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Promises
Promises I hear it in the way you speak, the words you use, the tone you choose. The anger, disgust, contempt are like spikes in my soft skin. I have made you mad, again. It seems I am built defective, wired wrong a mixture of thoughts, ideas, opinions, and hopes misfiring daily. Then, you smile and my entire body lights up. There is a warmth that surrounds my heart cradled like my infant body once was when you were ecstatic to meet me. But it doesn’t last long. The more familiar feeling of being cold and alone replaces the warmth, like an ice bucket dumped on a struggling flame. It’s…
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Society Will Change—One Peaceful Parent at A Time
“What if war was not inevitable? What if tyranny, human rights abuses and ecological destruction were not inescapable? And what if the means to prevent them were in the hands of ordinary mums and dads, and all those involved in the care and education of children? Are these idealistic or Utopian flights of fancy? Not at all, if we consider some of the most valuable insights gained in recent years.” excerpt from Parenting for a Peaceful World by Robin Grille When I was in high school the 10,000 Maniacs’ song “What’s the Matter Here?” came out. The lyrics were a chilling reminder of how many children suffer daily at…
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What Does it Mean to “Live and Learn”?
What does it mean to “live and learn”? Exactly what it sounds like. Live your life by following things that interest you, that intrigue you, that puzzle you. Ask questions, try things out, explore, observe, examine, challenge yourself. Meet people. Go to different places. Read, watch, and write. Get sick and work to get well. Care for others, care for animals, and care for yourself. Get a job, work on a hobby, and pursue your curiosities. By simply living, you learn–all the time. If you want to study, study. If you want to read, read. If you want to take classes, take classes. There is no pre-planned curriculum that will…
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Is There A Kindness Deficit In Your Home?
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” –Nelson Mandela Kindness is something we all respond to. When we come into contact with kind people, our radar goes up, we take notice, and we are affected–positively. Biologically speaking, being the giver of a kind act creates a wave of the feel good hormone, oxytocin, and according to research (and my own personal experience) makes us repeat compassionate givers. In some recent studies I’ve conducted, we have found that when people perform behaviors associated with compassionate love—warm smiles, friendly hand gestures, affirmative forward leans—their bodies produce more oxytocin. This suggests…
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Guilt is a Messenger? Yes.
”Guilt, the sense of anguish that we have fallen short of our own standards, is the guardian of our goodness.” In a 1983 article written by Jane E. Brody for the New York Times entitled, Guilt: Or Why it’s Good to Feel Bad she reviews the work of Dr. Willard Gaylin, a psychotherapist, who made the above assertion about guilt. “Guardian of our goodness” may seem a bit melodramatic, but I see where he’s coming from. Guilt, like anger, fear, frustration, worry, or joy, is a messenger. Another emotion firing off a signal, and in guilt’s case, signaling that something is counter to our goodness. The tricky part is to peel back…
