An Offering to Change a Life

I often talk about giving – giving of one’s heart, one’s time, one’s energies…but what about giving a part of oneself?

2 months ago, our 5-year-old saw some children who didn’t have any hair, and naturally she was full of questions. We gently explained how others can help by showing her pictures and answering all her questions.

The outcome: “I want to donate my hair to the children who lost their hair.”

We let 2 months pass to make absolutely sure, but she was adamant. So last week, our family took her to Mommy’s hairdresser for her 1st real salon experience.

The salon made a real fuss over her – from chocolates and orange juice to special organic products gifted from the family owners presented in a lovely embroidered bag.

  

Everyone in the salon was simply thrilled a little 5 year old knew exactly what she wanted to do and why.

It was a wonderful experience we will never forget!!

The Bright Spot™  – Our daughter says she’s looking forward to doing it again. We are very proud!

For more information, visit Angel Hair for Kids, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Wigs for Kids, or Locks of Love to make a donation.

Please take a minute to read the next 2 short stories ~ Grandma didn’t pass away from old age – she had cancer – as did her youngest daughter whom she lost years earlier. The above was an important story for us, thank you for sharing.

Harmony and Magic

Do you remember the love the young boy and the 7,000 pound Orca in “Free Willy” had for one another. I love to see such a connection between people and animals.

I have witnessed the most remarkable relationship between our 5-year-old daughter and a young Beluga whale ~ the two just make my heart swell.

 

Sometimes there’s a crowd, sometimes we’re just there on our own,

but the two of them take no notice of anyone but each other.

He will look directly and intently at her, swim to her and play

with only her no matter how many people are around.

He brings her his toys – balls and floaties,

and she will stay and play for ages, cooing and singing and encouraging the activities…

even in the rain!

They have a unique and beautiful friendship.

The young beluga will swim up to her and sing his whale song…

and await her return.

And we will make the long journey back and forth because this connection, this love, this tie to nature is an incredible gift.

Our little one has begged to swim with her beloved Beluga. The rule is that children must be 6 years of age. Guess where we’re going in a few months! 🙂

The Bright Spot  – may we all be so blessed to be that in tune with the world around us.

Encourage and They Will Excel

I don’t push my children. I encourage them.

My husband and I give them opportunities to learn, create and excel and they, in turn, do just that in their own time. Nothing irks me more than ballpark parents screaming at their children from the sidelines.

Our son wanted to become a volunteer member of the firefighter team and Parkour free-runner and our daughter loves ballet, theatre, music and tennis. Those are their choices and we support them and are proud of them.

 Check out that swing at 3-years-old!

Our daughter’s principal just read the Kindergarten parents a children’s book at the Parents’ Orientation called Ruby in Her Own Time by Jonathan Emmett. It’s about a little duckling whose egg hatched later than her siblings’, she swam when she wanted to, quacked when she wanted to, left home when she wanted to and came back on her own time (the college reference, says the principal).

The principal wanted to point out to the parents that some Kindergartners are learning their alphabet while others already read but all the children will eventually read. In their own time.

Some kids walk earlier, some later. The point is – they walk.

I believe in that philosophy. With great love and encouragement, I hug and kiss my kids and tell them how proud I am. Ultimately, in the end, they will find what they love to do and I will be there to help them pursue it.

This leads me to this fantastic video (link below) I saw earlier this evening on YouTube with my husband, Phillip. If more parents looked at who their children are rather than what they want them to be, the world might be a happier, more content place.

This video is so beautiful and so inspirational, I hope you take the few minutes to enjoy it and then share it with your friends. It’s about a “bird-chasing” dog who was trained to do one thing since birth but ended up doing something else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BGODurRfVv4 

The Bright Spot   – if your “dream-chasing” child wants to pursue something, encourage them, help them, give them the opportunities to reach those dreams. And tell those screaming ballpark parents to get a grip; childhood is so short, let your children revel in it. Chase the birds…and your dreams, too!

 

“We Have Found Your Mother”

                           

                                 Mother – Ceil in 1983                          Daughter – Linda in 2010

“We have found your mother.”

Those were the words Linda heard after searching months for her birth mother.

Ceil had never held her baby, had never even seen her baby – EVER!

As she walked the halls of the maternity ward and saw the window to the nursery, she knew if she looked through the glass, she would not be able to go through with it – but in the 60s, it was difficult for a woman with a child to find a job, she said women didn’t have credit cards and they could not take out a loan on their own. Ceil wanted her baby to have a mom, a dad and a home.

She turned around in the hallway and went back to her room and sobbed her heart out.

Ceil never had any other children.

44 years later, her daughter found her!

Phillip and I documented the reunion that happened just 6 days ago – you’re invited to share this beautiful moment in the short video below in the next post, just scroll down – but to acutally hear their story, click on the Radio Show flower tab above in the navigation bar above to listen to their heart-wrenching story.

The Bright Spot  is clearly family – old and new -  love, hope and celebration!

Meeting Mom 44 Years Later

Thursday’s upcoming radio show will be an exclusive interview with a mother and daughter who just met for the first time this week after 44 years. The daughter was given up at birth and the mother had never even seen her once!

Phillip and I documented this amazing event which you can see below (video runs 3 mins. If video pauses, let it buffer then reload the page to enjoy – it’s worth it!)

