We Can Change the World

Let us join Sam in changing the world! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g

"I don't waste energy feeling bad about myself" - Sam

Single moms, let us use our energy to change the world.  We are more than capable of making it happen :).  Let us do it now!

When Children Make You Cry

I don’t know of any mother who hasn’t experienced being heart broken by their child.  A mother is heart broken when her child is in pain whether physically or emotionally.   A mother feels the same heart break when her child has traveled a wrong route.  When children make you cry, this could probably be the most painful experience in your life. 

Mothers only want what is best for their children.  We try our best to direct them to the right path, hoping they will not commit the mistakes we’ve done; hoping they will be better persons than we are.  However, despite all the prodding and all the advice they may turn to the wrong direction and break our hearts.

Children are children.  They grow in a different generation than us.  Though they experience the same peer pressure as we did, still their situation is different from ours.  Though we try to inculcate our values to them, they may not adopt to it because of the environment they are in.

When children make you cry, it is best to understand where they stand.  Accept that though your genes are in them, they may respond differently because each and every person is uniquely different.

When children make you cry, talk to them about your feelings especially when they are old enough to understand.  Expressing your emotions to your children may help them understand you and see your perspective.  It also opens the communication line, helping your children to share their thoughts and feelings with you. It also builds your relationship with them and binds your love and respect for each other.

When children make you cry, pray to God for wisdom on how to handle the situation.  Pray to God for help on how to you correct your child.  Pray to God for more patience for your child.  Pray to God for more understanding on your part and pray to God for peace.  Pray for the peace that gives you the assurance that God will direct your child to the right path.

When children make your cry, it is but natural.  You once broke your mother’s heart.  Your child will understand this when he or she becomes a parent.

 

I Love "You"

February being the month of love, I can’t help but write something about love again.  As the song says, “love makes the world go round”.  Quite true! Love causes people to act as they do, feeling and enjoying every moment of the love (hoping it lasts forever).  Love makes life’s journey fun and exciting.

There are several kinds of love (parental love, sibling love, love for a friend, and so on) but I have learned that the most important love of all is loving yourself.  If you don’t love yourself, you don’t know what love is and if you don’t know what love is you will not be able to love and express love.  Single moms are guilty of sacrificial love.  There is nothing wrong with this but this month, let’s try being kind, helpful and loving without sacrificing too much of our own needs.

Loving yourself is easy and simply taking note of your needs and sometimes giving in to your wants.  Loving yourself means taking good care of yourself like getting a good night’s sleep, so you will love the way you feel in the morning.  Get that love glow even if you are not in love.  That glow will show in your radiant skin, shining eyes, lustrous hair; in your physical well being.  Get that more expensive lotion because you like its feel on your skin; visit the spa because it relaxes.  These physical feelings will likewise show in your attitude; you will laugh more, have a positive outlook, have a better disposition, etc.

Learn to love what you have; in other words learn to be content. Accept yourself as you are right now.  Dream but don’t kill yourself to reach your dream.  Count your blessings and regularly give thanks for all your blessings. Be content because contentment will bring you peace, satisfaction and happiness.

Trust in your capabilities and do not criticize yourself.  Do not be hard with yourself, making criticisms and punishing yourself. Be kind to yourself.  Be confident but keep the attitude of seeking ways to improve yourself.  Forgive yourself for your mistakes and rise up to try again.

Starting this month of love, give more thoughts to “you”; give more love to “you”.

Love is in the Air

Love is in the air.  Let’s take some relaxing moments and talk about love and reminisce the good times.

Just a few more days before Valentine’s Day, when people get crazy to celebrate their love. Love, according to an unknown author is a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. Wow!  Indeed, very descriptive.

Anyway, I just want to share with you one of the so many ways of how people express their love and I believe the oldest method of expressing love.  That is, giving of flowers.

Did you know that apart from roses, there are other flowers that send love messages?  Gardenias mean, you are lovely! Tulips declare, “You are my perfect mate”. Carnation may be a sign of love and bravery as well as a symbol of friendship because it keeps its color till it dies.  Today, pink carnations mean “I’ll never forget you”.
Associating flowers with feelings have been practiced centuries ago.  During the 15^th century, the hopelessly smitten would pick off petals form any flower to discover whether “he loves me or he loves me not”.   The last petal plucked off would indicate whether the object of her affection returns the love or not.  Medieval  knights can include a daisy in their coat-of-arms if the lady they love signified the same affection.  

Honeysuckle was and is still is a symbol of permanence and steadfastness.  The sensuous fragrance of honeysuckle is associated with steamy, romantic summer nights.

