Bobbi
Cathlete
Your kids are young and I remember those crazy busy days, long for them at times, in fact, yet still marvel at how they grow and change and gather independance, like a shield it sometimes seems. It's bittersweet, you know? But I have to bow out and let the young moms have their day. My sixteen year old got me a birthday card for Mother's Day, whited out Happy Birthday and wrote in Mother's Day. It was a "Where The Wild Things Are" card and she wrote "Thank you for being so darn awesome" and my heart soared. I have known that book since I was a child, read that book a million times and it was made clear to me she remembers too. Someday she'll read it to a child of her own and I'll be there as a young mother, a ghost from her past, and the idea gives me chills. I don't always know with Ali, my prickly child. She's so intense and we can go around and around over the goofiest stuff. That was reassuring to me. She's still my girl, for all that independance and her eagerness to go to a university back East. What's up with that? But my mother is such a tremendous part of me and how I am with them, I have great faith in my children to grow up and be good humans. I hope they'll recycle and want to change the world for better! LOL! When you wrote to me I thought of something else I have read as a child and as an adult and I think you might like it. Every mom should read it so here it is:
"Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte
Mother's are powerful. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Keep loving them and wanting the best for them and they'll turn out as lovely, kind and gentle as you are, Dallas.
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.-Charles Spurgeon
"Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte
Mother's are powerful. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Keep loving them and wanting the best for them and they'll turn out as lovely, kind and gentle as you are, Dallas.
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.-Charles Spurgeon