This is a momentous Mother’s Day, yet another Mother’s Milestone. I am the proud Mom of 2005 model brand new teenager. Although he sometimes gets frustrated with my slowness to absorb his new young “man-ness”, this marvelous change enhances us both. You may have to check back with me in a few years, but I…
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How to Continue Daily Serenity/Step 10
Is the goal for your life daily serenity–living in peace with yourself and others. Facing the world with the understanding that failure and mistakes are part of the human experience. How we choose to handle mistakes and failures in our lives develops our character. Does a problem, failure or mistake keep us from behaving with:…
Create a Teen Boy Travel Capsule Wardrobe For Less
Hey, let’s face it, as they get bigger the clothes get more expensive! I don’t even want to talk about the shoes! My focus for our teen boy travel capsule wardrobe was shoes and coats. Wandering around London and Paris in the rain is no fun with soggy feet and chattering teeth. My jeans and…
How To Make An Amends/Tackling Step 9
So far, peeling the onion of your life really only involved you. Striping away the layers of hurt, habits and hang-ups requires dedicated introspection. Making amends stretches our faith and trust in our Higher Power. Up until now, our work is mostly private. Maybe our friends and family have noticed a change in our behavior…
How to Imperfectly Parent Your Teen
I am about to be a proud Mother of a new teenager. How do I parent a teen? Hmmm? Here is a little word of caution. Do not read on, if you are embarrassed by buggers, the mention of underwear and kissing. Just move on to the other parenting blogs with better tips and less boy…
How To Make An Easy Step 8 Amends List
In making an amends list, we review our humble willingness to make a real life change. Just like Step 4, Step 8 requires putting pen to paper. Making the Amends List is separate from actually making amends to people you have harmed. What is the difference between “making an amends” and saying “I am sorry”? I am…
Humility: How Do You Practice It?
Humility does not rob us of our hard-won self-esteem, or remove our need to further accept ourselves as we are– defects and assets alike. In Reinhold Niebuhr’s full version of what is now known as the Serenity Prayer, the theme of humbleness runs through it. Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as…
Instant Gratification Monkey-Resolving Procrastination
Watching Tim Urban, a self-proclaimed master procrastinator, present his hilarious TED talk on the subject of procrastination gave me hope for resolving procrastination in my own life. If you missed the video watch it here. I have spent the last two years asking why I can’t organize my days and accomplish what I want to accomplish…
How Ready Are You to Remove Character Defects-Step 6
Ready, set, stop. Sigh, I find myself here a lot. I think I am ready. I made plans; I check out the outcomes and possibilities. I set my goals, then hit the pause button or the procrastination button. If I despise my character defects, seeing clearly after working the first 5 Step how they are holding me…
The Importance of Windshield Time With Your Teen
The whirling blur that pops in after school grabs a snack and runs out again claims to be my son. How do you get a little private time with the busy teen? Even the classic “windshield time” in the car, now fights the onslaught of portable devices. With the advance of our personal devices, (cell…