Sometimes a Card Says it Best

Today the Gratitude is short and sweet...

Kids make you laugh.

Remember when I got A Little Help From My Friends? The impact was farther reaching than I was aware...



E-man makes an Easter card at school.



Gratitude to KJ too, who took it all in stride and even cracked a little smile herself.


Michelle

At it Again

Remember The Journey Begins with a Single Toothbrush? The post about my clever KJ and her gift of words? Well she's at it again!

I've begun using my ensuite mirror a bit like a command centre board for my ideas and thoughts. Weird? Maybe but the truth is that I do alot of thinking in the deadspace of drying hair and brushing teeth. I used to keep a pen and note pad in the drawer for quickly jotting down a 'remember too', inspirational thought or story idea. That worked really well except that once the thought was out of my head and in the notebook in my bathroom drawer, it stayed there. In a couple of days when I opened the drawer again I would be reminded of what I wanted to address or accomplish.

Now I write directly on the mirror with wipe off crayon.

I have a thought, I write it down, I think about it. If I still like the thought before I exit the bathroom I leave it, if not, I erase it. When I get ready for bed my thought is still there staring me in the face. If I like it, still intend to investigate it further...I leave it. If not I erase it.

On Wednesday night preparing for bed I found this taped to my Thought Board

Chinese Food is a very rare treat in our home. KJ's thought-full gifts are becoming a habit. One I will always appreciate.

Gratitude today for the treat of Chinese Food, the gift of words from my KJ and the gentle reinforcement that she has a point to be taken. When I opened my fortune cookie 5 minutes after finding her message...it revealed the same words-o-wisdom.

Just like the message that is still elasticised to my toothbrush (long since retired - that may be the first toothbrush ever, that I kept after it's usefulness) This new message will remain stuck on my Thought Board.



Spend some moment everyday in reflection of gratitude and happiness. Even if the time found is standing in line for coffee...use is wisely.

Michelle



Sometimes "You had to be there" is a Better Vantage Point

When it comes to providing spaces for kids to play and miniature heart attacks for mothers our city has come a very long way! When Michael and I were young we had to scheme ideas, design a plan and bring it to life. That generally meant building something.

Our mothers had the great comfort of knowing, when we announced a plan to race a go-kart down the face of Mount Trashmore, that they could rest easy during the design and build phase, bid us good luck weeks later during the launch phase and wait contently at home in the throws of a Harlequin romance for our plan to inevitably succumb to it's integral design flaws. They knew we were never in any real danger, not if we had to build our risky adventure first.

While many of our plans failed in conception, some in build phase and some during event launch we had a great time. Those momentous summers provided more than hours of entertainment, they provided inspiration. They got us through those blistering unstructured weeks of summer holidays.

Then our generation grew up, we became engineers, and parks co-ordinators, city planners and designers.
We grew up and became our very own worst nightmare. We, who spent all those hours wishing that things existed have become adults who make things exist. We design the toys and the rides, we create the sports events and social places. We want to make sure that our kids have everything we never had before! Things like this.

Moms too, have something we never had before...'Realized Anxiety." No longer are those hair brained schemes in the hands of 8 year old designers and engineers. No, now there are real live educated grown-ups with money and connections to bring good things to life!

We, the generation of do-ers, have out done ourselves; creating coolness for our kids. While at the same time inadvertently securing work for hospital staff, sports therapist and fracture clinics. Not to mention the fiscal boost to those 'mother's little helper' industries. (safe money to invest in band-aides and things bottled)

Please don't misunderstand me. I love these hot-beds of danger parks! I put on my flip-flops and tag along. I watch, I cringe, I suppress anxiety, I clean-up litter in a lame attempt to be nonchalant and non-phased with the idea of my son hurling himself about on wheels and concrete. I think I do a pretty good job hiding all of those miniature heart attacks. It is a Mother's job after all to be the ever supportive cheerleader, boosting confidence in her children as they pursue things that bring them great joy. or is it?

Gratitude today for the young man at the skatepark who saw through my anguish the other day. He very plainly told me "It's okay not to watch, my Mom has never seen any of the tricks I do. It's better that way."

So I tried it. I let Mike take E-man to the skate park. They arrived home unscathed and unbroken. I asked "How was it?"

"You had to be there Mom, it was awesome!"

Awesome it was! I got to shake my pompoms everytime I heard E describe a trick or a run and I got to smile while I was doing it. All the Raw-Raw without the anxiety attack!

Spend some moment everyday in reflection of gratitude and happiness. Even if the time found is standing in line for coffee...use is wisely.

Michelle


Did this post brighten your day? make you smile? If so I'd be ever so grateful if you shared it on Facebook or Twitter. Someone else might be in need of a smile - Thanks!