 

 

Lily of the valley is very popular to boys and girls in Europe in May.  At this time of the year, dances are held and the bell-like flower was believed to bring good fortune in love.

 

 

 

 

Love-in-a-mist is a blue or white flower also known as “Maiden in the Country”, “Bride’s Hair”, and “Brush Off”.  In the olden days if a lady handed an admirer love-in-a-mist, it means “Leave me alone.”  If she wanted an admirer to pack his bags, she would put the love-in-a-mist in a covered basket and send this to the unlucky recipient. The love-in-a-mist has become a symbol of unrequited love.

 

 

Myrtle is a delicate white flower that symbolizes beauty, youth, and love that is why a lot of brides choose myrtle for their wedding bouquet.  Some believe that those who lost their lives due to their “insane” love  were  turned into myrtle groves in the underworld.  Thus,  myrtle symbolizes love that lasts beyond death. 

Princess Kate chose myrtle as one of the flowers for her wedding bouquet.

 

 

Rosemary, a fragrant herb is said to aid memory.  In the past, young ladies would give their sweethearts a sprig to symbolize “remember me”.  A symbol of  fidelity, love, and unwavering devotion, Ann of Cleves, the fourth wife of  Henry VIII, wore a crown of rosemary.  She hoped that the popular saying “A bride’s bouquet of rosemary makes love evergreen” would hold true.

 

 

 

There you have it, several flowers to choose from you to express your love and to understand what someone wants to tell you when you receive these flowers. 

However, let me remind you that Valentine’s Day is not just for sweethearts. We, single moms, if we do not and are not planning to have another love relationship, can give flowers to our loved ones like our kids to express how dearly we love them.  I give red and white roses together to my kids.  This means unity in relationship.  Close friends receive Carnation from me.

Advance Happy Valentine’s Day everyone J

Cool (DIY) Tips for Cool AA Moms

Here are some cool (DIY - Do It Yourself) tips for Cool AA (All Around) Moms. 

Use a comb to steady a nail before hammering.  This also keeps you from hammering your finger.

If you need to drill something, keep the dust from flying all over by using a post-it to catch the falling debris.

 

Remove the lime deposit that clogs your shower head by filling a plastic bag with vinegar and attaching it to your clogged shower head overnight.  This will dissolve much of the lime deposited on the inside  of your shower head and make it work almost like new.

Accidents do happen but keep them at a minimum.  Use cotton balls or Q-tip to pick up small shards of glass you can't see.

Cleaning hard to reach, narrow openings are no match for a flexible vacuum.  Add an empty paper towel or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum.  It can be bent and flattened to reach those difficult, dirty places.

 

Keep a chalboard eraser handly in the glove compartment of your car for a non-foggy view. The charboard eraser works a lot better than cloth.

Forgot to include a document in your envelope? Fret not! Put your closed envelope in the freezer for an hour. It works like magic; the envelope will re-open easily.





 

God's Thoughtful Gift

Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility.~Kate Douglas Wiggin

The Road to Your Dream

Do you have a dream?  I believe all of us have at least one dream.  Deep inside our soul is a dream, a desire, a goal, a need to fulfill something in our life.  We search for the road - the right and quickest road to our dream.

We search for ways toward the fulfillment of that dream. Whatever our search may be - love, meaningful job, spiritual understanding, peace, better health – we can get frustrated and get wayward causing us to take a longer time to fulfill that dream or worst never reach that dream.  To help you realize your dream, it would be best to practice the following suggestions.

Take note that you are in a journey.  No matter what we’re looking for, no matter what you are dreaming of, the process of finding and reaching your dream is an unfolding journey. The better you understand that you are in a journey, the more capable you will be in recognizing the signs and signposts along the way that will lead you closer to your dream.

If you badly desire what you are looking for, you need to hold on to it and believe that you can reach your dream.  Faithless and unbelief will cause you to easily give up.  God has a plan for us and if we build our faith and trust in Him, He will guide us towards that plan and help us reach our dream.

Sometimes what we dream of may not be what God wants for us. I believe that if we follow God’s will, we will get the best and not the second best. Therefore, be flexible. If after several tries and different roads transversed, you still are not reaching your dream; probably, it is not what God intends for you. Being flexible and listening to the leading of God will enable you to reach a bigger dream.

Listen to the wisdom of people around you.  You will learn a lot from the experiences and journeys of other people.  The wisdom of the elderly is one of the best wisdom to tap as they have ‘been there and done that’.  We are on our individual life journey but there are many common experiences. 

Have a pleasant journey to your dream!