Importance of gratitude and saying thank you in life

by Mary Ann on March 29, 2011

fairy baby pictures

Maggie

I have nine grandchildren. I have to say that I think that grandparenting is God’s way of blessing us because we were willing to parent.

girl with doll images

Maggie and her doll

One of my granddaughters is almost five years old and she has cerebral palsy. It is a significant case and affects all four limbs and her ability to speak, sit up, and stand.

She is divine. She is a happy girl and a bright girl and she has a smile to light a room. We love her with all of our hearts. I was over there today and her mom was showing her a website. In a week Maggie is getting a new walker, one that will actually allow her to stand upright and walk! It is an absolute miracle.

Jodie wanted to introduce Maggie to the new walker and get her prepared and excited to use it. Maggie and I sat at that computer for the next thirty minutes watching the smiling, elated children using the walker, walking for the first time in their lives, one little girl kicking a ball for the first time. Maggie was engrossed in what she saw. She was excited. Tears ran down my cheeks, I couldn’t stop them. They weren’t tears of sadness at Maggie’s handicap. They were tears of amazement for the graciousness of God and the gratitude of children.

 

It is amazing how easy it is to take for granted the multitudinous blessings that each one of us has. Take the simple act of walking. Do you ever think about it and send your thanks, that you can do it, heavenward. What about talking, the simple act of saying I want a drink or thank you. These are things Maggie will never take for granted and now we, her family, can’t either.

I recall reading Corrie Ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place as a young woman. I’ll never forget her comment at the end of the book,

girl playing with hose picture

Maggie playing with the hose

how delicious it was to go to bed in clean sheets. I have never, to this day, forgotten that and frequently thank Heavenly Father for the sheets I sleep in.

I spend far too much time worrying and fretting over what I don’t have or what isn’t right in my life. I bet that you do too. I think that is one of the great maladies of our time, a lack of gratitude.

Here is what I know about Maggie. She doesn’t worry about whether she can walk or talk. She works hard on using her limbs and talking. She is happy. She expresses it over and over every day. She smiles and loves those around her. She is happy to be hugged by her mom, to have her teacher come, to be able to read. She is happy and she is grateful. She is always saying “Thank You God”.

I want to grow up and be just like her.

 

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Upcoming (TJEd & LDS) Events and a free ticket

by Mary Ann on March 28, 2011

girl mom reading photosI have the most amazing opportunities to be with wonderful moms and dads, talking about families, magical learning spaces and how to just plain enjoy your children more. I love it.

Forum puppet show pictures

The child created talent shows were the best!

As I reported, the Forum in Salt Lake City, UT was wonderful this year with the experimental Love of Learning Center going on.

In the next few months I have a couple more unique opportunities to speak and learn, along with many other wonderful families.

I will be traveling to Queen Creek,  AZ. in April to speak at the HIP 

Martineau Family pics

Hosted at the Martineau Home-a Spark Station family

Mom’s Retreat (Homeschooling with Intention and Purpose). The dates are April 15-16. This is going to be an amazing event – how many opportunities do you get to spend the WHOLE evening with a home full of TJed moms, who are trying to do the same thing you are trying to do(TJEd blog)?! The line up of speakers is amazing – Jodie Palmer, Diann Jeppson, Keri Tibbets, Olivia Votaw and of course, me. Check it out! http://hipmomretreat.blogspot.com/

Holistic Living conference pics

Amy Jones and Becca Price, Founders LDS Holistic Living Conference

 

Also, I am exited to be speaking at the LDS Holistic Conference in So. Jordan, UT on June 25th. The class schedule is up and can be viewed at www.LDSholisticliving.com.The Holistic LDS Living Conference’s mission is to help all people draw closer to Christ by discovering His hidden treasures of knowledge for the health and healing of the mind, body and spirit. I have looked over the line up of speakers and subjects and it really is amazing! If you are able to attend, this is a “do not miss event”.

By the way, I have a free ticket to give away for the Holistic conference. If you are in this area and would like to attend then listen up. Just share an experience you have had with your children this year. Yup that’s all. I will have a drawing of those who submit. Just use the comment box right here and share what has touched you the most, brought the most joy or tears to you during the last 12 months in your home, with your children.

Just post a story by May 1 to be entered into the drawing. The winner will be announced here the Monday following May 1. Good luck to all who want to go to this great conference free!!!

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Top ten things that my children should know

by Mary Ann on March 25, 2011

grandparents grandkids images

Some of the Johnson grandkids

The other day I came across a wonderful homeschool site called “weird, unsocialized, homeschoolers”. Now this mom has a sense of humor!

I am constantly amazed at all the great parents out there raising good families. There are so many ways to successfully educate children and so many ways to run a successful home. It’s our job to decide what works for us and then move forward with confidence, make course corrections as we go and then move forward again.

fun pictures

Always horseing around!

Well, on this great blog was a list of the top ten things that she wanted her kids to know before they left home. They were the things that appeal to most parents when they contemplate their kids leaving home: how to plan a balanced menu, how to cook a

couples pictures

Barry and fiance, Abi

healthy meal, how to sort and wash laundry, balancing a checkbook, balancing a budget, filing taxes, how to fill out a job application/write a résumé, how to change a flat tire, basic household repairs, and how to love God and their family. This is a very good list and I believe that in our family we touched on all of them. That got me to thinking about my top ten now that I have actually raised my children. In hindsight it is far different than the list would have been when I was raising my seven.