Thessalonians

I read a Precious Moments book to Little Petal two or three times and then came to the page that said, “…but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.” Then I turned the page because it was late and I was moving right along.

Little Petal turned the page back and quietly said as she pointed, “Mommy, you missed that part – Thessalonians Chapter 2:Verse 7.”

I was stunned! I didn’t even know she could read or pronounce the word Thessalonian, let alone fill in the words “chapter” and “verse,” both of which weren’t there as it was printed 2:7.

She had just turned 5.

 

The Bright Spot  is our joy as parents watching our children learn and blossom and grow from our teachings. It is certainly an example of how much these little ones absorb whether we realize it or not. They look to us as role models and pick up things we least expect…

Enjoy whatever your faith is and celebrate your beliefs; your children will thrive with a strong foundation. If you read Mission: Bright Spot  above, you’ll know I come from a large multicultural, multi-religious family – my beliefs have gotten me through many heartaches and challenges.

A Beacon of Love

It may seem so obvious. Turn the lights on when your teen is out.

But to me it’s more than just a safety issue.

It’s a beacon from home when he rounds the corner on his way back from the firehouse or walking with his buddies. It’s a glow from the porch lights that says “Welcome, you’re back!” It’s a light that shines from our home that embraces him upon return.

 

To him, it’s probably just a light thing and he switches it off without thinking when he enters the house.

But ages from now, I hope it will be a warm memory of the early years in his life when coming home was a comforting feeling; I hope it gives him a content sentiment in his heart…

…that when he turns on the lights for his teens many years from now, may he remember his Mom and Dad waiting for his safe return to our cozy home so many years before.

I love you, Honey. You are one of my most Brightest Spots  in my life. 

I’m going now to turn the light on. Love, Mom

It Was A Bittersweet Day Today

Today was a bittersweet day for me. Our Baby Button ~ Little Petal ~ got on the school bus heading to Kindergarten.

 

 

Of course, she was beaming and waving. But I didn’t know I would burst into tears when I watched the tail end of the bus drive down the road.

Phillip gave me a great big squeeze even though we both knew they were tears of joy and the bittersweet reality that our youngest was growing up.

Dad and I put her on the bus. Superhero Big Brother and I greeted her upon return.

If you’ve ever had to do this, you know exactly what I mean.

The Bright Spot?  Having a network of incredible friends who lift you up in good times, bad times, sorrowful times, joyous times and the transitional times. 

 I’m attaching some lovely e-mails that I received from Moms and Dads today:

Oh, how I remember the first days of many new beginnings for my daughter. They are so precious. Of course, you know she will be fine. How great it will be when she returns from her day to share her stories about new friends and experiences. My little one turned 30 on July 17th, and can I just tell you there is still never a dull moment. I love it! Rosemarie

I just shared this with Cheryl and she was crying…Robert starts 1st grade on Tuesday…
Miss you!  Enjoy the last days of Summer! Robert

B – I remember those days as if they were yesterday. Your tears are tears of joy, you’re raising a bright child who will always make you proud. Victoria started her 3rd year in college, I still take the first school day picture. Enjoy these little pleasures of life! Karen

I know exactly how you felt. When I dropped my kids off at school, they ran inside all excited, leaving me crying at the door. You’ll be fine, my friend. Janet

Mazel Tov!  Your little girl is becoming quite a young lady. I know that these are tears of joy!  I am so happy for her and for you. Smile…these are the happy milestones we can enjoy and treasure. Nancy

Oh B… she was so adorable on the bus (and in the class, I just know it)! Enjoy every minute…. and tears are ok  Shelli

What a wonderful essay for a wonderful life – you & Phillip have given her the strength to excel in her exciting life ahead. Be proud and enjoy the ride. Love, Jim and Linda 

Hey girl….I understand you, it was definitely bittersweet with my daughter, too, because now she needs me even less. In a way, I’ve been caring for her the longest…but now the needs are new and different…hang in there…these were some of my best memories.  ;-)   hugs to you all! c and lz

No tears….the best is yet to come! A new chapter in both your lives. It is going to be amazing, I promise. Love u all, Lilly

For me the hardest thing was when I dropped Katrina, my baby to Kindergarten. I cried so much. It is normal. It is so hard to start losing control and let our kids start getting pushed around from the world!!!! Very hard. Anitta

Ahhhh… Where did the time go!! She seemed very excited for the first day of school. She was ready MOM…. It is always harder for us moms. L

Life is full of precious moments. You just have to know that they can’t pass you by.

“Kisses in a Box”

There is a story that circulated on the Internet years ago – it was so poignant and touched my heart so deeply, that I printed it out and sent a copy in the mail to everyone I love.

Material things don’t matter to me, my children do. Our home is cozy, our place is warm and inviting, our things are respected and taken care of, but in a nutshell, my children’s happiness and contentment far outweighs any value in material possessions whatsoever.

 If you have a hard time getting your head around this notion, please read the story. I hope it changes your perspective.

 “Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.” He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.  

He yelled at her, “Don’t you know that when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside it?” 

 

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was disheartened and discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as humans has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, friends, family and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.”

The Bright Spot  – that we are affected by stories like this, can learn from them and not make the same mistakes in our lives.

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