I was asked by Caleb Pirtle III to write a blog series on his widely popular site Venture Galleries, and I am very honored to accept. Here is the first installment, and while you are on the Venture Galleries site, browse around...the photos are amazing!
Jude froze, standing in the dirt parking lot, and looked around to see if anyone heard her daughter’s comment.
“What, honey?” she whispered.
“I saw it sticking straight up, mommy, it looked like a white hair,” Alicia said while carefully navigating the wide chasm every five year old must brave getting out of a Ford Expedition.
A few other late arrivals to Kindergarten were jogging with kids in tow, but no one was paying them any attention in their haste.
With Alicia standing in the dirt, Jude opened the passenger door, jumped in and flipped the visor to reveal the mirror.
“Shit!” she breathed while smoothing the hair at the back of her part.
The bell rang.
“Come on, Mommy, we’re late!” yelled Alicia.
Jude slammed the visor up, jumped down from the seat, slammed the door, and pushed the lock button on her key fob.
She grabbed Alicia’s hand, and said, “Mommy’s going to go potty when we get in class, okay, honey?” while pulling her across the street and up the steps.
“But, Mommy, you promised to read with me!” Alicia whined, running to keep up.
“I will, honey, I just need to go the bathroom first, okay?”
All the students were sitting on the alphabet rug with their little red paper books, reading to their respective partners when Jude and Alicia entered the classroom.
Jude ushered Alicia past the teacher with an apologetic, exasperated roll of her eyes, and pulled her daughter to an empty space on the rug.
Smoothing the hair on the top of her head, she glanced around the room and assessed which adults were present. The same few moms she saw during the daily drop off of kindergarteners – all in their mom uniforms of t-shirts and jeans or sweat pants, and one rather good looking father obviously on his way to work, looking uncomfortable sitting on the rug in his grey suit.
One adult and child were off to the side near the hallway to the bathroom, the little girl crying, while the adult, who Jude could only assume was her grandmother with long salt and pepper hair hanging over her face, bent low and spoke in soft, comforting tones. There was at least one student almost every day with separation anxiety, and this one looked like she didn’t want grandma to leave.
Jude thought the women’s healthy thick hair would be beautiful if she would just dye it, for Christ’s sake!
“Mommy will be right back, Alicia, so go get your book, and start practicing your reading, okay?!” And, without waiting for an answer, she was walking toward the restroom sign.
Safely inside with the door locked, she took her nail clippers out of her makeup bag...(Read on)
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
I have learned quite a few things this year, and have learned to actually live many more that I already knew. Here goes...
- Say "Yes" and allow your children to be children as often as possible, unless what they want will harm them or someone else. Sometimes saying "No" becomes a habit we need to break.
- Children and adults are moved by and respond to compassionate reasoning over yelling every time, and can see in your eyes if your faking.
- Those who don't respond right away, probably expect and are more familiar with the yelling, so they need the compassion even more.
- Show those you love that they are loved whenever the opportunity arises, not because that might be your last chance to do so, but because you actually love them.
- People actually get the opposite of what they want when they don't make their own educated decisions, and instead, follow blindly whatever group will lead them.
- Those older than you almost always have a wisdom worth listening to if you just close your mouth and open your heart.
- "Normal" people are just not eccentric enough to imagine and create the advancements the world has enjoyed. Thank goodness enough of those "eccentric" people have not been drugged normal yet so we can continue advancing as a civilization.
- It's almost always NOT about you.
- When it is about you, say and show you are sorry.
- The focus of your daily attention is your current reality and the foundation of your future.
- That future becomes your new reality much faster than you expect.
- The focus of your daily attention is also your child's current reality, and becomes the foundation for the future reality of your grandchildren.
- Making a child smile brings more light and warmth to life than anything else.
- It is our choices, not our talents that show who we truly are. (Okay, I stole that one from Dumbledore, but it bears repeating daily!)
- Having someone in your life who has been present throughout most of your history, and still likes you is an amazing gift.
- Tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it. (Okay, I stole that one from Miss Stacy, but I still have to go to sleep repeating it.)
