Heartwarming Photos: Love in the Animal Kingdom

From the Huffington Post: Incredible Photos That Prove True Love Exists. 

Here are just a few of my favorites.  You can see more at the link above.

 

Slowing Down

This is another favorite of mine from  Hands Free Mama that reminds us cherish the moments we have, particularly with our children, and to be mindful of what they can teach us as we hurry through life. 

An excerpt:

I started my sentences with it. Hurry up, we’re gonna be late. 

I ended sentences with it. We’re going to miss everything if you don’t hurry up. 

I started my day with it. Hurry up and eat your breakfast.

Hurry up and get dressed.

I ended my day with it. Hurry up and brush your teeth. Hurry up and get in bed. 

And although the words “hurry up” did little if nothing to increase my child’s speed, I said them anyway. Maybe even more than the words, “I love you.”

The truth hurts, but the truth heals … and brings me closer to the parent I want to be.

Then one fateful day, things changed. We’d just picked my older daughter up from kindergarten and were getting out of the car. Not going fast enough for her liking, my older daughter said to her little sister, “You are so slow.” And when she crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh, I saw myself—and it was a gut-wrenching sight.

I was a bully who pushed and pressured and hurried a small child who simply wanted to enjoy life.

My eyes were opened; I saw with clarity the damage my hurried existence was doing to both of my children.

Here is what can happen when we let young minds into our vision.  An artist lets her 4 year old child finish her drawings and look at what comes out of it. 

 

Read more at:
laughingsquid

Listen to Your Child

I just found this blog today. I haven't read it much, but I thought this entry was a really touching one about the power of listening to our children.

Here is just an excerpt:

 

And despite what the critics say—that giving a child our undivided attention creates a child who thinks the world revolves around him or her—I believe otherwise.

Having a parent that listens creates a child who believes he or she has a voice that matters in this world.

And when you believe your voice matters, you have the strength to say, “Let me out of the car,” when you feel like you are in a dangerous situation.

When you believe your voice matters, you have the courage to say no to harmful substances that can affect your ability to make decisions and prematurely end your life.

When you believe your voice matters, you have the bravery to admit you made a mistake and will use that experience to learn, grow, and do better next time.

When you believe your voice matters, you have the confidence to write down your most difficult truths and publish them in a book so someone else doesn’t feel alone in his or her struggles.

When You Listen To A Child from www.Handsfreemama.com.

Child Keeps Us Mindful of Our Meat

Whether to eat meat, be a vegetarian, or a vegan is a personal decision, but I love that this little one reminds us to be mindful of this.

Kids Being Kids.....Meaning "Being Awesome!"

Some time ago Cheerios released a commercial with a mixed race couple that upset a lot of people.  Kids response? 

5 Inspirational Young Women

Like Malala Yousef, many young women around the world are standing up for their rights.  CNN profiles 5 of them: The world's 'other Malala's'

In the February 2013 issue of O Magazine, Louisa Kamps tells the story of how an oak tree helps her find strength.  We all need a tree like hers.


The Giving Tree
When the weather turns cold, Madison, Wisconsin, can become eerily desolate. On one of those frigid, lonely days of wandering the Wempty streets, I headed for a nature preserve, not far from my snug little house, that I'd never bothered to visit before. I'm still glad for that change of course. Because there, in a clearing, I discovered a giant white oak tree so dazzling, so crazily beautiful, I actually chortled with delight at the sight of it.

At least 200 years old, the oak has branches that span more than 50 feet, outstretched like arms—and eye- and ear-like knobs high on the trunk—that give it an unmistakably human vibe. That first time I saw the oak, I crept through the thick underbrush, wrapped my arms around its trunk, and, in gratitude for the way it made me laugh, rested my cheek on its scratchy warm bark.

The tree reminded me, in its wind-swept solidity, that I have plenty of resilience in me, too. Now I visit the oak on days I'm feeling wigged out—like when a friend died and my tears liquefied the moss buried in the bark, or when I've picked a fight with my husband over, alas, the right way to clean the stovetop (when what's really bothering me is a churning, anxious desire to connect with him). After a visit to the tree, I can go back and ask my husband for what I truly need. The oak's majestic strength quietly reminds me to press on.

Spread Sunshine

In the July 2013 issue of O Magazine, Martha Beck tells us what we can do be that person that brings sunshine into people's lives.  I particularly love tip #2:


Pretend people love you.

One of the statements that changed my life comes from spiritual teacher Byron Katie: "When I walk into a room, I know that everyone in it loves me.  I just don't expect them to realize it yet."  I'm by no means certain that everyone in every room loves me, but I've found that pretending they do works nicely when I want to make someone's day.

