Valentine’s Day is nearly here, and many people are thinking about love. It made me think about my own definition of love.

Love is sharing hugs, smiles, words, and passion. But love is much more than that. It is the ability to love someone when they behave in an unlovable way. It’s holding on to hope for that person beyond what is rational. It is accepting others as they are, and not as you wish they would be.

It’s the smile you get on your face just thinking of your loved ones. It’s the joy you feel in your heart when you are in their presence. It’s sharing laughter as well as sadness; joy as well as pain; great news and deep secrets; and hopes and fears. It is setting aside regular times to be together.

And love is best given to others, when you love yourself.

Have a love-filled day a wonderful week-end.

Maryln

Drink.

Now I wonder if you are thinking I’m talking about alcoholic beverages. I’m not!!! I’m talking about a huge source of energy, life, health, focus, and well-being….water.

Drink lots of water. On days you have to focus better, drink even more water. It flushes out your system, and is a huge source of vitality, and it’s free.

Have a great day. You are a difference maker.

Maryln

Take a stand and take Oprah’s pledge.

Oprah devoted an entire show on the use of cell phones while driving. It was a very moving show. Listen to what Oprah has to say about this at

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-a-Special-Message-from-Oprah-Video_1

She created a pledge to end cell phone use while driving. I took the pledge and I hope you do too at http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4

Distracted driving from using cell phones is a huge cause of accidents and deaths. Let’s keep our world safer and all make a difference together. Go to Oprah’s web site and take the pledge to not use cell phones. Encourage everyone you know to do the same.

You can see the show in its entirety or parts of it at this web site, http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html.

Have a great day. You are a difference maker.

Maryln

Make the best of it.

The world is not always filled with sunshine. Life has its ups and its downs. During those times, the best thing to do is to make the best of it.

You won’t always get to have the best working conditions. You won’t always have the perfect students to teach. You won’t always have your health be at its optimum. But you do always have the choice, to make the best of it all, and enjoy your day.

Have a great day. You are a difference maker.

Maryln

Who is Momma?

Many children are being raised by people that are not their parents. These often are loving people who, for whatever reason, have to assume the responsibility of being a parent.

I have worked with children who have been seriously abused and molested, and they still want to be with their parents and dream that their parents will love them. As you and I know, that is not always possible. But I think that every child deserves love. Children deserve people in their lives with whom they feel safe, people who have their best interests at heart, people who will protect them.

But children still want to be able to use those magic words, “momma,” and “daddy.” Surrogate parents can tack on those words to their own names, “Grandma momma,” “Auntie Jean Momma,” “Mom Kathy,” & “Poppa Josh.”

I have been blessed in my own life to have had my own dad who passed away when I was young, and then I had another other dad figure step into my life, “Poppa James.” It didn’t take anything away from the love I have for my dad to have another special loving father figure in my life. It added to it.

This is the month of love, February, so it’s ok to expand the love in this special month and be all that you can be in name or in action to those who need it.

Have a great day. You are a difference maker.

Maryln