Today is Valentine’s Day. Some may write it off as a “Hallmark” holiday. I believe that it is important to tell the people that we care about them that we care about them. I think it is important to lift up people that matter to you. It is also important to lift up those that you may not get along with.

Giving of yourself is way to celebrate the fact that you are alive. The fact that you have a heart beat. The fact that your heart is beating in your chest, is a miracle in and of itself.

Can others sense your kindness, love, and caring? Are you open and willing to help others? Do you give of yourself freely? Do you love others unconditionally? Do they sense your heart beat? There are some things that money cannot buy. These things don’t cost anything at all.

Kill them with kindness. Love others as you would love yourself. You can feel your heart beat. It goes on and on without you thinking about it. Make being a kind person part of your life. Over time others will feel your heart beat. No valentines are needed. No cards are needed. It does not have to take place once a year.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone you can’t wait to get away from? Everything they say is negative. There emotions are all mixed up. They are hurting. Upon closer inspection they may need assistance.

Appearance are not always what they seem to be. I had a conversation with a young man who was a polite and quiet young man. After talking to him, I knew he was depressed. Part of me wanted to walk away. However, deep down I knew he was troubled. I silently blessed him and prayed for him. I offered him a few  words of encouragement. He seemed to be better. I know that just one conversation may not change him all at once. I am hopeful it will help him to know that someone cares about him. I reminded him that there is always something to be grateful for.

There are simple things to be grateful. Some do not have clean water and some have a hard time breathing. Don’t be so quick to judge someone. Don’t judge yourself so harshly. You never know what someone else is going through. When we take the time to listen to people, you may make a discovery. You may find a way to help them.

The train is slowly inching out of the station. I hear an interesting sound. A familiar sound. I hear the sound of R2-D2 from “Star Wars.” I can her the guy next to me flipping the pages. Some people are rocking open beers. I wondered if I stumbled onto the quiet train car. Some are looking at their phones or laptops. There are very few conversations.

The guys in front of me start talking about the “idiots” they work with. Everyone can hear the two of them. Every sentence is punctuated by “idiots.” How many times do we have something to say about others that is not nice?

I am guilt of it. I am trying to overcome it by avoiding situation where everyone else is complaining. When you are around people that are negative and complaining, you may be tempted to do the same. I hope my kids don’t see me as a complainer.

There is a time and a place to make things know to those we may have an issue with. I think it is important to let the other person know, that something they did was not well received by you. You can always ask the other person about what they wanted to accomplish. Sometimes we are only focused on our own thoughts as if we are a train going into a tunnel.

It has been quiet, in the house. There is very little going on outside. There is very little going on the inside. We are all focused on our own tasks. There is much to do. We all know what needs to be done. We  will work together to accomplish what needs to be done.

The breakfast has been made. Dishes are done. The floors are swept. The pillows are fluffed. We plan on going to church today. I am busy with my tasks for the day. I will feel a great sense of accomplishment, if I can get everything that I want to get done.

There are many words that are not being said. There is a feeling in the house, of calm. A sense of peace. I did sleep in this morning. Just because there are no words spoken, does not mean that there are not things that need to said.

Some things are better left unspoken. There are thoughts deep within our minds that are not said. There are ideas and inspirations that don’t come out and are unspoken because we sometimes lack the courage to speak. I want to teach my kids to know when to speak up and when to remain silent.

I can’t take credit for this thought. I attended a meeting today. There were some phenomenal speakers and leaders there. The meeting ran smoothly. It was a “State of Union” of our organization. The stats are down all across the country.

This touches on an issue at the heart of why I think the education system is broken. We are not connecting anymore. There is definitely a disconnect in our society. A bunch of shallow relationships. Our organization is focused on bringing people together and communicating with each other.  A friend always says our organization is “Friend helping friends succeed.”

In society as a whole, we are headed in a direction where people have less friends, are connected via social medical but have superficial relationships. We have less meaningful relationships. We have less meaningful interactions. People are busy. We are not looking up from our cell phones. We are addicted to technology. It can be a blessing and a curse.

