Manage the day gracefully

Little by little, we can change ourselves by our willingness to give, to be benevolent and courteous, even in the face of rudeness. We can decide that the abandonment of courtesy in our culture is simply not acceptable. We can accept the charge: look for, and embrace, kindness—within and without; develop kindliness and share it with others; believe we can and will act in the right way. Elevate our feelings — from unfriendly to friendly, from cranky to cheerful, from impatient to patient, from hectic to serene, from selfish to charitable, from cynical to hopeful ... to kind.

Why say something you don’t mean, unless of course you learn to mean it by the act of saying it.
— Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Opening to empathy

I am trying on a new perspective today, one that allows me to learn something new. Instead of thinking that I must always be my child’s teacher, I find lessons for myself in our interactions. I am open to the enlightenment this experience brings. When my child reacts to disappointment with a temper tantrum, I ask myself, What does he want me to know? What does he need? rather than reacting with a knee-jerk disapproval for his high emotions. The answer I discover is: He is having a difficult time. He is in pain. He needs compassion and empathy.

I tell him that I am here to help and that together we can solve his problem.

When I focus on the smallest component of the experience, I learn something profound about both of us: He requires my help learning to accept disappointment. I need more practice in cultivating my empathetic nature.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.—Melodie Beatty

Today I will develop an attitude of gratitude. I reflect on how many people make contributions to my good life. I name and thank—either in person or silently— all the people I know, and see, who do work I am grateful for. I especially take time to acknowledge those whom it is easy to take for granted, such as street sweepers (for keeping our streets clean), garbage collectors (for removing my family’s trash), war veterans (who defended and protected our country), the teachers and principal of our school(s) (for instilling a love of learning), and people who pick up litter (for their contribution to the cleanliness of our neighborhoods). I post a sheet of paper on my refrigerator with the title: I am Grateful For.... Whenever I think of something I wish to give thanks for, I write it down. The sheet is a daily reminder of how rich my life is.

Tall oaks from little acorns grow.

I admire the grace and fortitude of trees: beginning life tenderly as a curious shoot enveloped in understory, reaching skyward strong and still, then later kneeling down to nourish earth with its fallen leaves. And beginning all over again.

We watch our children grow under the tree's canopy of branches, where our dreams still dance with the dreams of mothers and fathers who came before, and we ask ourselves, How do we show them what lies in their deepening roots?

This blog commemorates the seeds of a peaceful family that we cultivate with our hope, love, courage, gratitude, peace, compassion, tolerance, generosity, honesty, and happiness.