The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children. – Jessica Lange

What a great quote about motherhood.

I’ve never been a mother, but it seems to me that there is a magical moment (it happened with our three the moment they were born) where a mother stops being a regular person and starts being a mom.

A moment when a woman makes a decision to always put their little ones needs before their own, or at the very least realizes that that’s how it should be.

In this way, motherhood serves as an example of what human beings are capable of.

By placing the needs of their children first, mothers are capable of amazing things.

Getting very little sleep.

Always eating last.

Eyes in the back of their head.

Holding down two jobs.

Monumental acts of strength while protecting their children.

Mothers serve as proof of how great each of us can be when we live and love selflessly.

Make it a great day.

Jake ​

Since it felt like summer a few times this week I went in search of a summer “Toe Tapper” from the past…..I came across one sent from the most beautiful woman in the world!

https://youtu.be/U5bUmx-hk-c

I suggested this song to Jake, and then he suggested I write about it. J

This is on my happy songs playlist because it reminds me of being a kid in the summer (even though that’s not really what the song is about). It brings back a certain summer feeling…riding in my dad’s pickup truck with the windows down on a hot Saturday morning running errands, or riding the train with friends to the city in the evening and walking down to the lake where it’s always cooler. Sitting on a hot bleacher bench enjoying the nervous wait to be on deck by being silly with team mates, or watching my favorite brother play baseball, or sitting under the lights among a huge crowd at Comiskey hoping Big Frank hits a homer so the scoreboard will go off. Walking to tennis lessons in the morning coolness, and then walking home as it’s starting to heat up, and stopping at White Hen for a slushie. Later in life, a couple of cold beers in the evening at an outdoor party; watching the kids at the 4th of July parade with its loud sirens bouncing off the hot pavement, then the excitement of lightening bugs and fireworks in the dark; taking the kids to the pool when the sun is not quite so blazing overhead and it’s a little less crowded and a lot more relaxed.

In the summer we get to enjoy the heat of the day, and the different world of the summer nights, too.

Meaghan

I one heard a TED talk by Rick Warren and he mentioned something I found interesting.

He was talking about the idea that he believes that we as human beings have some obligation to leave this planet better than we left it. He mentioned having a conversation with someone once and asking them if they believe that we have this obligation.

The person responded with something like "no more obligation than a duck or any other animal".

Rick’s response really stuck with me.

He said "You are not a duck".

Think about that for a second. If you believe that human beings are not ducks, but that we are something different and unique then we have the obligation of stewardship that Rick talks about.

We are all given something to be stewards over during our lives. At the very least, we are stewards of our own time and lives.

And since we are not ducks, we must use them wisely. How we spend our days and our lives does matter.

Make today count.

Jake

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different…” – “Prince Caspian” (1951) – CS Lewis

Something I’ve read over and over is the idea that we underestimate how much we can do in the long run while overestimating what we can do in the short run.

Small, incremental changes in a consistent direction lead to extraordinary results.

Over booking ourselves while trying to do everything leads to stress and mediocre results.

We must make room for the important stuff and let go of the trivial.

I’m sure you already know all of this.

I’m sure something popped into your head as you thought about it.

Take a small action towards that something, today.

Don’t wait until tomorrow.

Get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I’ve been listening to an audio book about Abraham Lincoln lately and just got through the part about Gettysburg.

I went in search of a previous email containing the Gettysburg address and found the one below.

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. – Francis Bacon

Our mind needs rest in the same way our bodies do.

Find some silent time this week.

Even if it is just 60 seconds in the car before heading in to the office or 5 minutes before bed.

Let all the noise and distractions fall away.

Just enjoy the quiet.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/hEcjgJSqSRU

Thought this would be a good one for Star Wars Day (or whatever it is really called).

Also good to start your day off with a laugh.

For the more serious Star Wars fans….. https://youtu.be/u2pWMeAPrG4

Make it a great day.

Jake

“In my experience there is no such thing as luck.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi

Tomorrow is May the 4th. Apparently it is a thing now to celebrate the Star Wars series on this day/week every year (May the 4th/force be with you).

Coincidentally, we’ve been watching the series with the girls at home.

Like most good movies or TV, the creators use a dramatic and creative back drop to tell the stories and share in common human experiences.

Love, joy, hate, fear, friendship and others are on display throughout the movies.

We enjoy watching these unfold because we want to feel that connection with others and with the characters.

TV and movies can be a great way to connect with others around some of these common themes.

Make some time to connect with the loved ones in your life around some positively themed movies and TV. Talk about the lessons and the commonalities you might be experiencing. Bridge the gap between the two (or more) of you. And then build on that connection.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The present time has one advantage over every other – it is our own. – Charles Caleb Colton

Today is all you got.

Get after it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

People change and forget to tell each other. Lillian Hellman

This falls more into the “helpful reminder” category today.

Once I read that all of the cells in your body change over a certain period of time. You are literally entirely new on a regular basis.

But we forget to communicate through these changes with those closest to us.

We’re surprised when they react as if they didn’t know we had changed our position or attitude towards something.

And we forget that they are entirely new as well and that their position or attitude has changed as well.

I haven’t found a magical tip or trick on this one, just a mountain to continue to climb – because meaningful relationships are worth it.

Slow down for a few minutes today and let someone you care about tell you how they’ve changed.

Make it a great day.

Jake