Poem: If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

Poem: If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again
a wonderfully insightful poem by Diane Loomans

http://www.flickspire.com/m/iaaw/RaiseAgain#.ToB6hACBzyd.gmail

my sentiments to a T, wonder if & when any of us with the same desire will ever be given such a chance.

If I had my child to raise all over again,
 I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
 I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
 I would do less correcting and more connecting.
 I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
 I would care to know less and know to care more.
 I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
 I'd stop playing seriously and seriously play.
 I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
 I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
 I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
 I would be firm less often and affirm much more.
 I'd model less about the love of power And more about the power of love.
--sent to me by my daughter, who is a mother herself.

My Grandchildren---{ my reason 4 positivity:) :) }

You would call yourself lucky to be blessed once in your lifetime

God has opened his gates to bless me 5 times

All angels with cherubic faces & gleaming eyes

Well  aware of ways to take us, elders for a joyride

Smiling and gurgling to get that evasive sweet

Yet making us feel as if they have done us a favor

Their tearful eyes make us squirm

Their cries wrench our hearts

Their smiles light up our lives

Their pranks make us laugh

Ages ranging from a year to 8 years

They lighten the darkest room

So mischievous, yet so innocent

Lavishing love on you

Wrapping you around their fingers

With their hugs and smiles
God gave them to us to remind us

Of his presence in our lives

Through their divinely unconditional love

So I never take them for granted, but always

Thank God for this wonderful blessing of

My grandchildren

Religion--personal or social?

It is a personal issue so long as it doesn’t affect anyone else - if you worship in private and don't try to impose your views on others or persuade them to your religious viewpoint. The moment you involve any other person in any way it becomes a social issue

Religion is such a complex concept with so many variations that it is impossible to label it, However, while it can be a great motivator for people to do good, it shouldn't be their only motive, and it shouldn't be taken to the extreme.

What bothers me is not religion itself, but intolerance. No one has the right to force their beliefs on others or discriminate against someone because of religion. Discussions and healthy debates are fine, you can't change the way others think. Even if you force someone to follow the same religion as you, you've failed, because you cannot make another person believe something they truly do not believe.

We don't just have to read scriptures and blindly believe in them, rather we should look into how maybe some of the teaching of God for whatever particular religion can stand on its own. It's a great way to get people to really stop and think about why they are acting/behaving a certain way and whether they are justified in doing so. Basically, I'm advocating education.& thinking critically about it

The true horror starts when one side believes that theirs is the only God allowed, anywhere, at all. When religious leaders eat in silver and gold plates and the vast majority of their followers eat dirt, something is wrong. I personally believe in God, I just don`t believe in those who claim to represent him/ her and have a claim to speak for them so others are only allowed to listen.

In my opinion, whatever your belief is, you should give your child as much freedom as possible to decide on his own. If you follow a religion, it is okay, but let your child decide, once it has the maturity to decide neutrally, whether it would like to be a part of that religion or not. If you force a child into one belief, you don’t give its mind the possibility to develop in its own way.

Of course, religion provides an idea of certain values and also a community where those values should be prevalent. The truth is however that if you have a functioning family or a circle of friends, a community of loving people around you, you have the support that you need to raise your child with the values that you want. You don’t need religion for that. Leave your child free to decide for himself or herself.

Pearls of Wisdom......or One Liners??????

1. People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did…but people will never forget how you made them feel.
2. Human beings get bored of being children & are in a rush to grow up, & then they long to be children again.
3. They lose their health to make money & then they lose their money to restore their health.
4. By thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
5. They live as if they will never die & they die as if they never lived.

We need to learn that:
1. What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but whom we have in our lives.
2. That we cannot make anyone love us. What we can do is to let ourselves be loved.
3. That it is not good to compare ourselves to others. All will be judged individually on their merits, not as a group on a comparison basis.
4. That a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
5. That it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, but it takes many years to heal them.
6. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness & that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves too.
7. That money can buy everything but happiness.
8. That two people can look at the same thing and see it totally differently.
9. That a true friend is someone who knows everything…..but everything about you…..& likes you anyway.

Isn't it high time we did something about something this important?

As Ralph Waldo Emerson says—“Self-trust is the first secret of success”. 

However, no matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments. We need people to bear witness against our inner judge, who keeps count of our shortcomings and transgressions. We need people to convince us that we are not as bad as we think we are.

I've let a lot of things go, but I think the hardest thing to let go is your self-image. That's what I'm working on now, as I realized that it's not what you are that holds you back, it’s what you think you're not. The most important opinion you have is the one you have of yourself, and the most significant things you say all day are those things you say to yourself.

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time. Listen to your heart above all other voices. When life's problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate.

Also know for a fact that:

* Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you.* 

So, don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember-the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you. For their way of thinking is---“It is necessary for me to establish a winners image. Therefore, I have to beat somebody, even if it is just by words.”

Our "self-image" is the key to our personality and behavior. Change your self image and you change your whole personality and behavior.

Unfortunately few realize that at any stage in life—“The greatest single cause of a poor self-image is the absence of unconditional love.”