I spent much of my life wandering about armored against criticism and rejection, unaware that my wary defense appeared to others as inexplicable offense.  And since everyone around me was also frightened, their defenses escalated the moment they encountered mine, which in turn ratcheted up to meet theirs, and so on.  This emotional arms race drives people apart in every home, office, subway car, dentist's office, rice field, and square-dancing school on Earth.  But pretending other people love you flips the vicious cycle into a virtuous one.  Imagine how you'd enter a public space--say, a grocery store-- if you knew without a doubt that everyone in it adored you.  How would you move?  How would you look at people?  What would you say?  Now imagine interacting with a loved one while feeling so sure of her infinite, unconditional acceptance that you had no need for reaffirmation.  How would you behave? You'd probably lay down some of your armor.  Then she would loosen hers.  Then you'd relax even more, and so on and on and on.  Try it right now-- you can do so without getting up!   Pretending someone loves you, right where you sit, will begin a day-making spiral of love. 

Too Beautiful To Be True

Wow!  What is there left to say?  No Photoshop needed here!

See more at: 15 Natural Wonders That Look Too Beautiful To Exist

Happy Belated, Father's Day!

These are very lucky children!

  

It always saddens me how often many of us living in Western countries take clean water for granted. Notice I said "many",  not "all", because there are plenty of communities in the United States that sadly also don't have drinkable water.

This is the story of a freshwater well in Uganda and the difference it made for one woman, Helen Apio, in particular.  Here is a bit of her story as told by Becky Straw, click the link below for more:


“I am happy now,” Helen beamed. “I have time to eat, my children can go to school. And I can even work in my garden, take a shower and then come back for more water if I want! I am bathing so well.”
A few of the men chuckled to hear a woman talk about bathing. But all I noticed was Helen's glowing face, the fresh flowers in her hair, and the lovely green dress she wore for special occasions. Touching her forearm, 
I replied, “Well, you look great.”

“Yes,” she paused. Placing both hands on my shoulders and smiling, she said, “Now, I am beautiful.”

Charity:water - Beautiful Women of the World

World's Most Colorful Cities

 

I love the vibrancy and joy of the colors!  Makes your day a little brighter, doesn't it?

Buzzfeed's 24 Most Colorful Cities in the World

Principal Fires Security, Hires Art Teachers

......... and transforms the school for the better! 

Read here:  Elementary School Trades Security Guards for Arts.

Looking In The Past

Buzzfeed's 75 Awesome "Looking Into The Past" photos.   It is amazing to me how people come up with these things.  This is brilliant!

Before I Die

I am a huge fan of Buddhist Boot Camp.  It always reminds me to see the bigger picture and get out of my own way. 

You ARE beautiful. Really!

You're beautiful.  People say that to you, but you don't believe it.  Well, most of us don't anyways.  We spend so much time looking in the mirror, trying to see what we need to fix.  That's what makes this Dove project so fascinating.  What we see is often so different from what other people see. 

The video is in English with Spanish subtitles.  More on the project here: Dove Real Beauty Sketches

'Good Enough' Dad and Special Son

 

You won't regret listening to this NPR interview between father, Keith Harris, and his son Tim.  Tim is the owner of a restaurant, Tim's Place, the creation of which was a lifelong dream of his.  Tim has Down Syndrome and he and his father discuss some of the challenges they've overcome and the love they have for one another.   A beautifully and honestly done interview. 

A Good Enough Dad and His Special Son

Home is Wherever I'm with You

This is a favorite YouTube acoustic cover of mine.  I love this daddy and daughter super duo!  I sing this to my little one all the time before bed.  Unfortunately, I can't play guitar. Maybe one day. 

Ears Open! 20 Ways to Postively Change Your Relationships

Anything that can remind me to be mindful of how I take care of myself, who I let into my life, and how to treat others is like beautiful music to me.  It is something I need to hear everyday.

I have been in need of really understanding #2 for some time now. I had a friend who was like a part of my soul for most of my life.  For whatever reason, we've drifted apart in the last 5 years or so and it has been pretty devastating for me.  I've tried to reach out, but come to the conclusion that I just can't change it.   The excerpt below definitely contains some truth for me.  Though I tend to disagree that our friendship was based solely on me having something he needed (because he is just not that person), I do need to come to terms with the fact that our relationship isn't the same, and probably never will be. 

