Tag Archives: kisses

Life Lessons From Children

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The older I get, the more I realize that children have some of the best answers to the basic questions of life.  They seem to instinctively know how to manage the twists and turns of everyday living.

With all my education, experience and wisdom, I have learned to look to a five-year-old for some of the wisest lessons in getting through life.

Here are my top ten favorites:

Play is the best medicine.  Children have the ability to play with anything, anytime.  It’s how they release their emotions and feelings.  It’s also how they heal themselves.

Take a nap when you’re tired.  Children can sleep anywhere, when they need to.  What a great gift is that!

Always greet your elders with a hug and a kiss.  This is good advice your whole life – no matter how old you are.  Grannies always love to be greeted this way.

Every day is a fresh start.  No matter what happens today, no matter how bad it is or who hurts them, tomorrow is always a new day to a child.  All is forgotten and everything is possible again.  Each morning is a clean slate.

Be courageous.  Sing out loud.  Dance to the music.  Children are not confined by fear of failure or shame.  They embrace life.

Laugh every day.  Children see silliness everywhere.  Look for the humor in your everyday life.

Be active.  Get up and move.   Go outside. Find something to do.  Contact a friend. Children rarely sit in a rocking chair staring into space, thinking about the past.

Scars are badges of honor.  Scars are sources of pride to children, not signs of weakness.  Be proud of your scars.  Tell the story.   Make yourself the hero.  Pass on the wisdom.

Try new things.   Children do not fear the unknown.  They will try a new game, dive into a pool or jump on a trampoline.  Be adventurous.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Step into the unknown.

Notice the little things.  Children can be fascinated by the smallest of things – ants crossing a sidewalk, the tiny feet of birds, the wings of a bumblebee.  The things we take for granted bring them great joy.  Take notice of all the small miracles around you, and see how much more beautiful your life will be.

Becoming more childlike is one of the wisest things we can do as we age.

A Love Note To Gramps

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My darling sweetie –

If only I could find the words to say how much I love and adore you.

If only you knew how much I admire and respect you.

If only all our tomorrows could be as happy and joyful as all our yesterdays.

If only all men were as fair and honest as you, my beloved.

If only I were deserving of all the attention and honor you show me.

If only all children were as blessed as ours to have a father as upstanding as you.

If only all women could be as comforted and supported as I am by you when I fall.

But we are not “if only” people, are we sweetie? No, we are believe, know and for sure people. We have known since the very beginning that our love was something special, something unique. I know I have.

Since I have known you, I have never doubted your love for me, your commitment to me and your belief in me.

Since I have known you, I have experienced a life I never dreamed of having. A life full of children, adventure, travel, faith, humor, friends and most of all love.

Since I have known you, I have never known loneliness,

Since I have known you, I have known tender touches, bear hugs, hand holding, your calm hand on the small of my back, an arm around my shoulder and you always at my side.

Since I have known you, I have had small intimate conversations, loud boisterous parties, laugh fests, serious talks, disagreements, long-distance phone calls, letters, tapes and messages. But always we stayed in contact.

Since I have known you, I have always had a roof over my head, food on my table and clothes on my back.

Since I have known you, I have always known joy, contentment, stability and a unique, abiding love.

For my whole life since I have known you, I thank you for choosing to love me.

Granny

10 Things You Want your Grandchildren To See You Do

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1 – Love Unconditionally. Let them know they are the light of your life. Always end the conversation with “I love you”. Tell them often how much they mean to you.

2 – Cheer them on. Not just at soccer or baseball games, but always tell them they can do it. Give them encouragement. Always be on their side and help them to believe in themselves.

3 – Laugh. See the funny side of life. Tell jokes and laugh at their jokes. Use humor to heal the heart.

4 – Hug. Make physical contact when appropriate. Give a good hug and kiss. Sit close and snuggle. Hold hands when walking.

5 – Move as much as you can. Keep active and do it with the grandkids. Walk. Ride bikes. Swim. Hike. Camp. Go fishing. Garden. Dance. Anything done with a child can be fun!

6 – Enjoy life. Don’t be a hermit. Be active in the world. See friends. Go to movies and plays. Listen to music. Go to the library. Join a club. Be active in church. Meet your neighbors.