1. Understand that the buck stops here. This wasn’t on the list on the above mentioned blog but it sure is on mine. I wanted my children to know that they were responsible if their grades were bad (yes, I did have 5 go through public school), if their rooms were a mess, if they were out of money, if they didn’t have any clean underwear and so on.

newly wed couples images

Newlyweds, Kash and Marie

My children are all adults now and I feel confident that this lesson was learned. At least it appears to have been learned. Maybe they finally really began to believe it once they left home but it couldn’t have been a shock!

2. Know how to pray. Believe me you can’t get through this life if you don’t know how to ask for

hiker image

Andrew

help from the man upstairs or your higher power or whatever you prefer to call it. Not all of my children follow my faith but I know for sure that they all know how to pray. In fact just recently my daughter said, “If we didn’t know where mom was we just looked in her room because that was where she would be, praying.” You try to raise seven children and you will learn to pray too!!

3. Understand how to make things special. Now this may seem like a silly thing to have on my top ten but making things special goes a long way to keeping kids happy, hubby’s happy and mom’s happy.

two sisters picture

Jodie and Jenny

I remember breakfast one block from home, in the park, cooked and eaten off the tailgate of the truck. It was a lot of work to cook breakfast a block from home but it was special.

I can’t count the times my husband would call all the kids downstairs to see a candlelight dinner I had prepared for him and I. He wanted them to see how it was done.

Every New Years we sat on the floor as a family seated around a huge platter of fish, veggies, cracker and cheese. Doesn’t sound like much does it. You just ask my kids, every year for 40 years and it is still special.

couple photos

Jenny and Seth

4. How to say “I am sorry”. I taught this to my children by saying “I am sorry” to them and their dad hundreds of times. Gee, I made a lot of mistakes.

5. Know the difference between picking up and cleaning. We can all pick up, over and over again. That is what it takes to raise a family but eventually someone has to clean and it can’t always be just me!

6. How to work. I wanted them to know how to do a full days work for a full days pay, so to speak. I am proud that my children know how to work honestly and fairly; how to keep at it till the job is done right and well.

newly married couple images

Last years newly weds, Kate and Brady

7. How to play and laugh. I failed in this. I myself didn’t  know how to play but if I had it to do over again I would put this on my top ten. I would want to play with my children and teach them that play and laughter are the sweetest stuff of life.

8. How to be a gracious and charitable person. This is a life lesson that can bring peace to yourself and all those around you. I could only model this as best I knew it. I am in fact, still perfecting these traits for myself and so are my kind and gentle children.

9. How to be present. When I asked my husband what he would put on the list he said this one. Amazing! He wishes that he had been more present and had taught them the satisfaction that comes from receiving and giving this gift.

10. How to be grateful for everything both good and bad, because all things help us grow and become better people. A grateful heart is an open heart, a heart ready to learn.

WHAT IS ON YOUR TOP TEN. : )

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Importance of helping children understand & accept themselves

by Mary Ann on March 23, 2011

ugly duckling pictures

The Ugly Duckling

Once there was a mother duck that had a nest full of eggs. She was excited for the day that they would hatch and soon they did hatch. But to the mother ducks dismay, one of the ducklings was exceptionally large and ugly. The other ducklings just could not leave the ugly ducking alone and pestered him mercilessly.

Eventually, the large and ugly duckling decided that it would be better for everyone if he left and so he ran away. One day after wandering alone for a long time the ugly duckling saw a flock of magnificent birds flying in the sky. He was so entranced that he flew after them and followed them to a beautiful lake. As he landed in the water he looked down at his reflection and saw a beautiful swan. The ugly duckling had discovered who he was.

swan picture

Every child is a cygnet growing into a swan.

This beautifully told fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson carries a profound message about the importance of helping our children understand and accept who they are.

boy in mud picture

Knowledge of our value and our preciousness in the world can change everything, both present and future.

Knowledge of our value and our preciousness in the world can change everything, both present and future. It can open up the world to a child, when he knows who he is and that it is enough.

kids in sand picture

Our children are no ordinary beings. They are glorious and eternal.

This is a difficult message to give to children if we are forever finding fault with their childishness. The message that they are acceptable and enough is hard to send if we let them know through our own irritation, tiredness and frustration that they are bothersome, too noisy, too messy, not reading well enough, not neat enough, are poor spellers, and on and on.

In this difficult world there will be plenty of voices which will tell our children that they are not enough, that they lack beauty, grace or intelligence. But we know better. We know they are cygnet’s just needing time to become swans.

mother daughter playing pics

Take the time, even small amounts of time to be present.

So how can we send that message to them, knowing that we will be tired, we will be frustrated and they will be messy and noisy? We can take the time, even small amounts of time to be present. Children need a parent’s presence, time & attention.

We can kneel down on their level, look them in the eye and give a hug and say I love you. We can take the time to listen when they are talking rather than just working away and mumbling mmmmmm every now and then. We can show interest, real interest, in what children are interested in whether it is rocks, worms or mud. We can inspire them and not require. We can understand that they are not miniature adults and will not think like we do. We can accept that and give them space and time to be children.

Being present, even for small amounts of time sends a powerful message of acceptance and love. It is truly a gift that we can give to those we love, especially our own children.

Our children are no ordinary beings. They are glorious and eternal. If we can give them our presence and acceptance they will be able to look at their own reflections and see beyond their imperfections and self doubts and recognize who they are.

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