Wrinkle Free Living: Ironing Out Things That Matter

It's a rare occasion for me to write about cleaning or ironing…unless it’s to show a mound of laundry

Wrinkle Free Living

on top of my dryer to express my frustration in keeping up with housework.

Today I come before you a changed woman, believing firmly in wrinkle free living, and the need to iron out the little things that matter.  And my life changing moment occurred the other day when my 26-year-old son, Alex, sent me a text message. 

It came out of the blue…without prompting…usually it's only after he's been MIA for a week or so and I text to make sure he’s okay...other times it's my need to ensure he's arrived safely at his destination during inclement weather...and candidly, "inclement weather" can include the sun rising, the sun setting...I think you get the picture.  It's a full time job every day of the year!

I get this honestly.  My dad used to check on me all the time.  I still remember the slight annoyance thinking that my Dad didn't believe I could take care of myself.  I realize now as a parent myself, that it has almost nothing to do with confidence in your children...and more to do with a slow self realization that somewhere along the way, that they grew up and you missed the part where your life transitioned from constant champion and guardian, from sun up to sun down...to text stalker and second shadow...still focusing on the wellbeing of your children...only now from a distance.  They now have different zip codes, no curfew, no "house rules"...yeah, I can see how that transition would be a little more challenging than I'd first imagined.

But this week, I experienced a bit of a role reversal and I think he was checking in on me instead.  He shared something I had long ago forgotten…not realizing that something so small and silly would leave a lasting impression.  And that the little things we give next to no thought at all about...are the very things that make a big difference in creating and shaping a happy childhood memory:

Here's hoping we all continue to embrace the little things in life that we do almost without thinking...to ensure wrinkle-free living for life J

The Sunday Squirrel...acorns of wisdom

Okay, I can either get irritated or embrace the fact that I have become the kind of person 

Keep reaching, my friend...you can only achieve more!

synonymous with the traits of a squirrel, often snapping a quick picture of beautiful clouds in the middle of an afternoon meeting.  Or channeling a catchy tune when the room is blank and silence threatens to drown a room.

I also throw out dozens of far-fetched and crazy ideas … waiting for one to stick.  Let’s hold that thought and consider my furry kin, the squirrel.

What exactly is it about the squirrel that gives her a bad rap?  I mean, come on…anyone can think in linear terms.  It takes a real trailblazer to think like a squirrel.  And if I have to pick my exact type, I choose the ground squirrel (though tree squirrels are more solitary and more like my personality).  I resent a little being referred to as a rodent; if I were indexing the animal kingdom classification for adjustments, I’d move the furry little squirrel over into a different category…maybe one all its own.

I’m not surprised to learn that if I trace the word “squirrel” back to its source of origin, it jumps back to Anglo-Norman (1327), taken from Old French, “escurel”, Latin, “sciurus”, and finally Ancient Greek, skiouros, meaning “shadow-tailed.”  Seems most things I see these days have some sort of origin or connection to Ancient Greece and its rich culture and history…and that’s not all bad since my two youngest sons are Greek American.  And if you’re counting, this would be the first diversion and call out of “Squirrel” on my thought process and storytelling.

Every time I’ve used the name “squirrel” in conversation, it has been to bring attention back from my kids or someone else, who has gotten off track or off topic.  I have also had occasion to be called “squirrel” in the middle of one of my own thoughts, darting and jumping from one thing to another…finally arriving at my point, which was good all along…it’s just not always easy to follow me when I’m on a spurt of inspiration.  While most are putting up the first roman numeral "I" and outlining a plan, I’ve already skipped ahead and thought about how to bring it to life.  I'm not saying it's good or bad.  Just a different approach.

And let’s think about squirrels and their strengths for a moment.  They have an excellent sense of vision (check, me too!), they are versatile (hey, me too!), and have a good sense of touch (I’m seeing a pattern).

Sadly my squirrel friends live a life more fraught with danger than I.  Did you know that most squirrels die in the first year of life?  Next time, I hope you swerve!  These guys are cute, with lots of potential.

Squirrels are also seamless in adapting to almost any environment, capable of living almost anywhere.  And they learn through observation.  At this point, I really can’t think of a reason why there would be a negative connotation to being referred to as a squirrel.

After all, the term “squirreling away” is a positive indication of anyone who is thinking ahead and storing up resources for the future.  The squirrel is smart in her own way, adaptive and flexible.

