More for Mother’s Day

May 082010
 

Can you tell that I’m excited about Mother’s Day this year?  Me????

Don’t get me wrong…  I have a great family and I love them all.  And one year, when I was hired to give a talk to a group of mothers who couldn’t be with their kids due to some major medical issues, asked “WHO invented a holiday with the power to make a woman feel like both a inadequate mother AND a bad daughter all at the same time????”

But I’m excited this year.  I get to spend at least part of the day with my adult son.  Geography has made that impractical for quite some time.  This year it’s not a factor. What a gift!

And while I’m on the subject, I think that this is a great day to honor anyone who has consistently lifted you up and supported your dreams.

So, here’s a gift for you.  More of my collection…

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift….  Thanks to Lenore Skenazy, author of Free Range Kids.  If you’re not giving my book as a Mother’s Day gift please consider hers!

Giving Birth Stories from the “front line.”  Delivery room staff share some ‘moments.’  Some of these really made me laugh.

Love Letter from a Daughter An unexpected gift from a 15 year-old at a time her Mom really needed it!

Some Facts About Homeless Families Families with children are now the fastest growing group of homeless in America; about half of homeless women with children are escaping domestic violence.

Happy Mother’s Day from a “Mom in the middle.”  Teenaged son still at home and aging parents needing care….  this writer is an old friend who sometimes makes me laugh and other times makes me think.  Just like when we used to be neighbors.

Peace Trees Vietnam Did you know that, even this long after the war, land mines are still injuring children in Viet Nam?  Take a look at what this group of Moms (and others!) are doing about it.

Awkward Family Photos Warning:  I have a strange sense of humor.  You don’t get to yell at me if you go here and find something you don’t like — you don’t have to visit the site!

Fostering the Future

May 052010
 
Care Packs

Care Packs (Photo credit: blossominc)

 

Several years ago I had the privilege of working with a group of foster parents to develop a home-based substance abuse prevention program. I loved that job!

I got to know and admire some incredible people — both individuals and couples — who willingly and lovingly tackled really difficult situations in order to provide kids with safety, stability and security. And love.

I appreciate the fact that, through the internet, some of have recently been able to reconnect. So, in the week of Mother’s Day, I am proud to call your attention to a wonderful group of people I sometimes refer to as ‘professional parents.’ May is Foster Care Month.

If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster parent please know that the need is great. And that organizations will NOT allow you to take on these challenges without proper training and support. And, in my experience, the training is useful for any parent.

Here are some other resources.

Connect for Kids brings concerned adults and young people—whether they’re new to the issues or already activists—to compelling, accurate information and context on children’s issues, as well as tools to take action. Good information for anyone interested in child advocacy; included here because of foster-family tools.

The National Foster Parent Association site can help direct you to local resources.

Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan helps foster children through fine arts, sports and job opportunities.

The Dave Thomas Adoption Foundation is dedicated to this vision: every child will have a permanent home and a loving family.”

I like the slogan for this site: you don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.

And to ‘my’ foster parents? Thanks. Thanks for the coffee and the conversation and sharing the laughs and the tears. You have touched the lives of lots of kids. You touched my life, too.

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Families with Feathers and….

May 042010
 

In the spring of the year I look forward to the chance to observe and photograph the family of Canada geese that nests by our home. In such close proximity it becomes easier to tell them apart, identify the smaller family groups and other relationships. It is interesting to me, for example, that three or four families cooperate in swimming groups and ‘learning to fly’ sessions — but get really UGLY with one another when there’s a possibility of extra food.

I really enjoy observing and learning from all kinds of families… regardless of the species!

For example, did you know that Mexican free-tailed bats are so connected to their babies that they consistently find and nurse their own young? That’s probably not all that impressive until you discover that this particular type of bat lives in enormous colonies, made up of millions of bats… living in close quarters. Super close quarters — of up to 500 per square foot!

My guess is that oysters are not so closely bonded: a female oyster has the ability to produce more than 100 million young ones over her lifetime. Yikes!

For more Mother’s Day fun check out Special and Unusual Moms.

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