 2.  Let go of those who are already gone. – The sad truth is that there are some people who will only be there for you as long as you have something they need.  When you no longer serve a purpose to them, they will leave.  The good news is, if you tough it out, you’ll eventually weed these people out of your life and be left with some great people you can count on.  We rarely lose friends and lovers, we just gradually figure out who our real ones are.  So when people walk away from you, let them go.   Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you.  It doesn’t mean they are bad people; it just means that their part in your story is over.


Here is the entire list.  20 Things to Start Doing in Your Relationships

Take a Walk

A new study shows how taking a walk in the park can ease the brain fatigue of living in loud, urban areas.  As much as I love cities and urban living, I must admit, there is a beautifully calm feeling that overtakes me as soon as I step into a forest.   The silence of it in winter,  or the calls of wildlife when hiking on a summer morning,  all of it can really take your breath away.

From the New York Times: Easing Brain Fatigue With a Walk in the Park

Waitress Fixes Autistic Girl's 'Broken' Cheeseburger

We forget how the smallest gestures and acts of kindness can make a huge impact on someone's day.   An autistic girl was so upset to find her cheeseburger was cut in half before she opened it, that she refused to eat it.  The staff made a big deal of apologizing to her and giving her a new one.  As you can read and see below, this little girl was obviously very pleased with the new ending and her family was so grateful.  I love this story.

Heroic Chili's Waitress Fixes 'Broken' Cheeseburger

Air Orchestra

Ears Open! Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou's Master Class on OWN is an absolute must-see.   If it were possible to purchase this (I wish! I wish!), I wouldn't post this link. But I don't think people should be denied the wisdom here.  I don't know who long it will stay up, but enjoy while it lasts.

Master Class: Maya Angelou

And if the link is taken down, please write to Oprah or OWN here and ask for shows to made available for purchase. 

Salute to Moms

Ears Open!

22 Things Happy People Do Differently

I love this blog post.  #9 is the one I have been working on for sometime now.  It's hard, but so important.

9. Get absorbed into the present.
Happy people don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They savor the present. They let themselves get immersed in whatever they’re doing at the moment. Stop and smell the roses.

Here is the entire list from Successify.

Enjoy!

If You Really Knew Me

Noah's story got me thinking about bullying today.  Bullying is an issue that really strikes a chord in me. And one thing that bothers me is that I really think the word "bully" does a disservice to the issue because it fails to really capture the truth.  In my opinion, bullying is actually abuse, plain and simple- verbal, emotional and physical abuse, and as a society I believe we should treat it as such.

MTV once did a series called If You Really Knew Me that followed high school students through a Challenge Day workshop meant to address how poorly they were treating one another.  I have seen a couple of episodes and one of the first ones, Paris High School, has stayed in my mind ever since.  To see these young people being so mean to one another, full of defense mechanisms and masked fear, come together on this day and realize (finally!) that they are not so different and that they need each other.....it brings me to tears every single time.

If you haven't seen it, here is a link.  I love all the love they give each other at the end.  Whether or not it stays that way, well...who really knows.  But at least for a moment, they are there for each other and it's beautiful.

If You Really Knew Me - Paris High School 

Strangers Give Hope To Boy Thinking Of Suicide

Noah Brocklebank, a 7th grader from Maryland, was being bullied and feeling alone.  He had been thinking about committing suicide on his 13th birthday and posted a picture of his arm, which he had been cutting, on Instagram.  Noah was hospitalized and his mother, feeling helpless, started a Facebook page asking for people to send Noah words of encouragement.  You can see in the picture above what happened next.

Read the family's story here:  Strangers Help Bullied Boy

Hang in there, Noah.  It definitely gets better.

New Generation

This album isn't new, but every time this song pops onto my shuffle playlist, I can barely contain myself no matter where I am.  I love the message of love and peace and celebration.  Listen to the track above.  Here are the lyrics (credit to Songonlyrics):

Robin Thicke – The New Generation Lyrics 
We’re the new generation
The new generation
And we believe now
We believe (we believe)
(we believe)
It’s a televised revolution
We want democracy
We fight all oppression
We tired of murder and grief
We want our freedom
Like the Statue of Liberty
We want to see our children
Live better than you and me
The whole city is a dance floor
(huh) It’s a celebration
For the whole world to see
Things are really changing
From Africa to Asia
Through Europe cross the seas
Everybody’s got they hand up
And nobody’s on their knees

And the bombs will stop flying
And we gaze a quiet sky
And we stand in love and wonder
At the miracle gone by
And it ain’t like it used to be
Cause it’s better than it was
We’re the new generation
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We’re the new new [x3] We believe in us [x3]
The new generation