So the next time you see me in “squirrel mode,” remember this:

Some of my best ideations were hatched in squirrel mode…

• Developed a social responsibility initiative to support children learning with assistive technology, resulting in a pilot program, followed by $100,000 in funding over two years.
• Became a night-time blogger, making new friends and realizing you’re never too old to learn something new.
• Helped my son dream so big, he created a #ShareaScare campaign to support autism, resulting in a grass roots fundraiser, with over $1,000 raised to support Autism Speaks.
• Wondered what it would be like to finally publish a book I wrote decades ago…and so I did…and laughed out loud when friends from other countries asked me to autograph it.

Never take no for an answer…argue to the bitter end over an idea, supporting all the reasons it is brilliant…and be willing to sometimes concede that it just won’t work.

I have created revenue generators from everything from writing to yard sales and even making jewelry…knowing that like my furry friend, I need to squirrel away what I can, so that when the lean times come, I am well prepared.

So you wanna call me a squirrel?  Go ahead…I’d argue we need a lot more squirrels like me to deliver breakthrough results in a world full of nuts!

M

Courage is Perspective and Kids Really Do Know it All

If I were The Wizard of Oz for one day and I could hold court with all the troubled souls coming in and out of the Emerald City…oh what a day that would be.

Beginning with children, from all walks of life, all suffering from the same affliction…”know-it-all-ness.”  It’s the first sign of a healthy, confident individual coming of age and also a curse to those on the fringe, struggling to find their way.

At this juncture, I give you the Cowardly Lion as a metaphor.  Throughout Dorothy’s journey in Oz, he was her faithful companion, following her in the hopes of finding courage.

I would suggest that from the very beginning, the Lion represented a child.  Impetuous, unpredictable, and full of energy and potential not yet channeled.

It doesn’t matter how I arrived at this realization or who I’m writing about.  Because what I say could apply to just about any kid in the middle of growing up while trying to navigate the swift changes coming from every direction.

But I very much see this individual as more uncommon than common, with a penchant for having more depth of thought and raw emotion than that of his counterparts of similar age.  The very extraordinary gifts he has been blessed with are what make him both unique and different.  In time, unique gifts will be fully realized potential and the path will be a roadmap that clearly shows him why it was worth the journey.  But it doesn’t work in reverse.

Time is a funny thing.  Because in the meantime, the differentness is what makes this child’s life less bright as an old soul in a bright world waits for his peers to catch up with his depth of expression and emotion.  To catch up to the wonderment of the world he sees in each and every thing in life.  To curiously question new inventions, boldly express thoughts.  And no, his differentness is not his friend as he continues to grow during what we’ve all been told are the “best years of our life”.

As parents, we try to help guide the way, raise them up when there are bumps in the road…and listen seeking to understand.

We see the world as it is…big, full of life, unlimited potential and opportunities.  But our children, they already know it all.  That is to say they truly do know it all…as much as they can know a day before the next day of knowing, living in a smaller world of a small classroom, in a neighborhood school.  It’s all they know and sometimes the knowing is not enough.

The big picture comes later, past traditional learning.  It begins with the first step they take outside the line and make a conscious choice to be different.  It’s empowering, exhilarating and terrifying all at once.  But once you realize that the whole world is made up of people just like you and completely different all at once, you realize you’re not so different so much as you are someone gifted with a spirit destined to do more.

So back at Emerald City, where I am counseling kids and thinking about that Cowardly Lion, I think my final thought is this.  Our job is to give kids courage to keep going, keep trying…after failures and after successes.  We do it through words, actions, however we uniquely show love and support.

But at the end of the day, the one thing they desperately need the most…what we possess and can’t give them.  It’s perspective.  And it can’t be bought or given by someone else.  It can’t be taught in a classroom.  It happens every second of every day we live.  And our kids are on that path to perspective, but it’s going to take some time before they can see for their own eyes, what we want them to know when we already said they know everything they can right now.  Maybe kids are supposed to be know it alls and as they grow, just like the Cowardly Lion, they earn their stripes…get their courage…find the perspective we wanted to give them, not realizing it has to be earned.  In a heartbeat, like everything else, I would give it to you, my son.  But this one must be earned and you’ll be wiser for it as you move a little further down your journey.  Truth be told, I know it all now too…until tomorrow, when I’ll have just a little more perspective.  Live in love, with a hunger for knowledge, and the courage of a lion’s heart.  And never, never, stop.  And you will learn just like you, perspective is uniquely owned and valued and when you get it, no one can take it away from you.  And with it, you’ll find the courage to do even more.