Read more about the article Some Things To Not Pass Down To Your Children
Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay
insight / learning / non-fiction

Some Things To Not Pass Down To Your Children

Where do children learn about criticism and pet peeves? From imitating adult behaviors, of course. Children learn what they see, adapt behaviors from others, and test boundaries as they get older. If you feel children today have become more cynical and aggressive, you're probably right. The good news is that we still have time to help change them to be more generous, less critical, and exemplary ambassadors of peace. 

17 Comments
February 28, 2023
Read more about the article Jambalaya (Me Oh My Yay) #NaPoWriMo #poetry
Jambalaya Gallery - Image by Alexandra ❤️A life without animals is not worth living❤️ from Pixabay
Poetry / Writing

Jambalaya (Me Oh My Yay) #NaPoWriMo #poetry

Now that the kiddos are gone, have you returned to clean THAT old drawer? You know the one. So, what was in there? In this poetry prompt on Day 10, I went to check. Me oh my oh, a jambalaya -- so much has to go!

6 Comments
April 10, 2021
Read more about the article The Best Simulation Of What Parenting Children Is Like
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humor / insight / learning / non-fiction

The Best Simulation Of What Parenting Children Is Like

I was blessed to raise two little boys who are now in their twenties. I don’t do much mother-ing anymore, but the fact that I’m still a mother qualifies me to write to tell you about the greatest joy I know. I hope that by the end of the post, you come to appreciate the analogy I make, or at best, you come to understand the beauty of something I so ardently recommend. Enjoy.

2 Comments
March 27, 2021
Read more about the article On Parenting: When Do You Stop Burning Midnight Oil?
Image by Oberholster Venita from Pixabay
humor / learning

On Parenting: When Do You Stop Burning Midnight Oil?

I was an avid sleeper until the hormonal imbalance of pregnancy changed me. In this humor piece on parenting advice, I want to tell you how it took me 19 years to reclaim my good sleep pattern. Find memes and serious articles on how to balance the scales on the miracle that is parenting. I'm rooting for you.

5 Comments
February 21, 2021
Read more about the article This Home Appliance Might be What you need to Ease House Dust
Image: Author's album
non-fiction / short story

This Home Appliance Might be What you need to Ease House Dust

The state-of-the-art Powerball that my vacuum cleaner was never went underappreciated. It was my faithful companion for over a decade and a half-- with not a cough, not a hiccup to berate it for. I named her Allegri, and it did what her maker promised it’d do for me-- I saw a massive change in my son's health, gave me peace of mind, and saved me money on medical bills. Tell me, wouldn't you be grateful for something like this?

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January 25, 2021
Read more about the article Don’t Forget to Breathe
Breathe- Image by silviarita from Pixabay
insight / learning

Don’t Forget to Breathe

"Selma," said Mom, "don't forget to breathe." Today, I wish to tell you about a poignant piece of advice that came to me in the form of a decades-old memory. It envigorated me then and reliving it now has made me aware of the beautiful energy coursing through me--and you-- nothing short of amazing.

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December 2, 2020
Read more about the article Is Your Way Better?
Image by Jennifer Watson from Pixabay
learning / non-fiction

Is Your Way Better?

A short message today, to take you into a glorious new week. “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring.  Love is an active verb, like ‘struggle.’  To love someone is to strive to  accept that person exactly the way  he or she is, right here and now.” — Mr. Fred Rogers

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May 17, 2020
Read more about the article How I Tried to Blend In, Failed but Found my ‘Funny’
Image by Jason Goh from Pixabay
humor / insight / learning / non-fiction / short story

How I Tried to Blend In, Failed but Found my ‘Funny’

In the 1990s I was a new mother raising my kids in a land so foreign than my own that tuning in to the way I saw my mommy-friends do it turned to be the new normal I wanted to imitate. I tried the mamachari... "The mamachari is a cultural icon, it’s the Japanese equivalent of the family station wagon. It’s the family workhorse used on shopping runs, for riding to the local station, taking the kids to school or picking them up from sports practice. Without it families around the country would be in a right pickle. "— Byron Kidd

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May 11, 2020
Read more about the article You’re A Model. Say Cheese!
Image by Sergey Nemo from Pixabay
humor / insight / non-fiction

You’re A Model. Say Cheese!

So parents, be good role models for your children. The future of humankind depends on it. You’re tired and feel spent, I know. I’ve been there. Still, be good models... the rewards will come; and when they do you'll comprehend why there’s no other job in the world quite as rewarding as that of being a good parent.

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May 7, 2020
Read more about the article Take One; Take Two
Photo by nrd on Unsplash
humor / learning / short story

Take One; Take Two

Remembering something similar that happened to me a very long time ago when I came to Japan, I roared uncontrollably with my own bout of laughter. Words got stuck in my throat and with more to do than to just wait for his mother to recover from the laughter, my young man hung up on me.

3 Comments
May 5, 2020