Thoughts – Page 21 – trippingdifferently

August 21, 2012

Children Want Mums (or Moms, if you are on the other side of the ocean)…

This is a double whammy post… i’m hesitant to write such posts because i don’t want one point to have more emphasis over the other. But i think these 2 work well together.

Not too long ago i read a very very encouraging article written from the heart of one mummy to all the mummies out there (by April Perry). Her opening lines got me right in the gut…

“There’s this crazy phenomenon going on right now. Good, devoted mothers get on Pinterest . . . and blogs . . . and Facebook . . . and Twitter . . . and then they flip through parenting magazines and TV channels (full of advertisements and media hype) . . . and they’re convinced they’re not enough.”

Do you feel that way… sometimes? i certainly do… many many many times and sometimes i take it very hard and other times i can talk myself out of this trap. Yes it is a trap because… this is what April says of her own mother (which i believe to be true of most mothers):

“My mother didn’t specialize in home decor or gourmet cooking, and she didn’t lift weights or run marathons. But she makes me feel like I am the most important, wonderful person ever born. If I could pick any mother in the whole world, it would be my mom.”

i would pick my own mummy too – my mummy who is neat and tidy and a great cook, who loves us to bits and pieces and gave up so very much to give us everything she could, who is always always there for us in her quiet ways. i hope i am such a mummy to my little guy too.

The whole point of the article is this:

“Can we remind each other that it is our uniqueness and love that our children long for? It is our voices. Our smiles. Our jiggly tummies. Of course we want to learn, improve, exercise, cook better, make our homes lovelier, and provide beautiful experiences for our children, but at the end of the day, our children don’t want a discouraged, stressed-out mom who is wishing she were someone else.”

So let’s encourage each other that we are the best mummy for our children, just the way we are.

Here’s the whole article: Your Children Want YOU! | The Power of Moms.

Now i want you to hold that image of a mum who loves her children, who cares for her children, who tries her best to give the best to her children… got that in mind?

Now meet Samantha and Kristina:

kristinamarch2010 — Little 7-year-old Kristina waits for a family to come for her.

samanthaaug2012-300x225 — 8-year-old Samantha needs a family to help her along in life.

Aren’t they lovely little girls?

They don’t want a mummy – they NEED a Mummy to come and love them, hug them, do their hair, and make them the most important persons in a Mummy’s life. They have had so very little in life. And they have been transferred to an institution which means unless they get adopted, they will likely live the rest of their lives behind those four walls and never know the love and support of caring family.

Samantha (8 years old) has brown hair and stunning green eyes. She has Microcephaly which has resulted in mental retardation. She is physically capable, is a friendly and affectionate girl. She would do well in family environment. Her medical report also states a high likelihood of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Her younger sister Kristina (7 years old) is cognitively delayed but physically capable. She is said to be helpful and friendly.

These girls would only be able to reach their full potential if in a supportive, loving family. Please do pray for them, for their daily needs and most importantly for a family to come and give them a caring home.

They have a very small amount in their adoption grant (click on their names or pictures to go to their profile page on Reece’s Rainbow). They would get more notice with a sizeable grant like US$2500. Please consider donating to their grant. This will also help the family who comes for them to reach them faster.

Have you ever thought about growing your family? Would you consider adoption? If yes, then do consider the possibility to adding Samantha and Kristina to your family.

Should you donate to Samantha’s and Kristina’s grant, do leave a comment so i can send you a personal thank you. Or if you decide to pray for them regularly, you can join us at RR Official Prayer Warriors FB page. And if you are considering adoption, click here for more information.

Thank You.

syc

August 4, 2012

Do you have nomophobia?

That’s right – another phobia to worry about… This one is so relevant to how our lives have become so instant, always connected.

Mobile Phones!! Nomophobia has to do with that little digital device which keeps you contactable at all times… it is the fear of losing or being without your mobile phone… simply put, it is a fear which stems from the need to be constantly reachable.

Frankly that prospect isn’t all that appealing to me. i mean, i completely agree with how convenient it is to have a mobile phone and how it has made some areas of our lives much easier; but there are times when i simply don’t want to be contactable. Haven’t you felt that way? Or maybe i’m just weird that way?

When we first got to Switzerland (almost a decade ago – can you believe it? i can’t.), i went from a high-stress, always must-be-reachable job to being a home maker and having no mobile phone at all, for 2 years. And i must say, they were quite carefree years… i only got re-connected to the mobile world when my little guy was about 6 months old and the thought of being stranded somewhere with him, without being able to contact my husband was a little scary.

Another thing i have noticed is that with the rise of the use of mobile phones, people seem to value punctuality less, because they can easily pick up their mobile phone and call a friend to say they will be late or cancel at the last minute. Before mobile phones, when one makes an appointment, one makes more of an effort to keep those appointments and be on time for them. The motivation factor is that there was no way of contacting the friend once you have left the home/office. So you just had to get there.

The waiting friend also tended to be more patient waiting for you, as if you were caught in traffic there was no way of letting him/her know. Now almost 90% or more carry mobile phones, so friends expect to be updated all the time and if they are not, some do get offended.

But the greatest loss for me with this mobile age, is the lost art of simply being with people and enjoying their company, and interacting with the people and environment around you. i observe that a lot of people simply carry on on their phones, either texting or playing on apps or even watching movies, when they are with their group of friends, while they are on public transport, or worse still while driving or walking. What’s the point in meeting up if you don’t wanna interact with “real” people? i know not all do that but i have seen quite a number who are so very devoted to their devices.

Now i’m not saying mobile is all bad – as i said before, there is good which comes from having a mobile phone. i just wish that more people would strike a balance between their digital lives and their real lives. And maybe take a break from the digital world every now and again – as suggested at the end of this article.

Here is the article which started my mind along this train of thought. Do you have nomophobia? – Your guide to digital living. Have a read and let me know what you think.

Also if you do suffer from nomophobia, here’s a website which talks about it and i believe offer some form of support for it.

So will you fight this phobia and schedule some “phone/wire-free” time??

syc

July 27, 2012

Little Free Library…

i’m a big time reader… actually my love for books knows almost no bounds… i LOVE books!! i love the feel of a ‘real’ book; i love the way a new, actually even an old book smells. i love the feel of the pages under my fingers, running my finger along the lines as i read.

So when i came upon this website, i was like: “Oh wow! Awesome idea!!”. And i’m sharing it with you here.

It’s the Little Free Library project. A very worthy project. You can either build your own Little Free Library or order one from the website. Stick it on your property, near the sidewalk or hang it somewhere in a school, even an office. Fill it with books, which will then be shared with whoever desires to read them! There are no library cards or late fees or lines. Just pick a book you like and read it. Then return it and contribute with a book of your own.

The whole idea is to promote the joys of reading and i support this 100%.

Silverlake's Little Free Library — Silverlake’s Little Free Library (Photo credit: Michael R Perry)

Hop over to the website and have a look for yourself. Most of the libraries are in the US at the moment. There are 2 in Germany, 2 in Italy, 1 in London, 1 in India and 2 in Africa. So the movement is slowly catching on. Click on the “Find a Little Free Library on the World Map” button at the bottom right of the homepage to see exact locations.

i think the idea of getting a whole community involved on it is wonderful. The website also has advice on what to do when the Library is damaged or books get stolen. See their FAQs.

i wish there was one near me, although that would mean most books in German, which will take me forever to read and i would be contributing back English books. Hehhehee 😉

What do you think of this idea? Would you build one where you live? Or maybe there is already one there? Let me know.

syc