| Life is full of the traps we set for ourselves | | | | can give to myself everyday. In this process, I am |
| My Grand Daughter sets traps for me! These colorful | | | | Peaceful, loving, interested, aware, emotional, feminine, |
| cards, puzzle pieces, coasters, toys, and shapes with | | | | flexible, teachable always smiling from the inside. |
| pictures of the basic meanings and definitions of life | | | | Traps set on the floor could annoy me as too many |
| are laid out like bread crumbs all through the house | | | | children's things creating clutter and messiness or |
| leading in out of the kitchen and living areas or up the | | | | remind me of my values. |
| stairs leading to my room. winter-to-spring-11 | | | | Family values are the most important part of my |
| Due the type of family values that have been instilled in | | | | relationship with my family members because it is part |
| me, my first instinct of course is to pick these items up | | | | of our family code of conduct. |
| and admonish her for leaving her things all over the | | | | Every family has its own code of conduct and way of |
| floor. I resist giving in to my instincts to clean and | | | | being together. What works for one family may or |
| organize every minute of my life because to me that | | | | may not work for another. |
| represents control of my environment. I choose to | | | | A few examples in my family |
| create a new connection with her every chance I get! | | | | 1. We hug and kiss hello and good bye almost every |
| Giving in to my compulsory obsession with cleanliness | | | | time we see each other, sounds extreme to you, it's |
| and order is less important than the opportunity to | | | | normal for us. |
| reinforce family values of acknowledgment of the | | | | 2. We never take anything from each other without |
| teaching moment she offers me. | | | | permission, never assume that it's okay, they won't |
| It means something to her for me to acknowledge her | | | | mind. Some families have issues around this respect of |
| creativity. When I allow myself to get caught in the trap | | | | boundaries. |
| its means success for her that the trap has worked. | | | | 3. We actually eat together at the table with no |
| So to say "hey, what are these cards and puzzle | | | | television just music and cook meals together. Most |
| pieces and toys doing all over the floor?" | | | | families today eat in front of the television and they |
| This statement gives this five year old such a sense | | | | don't cook together, the responsibility falls on mom |
| of satisfaction that I noticed her and something she did | | | | most of the time in most families. |
| to get my attention because I am usually so busy | | | | 4. We don't talk negatively about people we are |
| doing something important. To get any reaction to her | | | | connected to. We admonish each other about being |
| traps makes her chuckle and smile to herself like it's a | | | | critical or negative. |
| private joke that only she understands. | | | | 5. We do not fight we talk until there is a solution. My |
| We are creating memories and teachable moments | | | | children were not permitted to hit and hurt each other |
| between us! We are reinforcing our family values. | | | | when they were young, disagreements were resolved |
| I love it! It keeps me grounded in reality and my family | | | | through problem solving. |
| values so I cannot get too caught up in the day to day | | | | Sounds simple, yet it has its own complexity in the |
| tendency to take life too seriously. To be open and | | | | process. |
| aware of every moment in its unique unfolding gift is a | | | | Having a sense of simplicity today is important due to |
| thrilling expectation of something new to behold in | | | | the amount of stress and anxiety everyone is feeling |
| amazement of just being alive. | | | | about the economy. |
| Traps! Life is of course full of traps, the ones we set | | | | If you are watching too much news or listening to too |
| unwittingly for ourselves when we set aside our family | | | | many messages about how bad things are then you |
| values to achieve our goals and survive in the midst of | | | | are setting yourself up for a trip to the land of cynicism |
| what we are constantly being told is a bad time | | | | and uncertainty. |
| financially for everyone. | | | | That is not a nice place to visit because once you get |
| It is true that there is financial struggle and it could be | | | | there it is difficult to find your way out, which leads to |
| that the Universe is telling us that this is time to smell | | | | depression.winter-to-spring-27. We as mothers must |
| the roses and reset the focus of what we value the | | | | refrain from being too obsessed with controlling every |
| most in life. I want my grand daughter to have great | | | | aspect of every person and every part and parcel of |
| memories of her time with me, not how hard it was. | | | | our lives. This takes away from actually living and |
| Be patient with the process of your life, we tend to be | | | | being present in our lives for the simplicity of seeing |
| in a hurry to get to the end of the day before we | | | | how happy it makes a five year old to set a trap and |
| really let the day begin. I resist knowing the outcome all | | | | see Gram actually caught in it. |
| the time because that is fear based behavior. Fear of | | | | It does not hurt to play along and be focused on the |
| the outcome! Worrying is not operating in Faith. | | | | joy of the moment instead of correcting it and aligning |
| I trust my Faith in God, The Higher Power, the Most | | | | it with what works in you life to make feel safe and in |
| High, Allah, Jehovah, Krishna, Buddha, The Force, The | | | | control. |
| Source the Breath of Life! | | | | If you get what I am saying, then share your family |
| To operate in faith and be conscious of the | | | | values. What works for you? How do you appreciate |
| sweetness and simplicity of my life is the best gift I | | | | your living and be healthy while you are doing it? |