I would greatly appreciate any other wisdom you can share as we say good bye to one year, and my learning continues in another.Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 They are the pretty ones. Their makeup is flawless, hair shiny and coiffed. Their look is arranged right down to the bulging biceps or slim waist.
They are admired by the masses, and the masses monitor themselves by the pretty mirror.
Son, I know you are attracted to pretty. We all are at first. True beauty, however, goes much deeper and reveals itself through many layers.
Beauty is created through depth of experience.
Beauty sometimes blossoms in the smallest, most fragile form, and may only reveal itself in that
fleeting, delightful moment.
A colorful display is not necessary to experience the deep sweetness of beauty. We may need to close our eyes sometimes to sense it.
However, when beauty unfolds in the harshest, most difficult conditions you know it has reached it's
truest depth and strength.
To find beauty, son, tend your own garden, and the beauty will find you.
For every unique, amazing child (and adult) who is bullied to follow the crowd...
Stand Alone!
It is worth it, in the end, to stand true and be you.
 Life-changing milestones just around the corner are making me more mindful of the time I have in front of me. The hourglass is running out, and if I live to 100, I'm half way there. Yes, I'm in my 50th year on this planet...if I lived on any others, I don't remember.
I also have a child just starting high school. Talk about a milestone...letting go. I feel very strongly the lyrical meaning of "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by Sting. I am preparing to set him free, and it's scary and exciting all at the same time...just like when gave birth to him.
I now understand I must be more mindful of my actions, not just in parenting, but in everything I do.
I am one of those types who can get sucked into the black hole of links imbedded in everything I read online, so my day could easily pass by me faster than a toddler escaping his mother. Consequently, online is the one area I must fight to stay mindful every minute. To this end, I have started putting every little thing I need to accomplish each day on my calendar, and I adhere to my "social media posting/reading" time slot more strictly than any other. Because there are several wonderful writers whose posts I visit and comment often, I will need to make time to seek out, and read new writers weekly in order to expand my mental horizons with new information and opinions. I now know why posts and books are getting shorter and shorter - supply is following demand. I also use HootSuite to schedule regular postings to both Facebook and Twitter, and keep them scheduled at least 5 days in advance.
My mindfulness is also being applied to my writing. I have always been a "project" person - I get ideas, and if I don't write them down or record them on my iPhone while driving, they are lost forever...or until I happen to experience the same impetus to think of them again. This more than anything else has allowed me to get more writing done in a shorter amount of time! Since I am sort of a procrastinator...okay a lot of...even though I love to write, it is much easier to read. I can use a deadline as an excuses to lollygag all day, and power through my work at the last minute. With my new mindfulness that life is running out, I only allow myself this laziness occasionally, rather than weekly.
Back to my 14 year old...I only have 1460 days until he goes to college. Actually, I only have 12,030 HOURS of my son's time over the next four years until I let him loose on the world to make his own mark. (Yes, I'm also showing my OCD in having calculated this number four years in advance, considering extra time for weekends and holidays and only 6 hours during the school days, but if I'm confessing my procrastination, I might as well go all the way.) This number really made me sit up and say, "What?!" like I did when I heard Bill say what he did with Monica was not considered sex. I must have heard that wrong, I'm sorry, calculated that wrong...I don't understand...How could I only have mere hours left for my son to wake up every day to a breakfast I make, and go to sleep every night to my "L'amo"...? What about my youngest? He's turning 11 next month, and middle school goes by in a blink!
Hence, my mindfulness in everything I do. I won't overreact to this realization that I'm like Wile E. Coyote chasing after my Road Runner of a life. I won't wait outside the bathroom door while my oldest is inside taking a shower just to say, "I Love You" when he comes out - he told me that was creepy. I won't write for hours on end because I have so much to say, and so little time - my weak bladder muscles won't allow that.
I will simply be mindful of my thoughts and actions, and exercise my power of choice. I don't have time or energy to waste on petty thoughts, conversations and deeds. Life and love are too beautiful to cast a shadow on the world through my heedless actions.How do you keep yourself mindful of all you want to accomplish and enjoy each day? Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 I have an idea!
I know what you're saying..."So what else is new, Mary, you get ideas all the time. How do we know this one is any different than all those others written in your little notebook?!"