What can we do? There are groups of people who want to make a difference out there. There are courageous people willing to go against the grain. In a world where it is easy to make excuses not to get involved. I say make an excuse not to give up.

Today we have a lot of snow. The kids were happy because they got to play out in the snow. They built a fort. They did not have school. It is still coming down. They don’t want to go sledding. It is just enough for them to build the snow fort. They are inside now.

We will have hot chocolate soon. I am working from home. I am doing what I can while they are here. My husband is home. I am thinking about what to make for dinner. I did get a chance to peak outside and see them building the fort. I did see take a photograph and shared it with family.

I have relatives that have warm weather. They do not have to worry about the snow. I am sure they are making memories of their own. Part of the reason, I keep up on my blog and videos, is so that my kids will see how much I cared. I hope they see how much I actually did care about them every day. I hope they see this before it is urgent. Before, they realize that one day I may be gone. I also hope that they remember when I brought them hot coco after they played outside in the snow.

My kids are off school tomorrow. They have a snow day. They are calm and getting ready for bed. They know we are going to do something nice together tomorrow, because we will be snowed in. I told my kids that we would not go anywhere tomorrow. We began planning our day.

The kids were happy that we would be home together. I am happy too. I am going to take advantage of the time I have to be with them. There will be a time, when they may not want to spend time with me.

There may be a time when they have shifting priorities. Right now, they are young and have lots of energy and want to do so much. I want to see them take in all that they can and accomplish so much.

Like any parent, I want my kids to succeed. However, it is important that they get rest and relaxation. That is the key to being creative. That is the key to have much more success. When we run for hours on end without any rest, it gets old. When we don’t take the time to relax our bodies are tense. Our minds cannot be free if our bodies are tense.

Alice is a ships captain in the first scene of the movie. She tells the crew to let the sails down. They tell her that the boat will tip over. It does tip over. It does not capsize. It begins to sway. The angle is not quite right. She climbs to the mast and  lets another sail down. The it is just right. They escape the ships chasing them, navigate the shallow waters, and avoid getting the bottom of the boat, all while storms agitate the sea.

The crew told her that it was impossible. She tells them that “The only thing that makes the impossible, possible is the belief that it can be done.” Leaders have to take charge. They have to build trust with those they lead. Build bonds. They have to be knowledgeable in the areas they lead in. They have to be problem solvers. Leaders also have to admit when they need help. Are there times when you feel that storms are swirling around you with obstacles  all around you?

There is someone who may have navigate the waters you may find your self in. There is no shame in seeking help from a mentor or coach to help you navigate the storms of parenting as with any other vocation in life.

Today it was very cold in the morning. The roads were not plowed. I decided to work at home. I knew I was needed at home. My son went to school, but went home sick. He told the nurse that he was not feeling well.

My husband got the call. He went and picked up our son. Then he took him to the doctor. My son needed some medication. I picked up the medication. I thought that the roads would be too difficult to navigate today. I was wrong. The streets were clear this afternoon and the sun came out. We are going to get more snow this evening. I get to stay home tomorrow.

My son was glad that he got to stay at home. I am glad I was here. I got a lot done on my lunch. My kids were happy that I got to stay at home. I am happy I was able to stay at home. To be at home with the family is awesome. There are people who get to stay at home with their kids. That would be nice to do full time. However, for now I am happy to be at home when I can, for my kids when I can be at home.

While riding the train home, the lights flickered. I was wondering if there was something super natural goin on.

The train conductor came on the intercom, only after the lights flickered for about ten minutes. He advised that there was a loose cable and that they had no control over the doors and that they would have to open the doors manually. They requested that we be patient.

I had not had any dinner. We kept rolling on, despite the issue. My thoughts turned to food. I had no control over what was happening, at the moment. The train conductor was doing what he could do. We were still moving. All we could do was go along for the ride. The only thing we could control was our attitudes. I had to laugh. I think I laughed so loud, that people were wondering what I was doing. What we do in the face of circumstance beyond our control is key, to success.

I love to teach my kids about how to be resilient and to watch their attitudes in all circumstances. My son is a really good negotiator in the face of difficult circumstances. I am sure he was watching how I handled myself in difficult situations. I hope the girls follow suit.