7 – Be positive. Keep a good attitude. Don’t complain. Change the things you don’t like and adjust to the things you can’t change. Be an optimist.

8 – Have a hobby. Keep busy. Have a passion and an interest. It gives you something to talk about!

9 – Forgive. Set a good example and let go of the wrongs done to you. Learn to say “I’m sorry” also.

10 – Always greet them with a smile. Make your grandchildren feel as though you have been waiting for only them. Always always greet with a smile. Tell them how glad you are to see them.

 

 

Good Night, Granny!

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Gramps and I just had our 9 year old grandson Mac spend the night with us. We do different things – play outside, go to a movie, play board games. We eat different meals – pizza, hamburgers or Mac’s favorite meal of salmon and broccoli. Sometimes we’re very active and sometimes we’re very quiet, but one thing always stays the same – the bedtime routine.

bathtime

Getting ready for bed starts with Mac taking a warm shower. He feels very independent doing it on his own. I clean his ears, clip his nails and try to corral his hair with its many cowlicks. We go through the same jokes and conversations each time. How can they still be funny after all these years?

Next is tooth brushing. Mac likes to drag this procedure out for as long as possible for some reason. Maybe it’s because he likes to chat and keeps taking the toothbrush out of his mouth.

Unknown

Then it’s off to pick out the three books for Gramps and Mac to read. The two of them sit on the couch and giggle and point and laugh and read out loud together. Mac can read very well, but Gramps does better voices and sound effects. This step would go on for hours if Granny didn’t finally say, “It’s time to go to bed please.”

cuddle

After hugs and kisses all around, Mac jumps (yes, he literally jumps!) into bed. Now this is my favorite part! I lay down next to him for a few minutes while we have a nice quiet chat. We talk about the day we just had, the day coming up, funny things, odd things, ordinary things.

Last night’s talk:

Mac – “So how many baby teeth do people have?”

Granny – “I don’t know Mac. Let’s find out tomorrow.”

Mac – “OK”

What a great conversation is that! I love getting kids ready for bed with a quiet routine full of love and interaction. It is very soothing for me and my precious one.

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P.S. We have 20 baby teeth. Who knew?!

The Joys Of January

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Can you believe January is already over? I think I need a seat belt to keep up with the speed of time these days.

Joy Ten Ways to Love

January was designated as “The Joy of Love” month. I set four personal goals to strengthen the love relationship I have with Gramps. It’s now time to assess my activity in those areas and see how close I came to reaching the best.

Goals:

1 – Be patient – I was very open with Gramps this month and didn’t expect things from him that I didn’t verbally ask for. He didn’t have to read my mind at all. And I allowed him to speak his mind. Listening is a true gift you can give someone you love. It turned out to be a pretty relaxed four weeks.

2 – Give proof of love – This required some work but was worth it. After so many years you might think we just know the other person loves us but seeing proof of that is a real treat!

Gramps likes a home cooked meal most evenings, so I made a concerted effort to cook almost every day. I made extra efforts to dress nicer every day even when I wasn’t going out. And Gramps especially likes to watch car races with me, so I happily sat with him and joined in the fun of speeding vehicles every chance I had. I also made sure I told him I loved him everyday at least once.

My reward was a sweet, happy, loving husband who hugged and kissed me often, said he loved being with me, and bragged about me often to others.

3 – Let it go – I wasn’t quite as good in this area as I was in the others. I definitely improved, picked fewer arguments and nagged less over small things. I did, however, let the moment overtake me a couple times and get upset over a minor insult that Gramps wasn’t even aware of.

Being aware of this goal did help me let go of the anger quicker than I previously would have, so I can see the positive influence.

4 – Give praise – Showing kindness and gratitude to Gramps was easy. He is a very sweet thoughtful man who just naturally does kind things for me and others. I found myself saying “thank you” to him several times a day. I always felt the gratitude but didn’t speak it out loud. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

January has been quite a month of exploration and learning. “The Joy of Love” hopefully will be more evident in our home and maybe even become a habit. With daily use, some things may require less work and planning, and may feel more natural.

Joy Life

Looking forward to February “The Joy of a Good Attitude” month.