First of all, my notebook isn't so little. Secondly, I'm totally devouring and digesting this one until it becomes...no not that...a book full of Everything Mommy Loves.
I need your help, however. This idea isn't about me, it's about all other Mothers who can express themselves and Everything Mommy Loves in 140 characters or less.
If you are up to the challenge, and want your Mommy Love shouted out to the world, please visit MommyLoves140 and find out how you can contribute. (The title of the actual book will be much more glamorous and catch, I promise!) Pass this on to every Mom you know, and let's see how far around the world the Mommy Love spreads. Love is the universal language, after all...or is that music?
If we get enough Moms to participate and share meaningful, insightful, snarky, loving, sarcastic, nurturing, funny (you get the picture) messages about Everything MommyLoves in 140 characters or less, I will do all the work to publish the book created by all the amazing messages by amazing mothers, and all those contributing get their name/twitter/facebook/business name/website/etc. included! I will donate all profits to a children's charity, and would love some ideas on those you love! Just give me some suggestions, and together we can make a difference in a few more lives.
The page listed above says it all, and if you have any questions or comments you know where to find me, right?!
Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Mom ~ Entrepreneur
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Read Me like a Book
 Shocked ScaredLoving and ProtectiveWorriedObliviousTrying to HelpAwestruckFumblingCautious and TentativeOvertiredAnnoyedLooking to Escape. Learning AdaptingTeaching and Encouraging Changing Responsible Waiting to Play Amazed Relieved Helping and Surprising Growing Admired Showing the Way. Older Proud Honored and Dignified Wiser Content Still the Love Knowing Enlightened Happy and Satisfied Peaceful Insightful Offering the Dove.Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 I just love it when life takes me away from writing, and gives me more experiences from which to draw inspiration!
Thank you for continuing to visit, and I'm sorry I haven't been my usual verbose self of late. I'll be back at it very soon...life got in the way. That happens quite frequently when both kids graduate to the next level school, and the teenager just got his first phone - an iPhone 4S - and the pre-teen just got a new bike. These new freedoms make for great learning (and teaching) experiences, don'tchaknow!
Lots of life happening for my next book...stay tuned parents. If anyone of you have pre-teens getting ready for Middle School, you'll want to keep an eye out here for more details. Believe me...you'll need it if this is your first to go to The Fun House!
Hugs!Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
 Have you ever seen a friend after they had drifted out of your life years ago, and were surprised how much their life had changed, but they actually stayed the same and had not grown? Our lives change all the time, how we adapt, and change ourselves to dance to the new rhythm matters. Don't sweat it, just close your eyes, listen and teach yourself the new dance steps. Some of us change our rhythm monthly, seasonally, yearly or only once a decade (God Forbid!), but until my drum is lying in a heap of ashes in a box, I will continue to listen to my own rhythm and dance. Here are some of my favorite quotes that help me stop and listen. Join me?! - "If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change." — John A. Simone, Sr.
- "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “When there is nothing left to lose, we find the true self-the self that is whole, the self that is enough, the self that no longer looks to others for definition, or completion, or anything but companionship on the journey. — Elizabeth Lesser
- "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quite voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" — Mary Anne Radmacher
- “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” — Lao Tzu
- "Let him who would move the world, first move himself." – Socrates
- "Life is not measured by the number of breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." — Maya Angelou
- "Turn your wounds into wisdom." — Oprah Winfrey
- "Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness." — Napoleon Hill
- "I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it." — Maya Angelou
- "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." — Frank A. Clark
- "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." — M. Kathleen Casey
- “I shut my eyes in order to see.” – Paul Gauguin
- "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." — Norman Vincent Peale
- "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." — Wayne Dyer
- "There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." — Denis Waitley
- "Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves." — Mason Cooley
- "The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." — Maya Angelou
- "The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost." — G.K. Chesterton
- "All the advice in the world will never help you until you help yourself." — Fred Van Amburgh
What rhythm makes you dance right now? I'm dancing to "Rumor has it" by Adele right after I hit 'publish'! I can't help it - that beat gets me every time.Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left
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