Check out the article in Westlake Magazine: http://westlakemagazine.com/source/index.html#/./72
This quote cam through Seth Godin’s blog today. All about work and what you are actually “working” on.
Here you go: Are You Making Something?
Dear Friends,
Too many children are growing up around the world without parents. And that is not okay. Kids who have lost their parents experience severe trauma. And without consistent nurturing by the same, caring adult, they do not develop as they should. This results in developmental delays, emotional challenges and learning problems. Without the intervention of a parent, they do not do well – they end up not finishing school, becoming teen parents, being trafficked, committing crimes and spending time living in prison and on the streets. With the help of a family orphans and foster youth can succeed – and live productive lives.
Supporting Kidsave as we move into the New Year – or as you finish your charitable giving for 2010 – can make a dramatic difference in a child’s life. Make this the year you host or financially sponsor a child – or become an advocate.
· Please help us connect families to children in need. Learn more about hosting or sign up online at http://www.kidsave.org/host.shtml
· Hosting and adopting isn’t for everyone. So if you can’t give time please make a gift to Kidsave and make a difference in the life of a child. A simple gift of $25 per month will make a big difference in Kidsave’s ability to keep working for these children. Please give as you can at: https://www.kidsaveinternational.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=379
We are grateful for all you have done to help us and hope you will think about how you can best help children find families – or help advocate for change in how orphaned children are cared for – in 2011. Please let Randi (Randi@kidsave.org) or me know (terry@kidsave.org) how you’d like to get involved.
Wishing you all the happiest and healthiest of New Years – and again, thank you for your support.
Terry Baugh
Terry Baugh
President
Kidsave
www.kidsave.org
5185 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Suite 108
Washington, DC 20016
Direct: 202 280 6327
Main: 202 237 7328
Cell: 202 352 5437
FAX: 202 237 7080
…Finding families for children the world has forgotten
Enjoy the white space, it is underrated.
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More is not always better.
This is from an email forward, author unknown, but worth sharing:
“I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting..
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.”
And a voice echoed around the world – enjoy!
http://www.modernmom.com/article-7913-killing-off-supermom/#jumpToArticle KILLING OFF SUPERMOM by Lisa Quinn
I’ll be honest with you. In my house, the beds are rarely made unless someone is coming to visit. Sometimes I yell. My closet is a disaster and I feel guilty that I work too much. My kids watch more TV than they should. And I simply cannot afford to go all organic right now. There is a sticky shelf in my refrigerator that I keep hoping will evaporate on its own, and this morning I had to send my son off to camp with a PB&J made with frozen waffles because I forgot to buy bread. I’m not perfect. There, I said it…
Bye Bye Supermom
This whole supermom thing has become cliché, and frankly, I’m getting too old for it. It was a fascinating social experiment, watching the women’s movement evolve from “you can have it all” to “you need to do it all (and do it all perfectly)”. No, you can’t. I’m calling B.S. Show me a woman who can do it all, and I’ll show you a woman who has hired help (and something to prove). Supermom, as a subspecies, has outlived her usefulness. It is time for her to go.
Perfection Doesn’t Exist
Here’s the thing: Perfection doesn’t exist. Perfectionism is purely a mental, alienating, and unnatural state. It causes judgment and makes people feel bad. How can that be “a good thing”? We kid ourselves (and do a disservice to our kids) by thinking anything will ever be perfect. Everyone struggles at some point in life. It is our duty as moms to make sure our kids know that, and are prepared for the hurdles life is bound to throw them. Supermom may have the best-dressed, most mild-mannered, educated children ever, but mine know how to make their lunch, dress a wound, and pick a lock. Who’s laughing now?
Picture Perfect
Just the other day, I was on a plane and saw Gwyneth Paltrow in this month’s Vogue. She’s striking a glamorous pose in her kitchen, preparing “easy!” locally grown, organic, vegan, after school snacks in an $865 Michael Kors crepe flounce skirt and 7-inch Louboutins. Her hair looks amazing, and there are a few toys tossed about (but not a kid to be found). Really Gwyneth? Is this how we’re going to play? I didn’t look that elegant at my wedding, dammit. Thanks for making me feel bad.
Celebrating the Imperfect Mom
I get it; it’s Vogue. I would like to publish my own magazine called, “Half-Assed”. It would celebrate the imperfect mom – the renegade who can make an impromptu gift bag out of a Happy Meal box on the way to the party. The mom who believes if somebody made it, then it’s homemade. Need a cave-man costume for school – TODAY? Our gal’s got a pair of scissors, a sharpie, and paper grocery bag at the ready.
I Used to Be One
One last confession: I used to be a Supermom (well, I tried really hard). I used to throw these crazy Dios de los Muertos parties every year. It was what I lived for. Very much like the Olympics, preparations began far in advance, and I was a total mess the whole time. It took a fairly serious party injury for me to realize that maybe I was in over my head. The day of the party had arrived. A 185 of our closest friends would be showing up at my doorstep any minute. As usual, I was determined to make sure every last one of them would be thoroughly impressed and amazed by my domestic superiority. I’d spent weeks pouring over every detail, and it was finally coming together. Freshly squeezed lime juice and crushed mint for the mojitos? Check. Authentic Oaxacan festival masks hung on the foyer staircase with care? Check. Homicidal threats made to any child who might decide to trash their room? Check.
The Eye-Opening Incident
As I glanced at my reflection just moments before the first guests were to arrive, I noticed a tiny smudge at the very top of the bathroom mirror. Initially, I tried to ignore it, but it eventually wore me down. “Martha Stewart would never host a party with a smudge on her mirror” echoed through my head. So, I ever-so-gently scaled the bathroom countertop, in my heels, and stood on stretched tiptoe to remove the offending smudge. That’s when I slipped. My big toe broke the fall by breaking itself. It was at that very moment, as I lay on the floor, crying in pain, that I looked up and saw that I’d only made the smudge worse…
The Time of My Life
My toe swelled up like a baby eggplant, and I ended up hobbling around in Crocs all night like. I couldn’t run around making sure everyone’s drink was full, I couldn’t bus the tables, and I couldn’t assemble those cute little sugar skull TO GO packages I was famous for. And you know what? It was the best party I ever threw. I got to sit down and be with my family and friends. I’ve learned over the years to actively participate in my life; not to just cater it from the sidelines.
Time to Redefine
It’s time to redefine what being a good wife, mom, hostess, and human being means. I don’t want my kids growing up with memories of how clean the house always was. I want them to remember the fun and the love. Who cares what anybody else thinks? You want to make memories in your home. And sometimes when you’re making memories, you’re making a mess. Embrace the chaos. While news of her death may be premature, Supermom is on life support. Maybe it’s time to pull the plug.
About the Author Lisa Quinn is a recovering Martha-holic, Emmy Award winning TV host, mother of two and the author of “Life’s Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets; Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation”