Now we’re sharing our money
Now we helping tough lives
Now we calling up our brothers
Saying I apologize
Love is stronger than eternity
Love’s in every baby’s eyes
We crawling outta that dirty gutta
With tuxedos on your mind
You want a glass of champagne
You want it paid for by the pain
Shout your national anthem
For all your countrymen that died in vain
You’re the new prince ruler
The red dog Cairo king
An international inspiration
The number one topic most trending

And now the bombs will stop flying
And we gaze a quiet sky
And we stand in love and wonder
At the miracle gone by
And it ain’t like it used to be
Cause it’s better than it was
We’re the new generation
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We’re the new new [x3] We believe in us [x3]
The new generation

Now you can’t get between us
We’re connected like mother and child
It’s a world wide network
You better logon before you die
Cause the old got us over
And the new way is baptized
And now we’re storming through the palace
Singing, dancing, you know why
Waving peace flags on the balcony
Yeah we just changed history
And we all joined hands
And thank god for listening

And the bombs will stop flying
And we gaze a quiet sky
And we stand in love and wonder
At the miracle gone by
And it ain’t like it used to be
Cause it’s better than it was
We’re the new generation
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We believe in us (we believe)
We’re the new new [x3] We believe in us [x3]
The new generation

Dance!

I can always appreciate a person's ability to throw caution to the wind and just live life every now and then.  This gentleman is my hero today.  And he's a fabulous dancer!

Instagram Helps Boy Find His Lost Stuffed Bunny

 

I love this story.  First, I'm a sucker for sentimental objects and how much they mean to us, especially children.   And second, the story is so full of chance and luck and goodness, I can't imagine someone reading it and not smiling....just a little bit.  :)


Instagram Rescue: Bunny Lost 'n' Found 

Finding love...literally

The title really says it all, We Found Our Son on the Subway.   That is unbelievably what actually happened, they found a son that they weren't looking for.  Just when I think I don't believe in fate, something like this comes along.

Love vs. Bigotry

Here New Yorkers drown out Terry Jones' message of hate with The Beatles 'All You Need is Love'.   I was in Manhattan on 9/11.  The city completely came together and we all leaned on one another.  Even though it's a city full of transience - people coming and going - that city has heart and soul and will forever mean love and family to me.  Maybe it's the circles I keep, but the only hate I saw the days and months after 9/11 came from outsiders.  It's safe to say that all of us are against terrorism.  But some have not gotten the memo that not all Muslims are terrorists. 

Ex-Jihadis Reintegrate Into Society

The story of Mahmudi Haryono, once an extremist in Indonesia, now working in a restaurant founded by another reformed radical.

Read here on NPR:  An Indonesian Extremist Trades Rifle For Spatula

Just Do It!

I love this video because this young woman, Candace, reminds us all to just get out there and try something new.  Sometimes we get negative stories in our head, of what we can't do or won't be, and it gets stuck on a loop.  We start to believe it.  We forget that that a story is just a story.  Don't be afraid to stretch and grow.  Don't be afraid to share something with the rest of us.  Share your song, your art, your story, gift, whatever it is.  Don't worry about failure or fame or being the best ever. Just do it because it makes you happy, and you never know, it may make someone else feel the same!

Street Compliments

We often forget to tell people what they mean to us.  I've spent the last year or so trying to mindful of this and to say out loud how wonderful it is to have the people I love in my life. 

SoulPancake

A Life Defined Not By Disabiltiy, But By Love

Definitely give a listen to this touching interview between a developmentally-disabled mother, Bonnie Brown, and her teenage daughter, Myra. 

Read and listen here on NPR:  A Life Not Defined By Disability.

Pilot Dreams of a Magic Schoolbus

An inspirational interview with Barrington Irving, the first African-American to fly solo around the world, and also the youngest to do so; he was 23 years old and took off with only $30 in his pocket.

Today, at 29, Mr. Irving has become an educator, seeking to inspire American youth to take up long neglected STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

Listen to his story on NPR: African-Americans Fly High With Math and Science

Videos of Everyday Heroism

This is what people do for each other.  They rush into burning buildings. They jump on train tracks. They work together to lift a car off of an injured person.  They save people's lives.  These things may not be recommended by the authorities because they are extremely dangerous, but it is truly amazing how selfless people can be.

See video here:
   8 Amazing Videos of Everyday People Turned Unsung Heroes from The Huffington Post.

30 French Imams Visit Holocaust Memorial Outside Paris

30 French Imams visit the Holocaust Memorial near Paris at a time when tensions are running high between France's Muslim and Jewish communities. 

Memorial director, Jacques Fredj, had this to say:

“I get the feeling that there is a growing number of French Muslims standing up to denounce, publicly and collectively, anti-Semitism in France.Today’s visit is not only a message to their own community that hatred is not the Muslim way, it is also a message to the rest of the country that most French Muslims are not radicals.”

