Inspirational posts

A tiny vignette of child-attracting objects features
a glass “wish” ball and a sparkly fairy.

For my third resolution going into 2010, I have decided to write an inspirational post each day and post it at home for my kids. Today I brought them over to my friend Beth’s Design Studio which is now officially closed. It was only a nine-week “pop” shop set up for the holidays ... I am so going to miss it, as it was a pretty – and quiet – place for me to escape to! I sat all four of the boys down in my corner of the store so that I could pack up remaining inventory to bring home. I figured they could at least help carry pillows to the car without the likelihood of doing any damage. While we were there, I grabbed the chalkboard frame off the wall with the intention of using it at home for my “words of wisdom” idea.


When we returned home, I found a prominent spot to hang the chalkboard. It is at the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, a place where every family member can see it as they come downstairs to begin their day. Even my husband noticed it right away (and he rarely notices anything without my having to jump up and down and point out “look what I did!”) With the exception of my youngest, who is just learning to read, each of my boys asked me about the quote and why I had written it on the board. I was surprised at the conversations we had!

As a mom I feel some days like I am constantly repeating myself with advice on how to behave and why ... now I will just let the chalk do the talking! And when the words come from someone else, sometimes they are more likely to be heard and believed.


I like to collect the inspiring words of others.

I chose the first quote from Walt Disney (someone famous that they could relate to) as a New Year’s reminder that each of us has the power to accomplish whatever we set out to do. You would be surprised at some of the long-term goals that my boys believe they can achieve ... they always start out with “I want to be a famous ...” They remind me of when I was 100% certain when I was little that I would sing “Feeling Groovy” on the television show Community Auditions, the late 70’s version of American Idol! Not sure where I got the idea – and I never did make it onto the stage – but I told a lot of my playground friends that I was going to do it at the time! My mom probably said I would be just as good as any of those kids up there (she still tells me I should sing every now and then!) and I just believed her because she believed in me. Funny how that works, huh?

I am really looking forward to this new resolution to inspire – and to believe in – each other as an important part of our daily routine. I might even let the boys choose favorite quotes of their own to post on the board, or they could post a few words of encouragement to someone else, or write a simple line of gratitude. I will let you know how it goes ...

On a less-than-perfect side note, my youngest picked up the glass paperweight that I named “the wish ball,” closed his eyes tight, and then proceeded to wish for Call of Duty 5 (if you don’t know what it is, consider yourself lucky!) I guess we have a long road ahead of us! I think the next quote will be the Chinese saying “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Have a safe – and inspiring – New Year’s Eve!
xo Yvonne