Inspirational Parenting » Life Lessons

To Summer at Eighteen

Steve Meineke — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:41:50 +0000

November 1994

Dear Summer,

Eighteen years ago I stood looking at you—fresh-born—through the big glass window in the hospital nursery, watching the nurses try to count your tiny toes. Minutes old, you were bright-red-screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs unbounded life, squirming and kicking in every direction—quite a challenge to those toe-counting nurses. How I wanted to reach through the window, to [...]

Let Us Labor For An Inward Stillness

Jeff — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:12:18 +0000

Let us labor for an inward stillness– An inward stillness and an inward healing. That perfect silence where the lips and heart Are still, and we no longer entertain Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions, But God alone speaks to us and we wait In singleness of heart that we may know His will, and in the silence of our spirits, That [...]

Kindergarteners Remember Us!

letspromoteplay — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:48:19 +0000

First day of school was this week! I am always excited to pick up the kindergarteners after their first day. Not only do I get the honor of experiencing their excitement but I usually see children that went to my school at one time that now are in “big school.” Monday I [...]

When You Lose Your Way as a Parent

taz tagore — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:36:50 +0000

Like coal miners, parents plunge deep into dark and untrammeled spaces, searching for nuggets of goodness and truth along the way. And sometimes, like coalminers, we get lost. We hit a dead end. And the canary chirping happily in it’s swinging cage, goes silent.

This summer, I lost my way as a [...]

Today, I Married My Son

Maureen Day — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:16:18 +0000

It was a sweet and simple ceremony.

Perhaps it was the beauty of the day with its cool pre-summer breeze and sunny afternoon , but most likely it was the picking of the pretty yellow flowers in the backyard that prompted the sudden proposal. “Mom, let’s get married,” he said holding the big bunch of yellow [...]

A Kiss That Still Works

JoyH — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:27:36 +0000

Dr. James Dobson’s book, “Stories of the Heart and Home” illustrates that special romantic love that we dwell on during Valentine’s Day so beautifully, I just had to send it along to all of you. “But nothing is so beautiful as a loving relationship that conforms to God’s magnificent design”. Here is a brilliant example [...]

Mean Mom in Awe

Maureen — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:55:02 +0000

My mom passed away two months ago. I have not been the same since. Not just because I lost her, but because of what I learned about my two college age sons.

The first thing they each said when I told them of her aggressive cancer diagnosis was, “How soon can I go see her”, halfway [...]

MOVE – Mobility Opportunities Via Education

Kim Leonetti — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:58:53 +0000

NICHOLAS CARTER LEONETTI was born on October 7, 1986 at 37 weeks by C-section. He weighed in at 8lb.13oz. and his apgar scores were 8 and 9.

At 2 months Nicholas needed hernia surgery and at 3 months he developed a pericardial effusion. It was tapped but reaccumulated immediately and at 4 months he had a [...]

Fireworks and Memories

Jeff — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:54:05 +0000

She is sitting on my lap as we gaze into the night sky. This may be the last year she will be willing to do that. She’s growing up so fast and pretty soon snuggling with Daddy will be embarrassing rather than comforting. She lays her head against my chest and I smile. Above us, [...]

What Makes a Great Mother or Father? The Little Things

Taz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:41:33 +0000

When I was in my twenties, my gaze was always focused on the big things—finding the “perfect” partner, the “to-die-for” job, the “huge” book deal, or getting into the “best” graduate school. Little things didn’t matter much; they were unnecessary distractions that I treated as rounding errors. I either ignored them or focused on what [...]