Looking Back With Feet Pointed Forward

New Years Eve. Three words that drum up all sorts of images and emotions. Champagne. Parties. Friends. Family. Reflections. Remembrances. Regrets. New Beginnings. Balls Dropping. Fireworks. Sadness. Gladness. Auld Lang Syne. And many more.

This year it's been a day of reflection.

January 2013 feels like a long time ago.  The year has been been a busy one of which a lot was accomplished and a lot was left to be done. Not one to make New Year's Resolutions beyond trying to take advantage of every day and being a better person - truly this is not a stock Miss America answer for me - I have to laugh at all the things I know I did not get to in 2013. I did not eat more super foods, read more books, watch less TV, exercise more, eat fewer sweets, write more, paint any pieces of furniture, or knock anything off a bucket list (that I really don't have anyway so that's okay), the list of "not dones" is endless.

2013 was a year when our family lost a very good friend. Suddenly gone. The loss of this friend made all the things that didn't get done seem inconsequential. The song Auld Lang Syne, a Scottish song whose title translates to "times gone by" is about remembering friends from the past and not letting them be forgotten.  This sentiment is an incredibly strong one this year.

My mother used to tell us to keep our feet pointed forward. The past is gone and the future unwritten. It is on the strength of friends and family passed and present that I find the strength to do as my mother said. It is with this in mind that the path towards 2014 is paved. Feet pointed forward while not forgetting. 2014 may be another year of bad eating and too much Real Housewives but it will also be a year full of gratitude for each day and being mindful to remember.

Happy New Year to all of you and yours.

Peace.
Magda

The Big Picture

It is true there are people in the world who are big picture people. I, for one, am not one of them. I am usually a day to day minute by minute person.  This changed slightly when I had children. When I say slightly I mean it has changed slightly every day since our first child was born a little over 21 years ago.

The effect of this change has made me feel a little like this...

Truth be told what has really made me feel this way du jour is the college application process.  To those of you with a high school senior sitting at home right now writing their college applications with a January 1st deadline you probably know exactly how this feels. To those of you who have high school seniors who are already done with their applications and have been accepted to their school of choice - Congratulations! Keep reading if you want to know how the other half lives. (plus your cartoon is probably prettier)

This is where the Big Picture Philosophy comes into play.  I keep hearing, "You have to look at the Big Picture."  That's it.  The Big Picture. It's exhausting to someone like me - a die hard instant gratification eat desert first - type person.  The Big Picture I see is having this child sitting on my couch come fall looking for the X-Box cord (which I have hidden until the applications are complete) leaving the shoes in the front hall and milk on the counter for the rest of my life! It's a grim paint-by-number gigantic picture that keeps me up at night.

My day-by-day optimistic self keeps me going and has me thinking, it will all get done. 

If I consider the Big Picture this child no more wants to be at home in the fall than to see me show up at school with cookies as a birthday celebration. Of course the applications will get done. After all the child has learned to use the potty, tie shoes, ride a bike, and drive a car. This will get figured out too. Hopefully before 11:59 January 1, 2014!

Cheers!
Magda

The cartoon was found on the website The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia 
It inspired me to write this post. Although my child does not have dyslexia many children do as do many grown ups.  If you have experience with dyslexia in your family or know of another family that could use guidance please check out this website http://thebigpicturemovie.com or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheBigPictureRethinkingDyslexia

Greatness: It's Within Us All

There are leaders and then there are people who change the course of history for an entire nation. Heard this today on CBS Sunday Morning, "Nelson Mandela is the George Washington for the people of South Africa. He is the founder of their country." This statement took my breath away. Why this statement? Possibly because of the magnitude of it.

The lessons learned from the life of Nelson Mandela are too plentiful to sum up. Hopefully his life story has touched everyone in some way.

Raising children who are about to embark on their own journeys and strike their own paths has made the following most significant. These words are very powerful.

Let is all remember Greatness is within us all.

I found this posted on Facebook by The Purpose Fairy. Want to give credit where credit is due:  http://www.purposefairy.com

Peace.
Magda