Read more about the visit here at France24.com

Brian Greene: Exploring the Unknown Universe

Columbia University professor, Brian Greene, discusses with the BBC the thrill of exploring our universe, the progress we have made in understanding it, and the concept he most wants to understand- the essence of Time.

Click here to view the roughly 5 minute video.  Truly fascinating stuff.

Ears Open! Deepak Chopra

Senegal: 427 communities end FGM & child marriage

Girls Not Brides, the global partnership to end child marriage, has announced 427 Senegalese communities have publicly declared to end the practices of child marriage and female genital mutilation. 

What a great day for women and girls in these communities!

Please check out the other excellent work being done by Tostan, the community-led development NGO that helped make this all possible. 

The Edge Of The Universe

I'm fascinated by all things dealing with space and time.  I found this stunning documentary, Journey to the Edge of the Universe, on YouTube. You never know how long it will be available there so if you missed it, I apologize. 

As the narrator says at the end of this clip, "Our family tree begins here."

A Sweet Read: Just One Thing

I've been reading this book, Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time by Rick Hanson, on and off for the past year and I have to say I love it.  The reason why I say "off and on" is because it's full of these fantastic lessons on life and mindfulness and I've found I like to sit with a couple lessons and incorporate them into my life before moving on.  I highly recommend it.

Amazon summary:

You’ve heard the expression, “It’s the little things that count.” Research has shown that little daily practices can change the way your brain works, too. This book offers simple brain-training practices you can do every day to protect against stress, lift your mood, and find greater emotional resilience. Just One Thing is a treasure chest of over fifty practices created specifically to deepen your sense of well-being and unconditional happiness.
Just one practice each day can help you:

• Be good to yourself
• Enjoy life as it is
• Build on your strengths
• Be more effective at home and work
• Make peace with your emotions

What Does Love Look Like?

                                             What Does Love Look Like To YOU?

YouTube

Ears open! Maya Angelou

"Ears open!" is what I always used to say to my class when we started a new lesson.  I've realized that lessons don't only come to us as children, or in a classroom, or in the workplace. They come to us from everywhere and from everyone.  They come from our children. They come from silence.

If there is one person who always makes me do "Ears open!" whenever she speaks, it is the great Maya Angelou.  And the lesson above is one I try to remember daily, particularly on those days when I hear negativity coming from within.  What this quote means to me is that we shouldn't stop believing in ourselves or in something we love to do because we are afraid of not being the best, afraid that someone else will do it louder and better.  We should believe in what we have to offer because it is the offering that holds the meaning and value.  That book you are writing? It may not be a best-seller.  It may not get rave reviews.  It may not get any reviews at all.  Write it anyway because it is your song.

What does Ms. Angelou's quote mean to you?

Everyday Heroes: CNN Heroes 2012

Pushpa Basnet, one of CNN Heroes of 2012.   Read about her amazing work with the children of prisoners in Nepal, as well as the works of the other amazing 2012 CNN Heroes here.

Do you know someone who is going above and beyond?  Nominate them!

Amazing 3D sketches!

 

I haven't seen anything like these fantastic Ramon Bruin sketches.  See more: Ramon Bruin Gallery

It's Their World, Too: NatGeo Wildlife -Best of January 2013

Sometimes it's nice to remember that it's not all about us on this planet.  

See more at: National Geographic 

Pictures That Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Buzzfeed's 21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity does just that.

Natural Beauty: The Transition Back to Natural Hair

The New York Times profiles Zina Saro-Wiwa, who invites us to witness her journey from chemically-straightened to natural hair.  In the process she finds a different, deeper beauty in herself, and a community of women doing the same.  Like Nana, a character from one of my daughter's favorite books, says, "there is more than one way to be beautiful."

Football Team Protects Bullied Student

The football team protects bullied student, Chy Johnson.  It's nice to see young people step up and do what they know is right. 

YouTube

High School Community Grants Hoop Dreams

The 2006 story of Jason McElwain and the school community that rallied behind him.  They aren't all bullies!

YouTube

Charlie Chaplin Speaks About Humanity

Charlie Chaplin speaks in The Great Dictator.  Listen up.

Welcome

I'm a news junkie.  I like to be informed about what is going on in the world, what we are doing to the world and to each other. 

But so often everything we read is so negative and you start to think that negative is all there is.  There is great beauty in this world.  There are great people doing great things for their neighbors and friends, and fellow global citizens.

We are all lucky to be here to enjoy each other and this day.   Make the most of it.