards, then miles…

A drop of water will eventually carve out a cavern, then a canyon…

And if some small-minded person tries to steal your joy, or in this case “piss in your Cheerios,” for Pete’s sake…MOVE YOUR BOWL.

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About Jenny Hansen

By day, Jenny provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction and short stories. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at or at Writers In The Storm. Jenny also writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

© 2013 Jenny Hansen. All content on this page is protected by copyright. If you would like to use any part of this, please contact me at the above links to request permission.