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Familiarizing Yourself with Oral Chelation
Copyright 2005 Octocat Ltd
Oral Chelation (pronounced “key lay shun”) is simply the process by which metals, minerals and toxins are removed from the body through the use of certain agents (chelating agents) that bond with those elements –...
Stretch Your Eldercare Dollars
Many elders fear outliving their retirement nestegg, so we put together a few of our best dollar-saving tips to help.
Select the lowest level of care possible
Many Assisted Living offer graduated levels of care. They may be able to meet your...
The Final Solution for Dating
I run a blog where I discuss the topic of the many games people play in the dating arena. I've posted hundreds of articles, many of which point out many of these troubles. Even if you haven't read the blog, you probably are aware of some of these...
The Pros & Cons of Beach Weddings
Beach weddings are popular but they do present "special issues". Failing to consider these ahead of time could leave you unpleasantly surprised on your wedding day! There is certainly nothing that should dissuade you from your vision of a...
Whose Thought is it Anyway?
Winter is finally yielding to spring in the New England town I live in. I woke up this morning excited to go outside for a walk to feel the warming air and sunshine on my face. As I walked briskly throughout my neighborhood I was grateful for my...
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Got To, Get To – Change The Way Your Family Thinks
I recently heard a story that has literally changed the way that I, and my family, think about life. The story is as follows:
There was once a high-powered woman in her 30s who ran her own company and was massively successful in business. Yet every single day, at 10am, she visited her elderly mother, who was in an old peoples’ home. When asked if she could attend meetings at that time, she would reply, “I’m sorry, I’ve got to visit my mother”. She sometimes resented the commitment and was occasionally ridiculed, but nevertheless answered, “No, I’m sorry, I’ve got to visit my mother.”
One day her mother died. Soon afterwards she was asked if she could make a meeting at 10am the following day. She started to reply, “No, I’m sorry, I’ve got to visit my mother”, but of course quickly realised that this was no longer the case. Sadly, she realised that for many years she had been saying, “I’ve got to visit my mother” when what she should have instead been saying was, “I get to visit my mother”. She would never "get to" visit her mother again.
So how does the story relate to other situations? I have been surprised by how many times the story has seemed appropriate since I heard it, just a few weeks ago. It applies to so many different aspects of family and working life, from the large to the mundane. For example, I first told my son the story when he was complaining about some extra French classes he was having at weekends (“I can’t believe I’ve got to go to the French tutor”). I explained that he is lucky to "get to" have the French classes: lucky that we care enough to notice he needs them, and lucky that we can afford to pay for them.
I thought of the story last night when my little girl was using every delaying tactic in the book about going to
bed, and just refused to settle down. I caught myself thinking, “Oh no, I’ve got to go upstairs, miss the end of the television show I’m watching, and calm her down and settle her into bed” … but quickly replaced the thought with something along the lines of “I’m lucky that I "get to" spend 5 quiet minutes with this funny, amazing little girl, even if I am tired and could do with some rest!”
And I thought of the story again just this morning when the beeper on my tumble dryer annoyed me into emptying my clean washing! I turned some very negative, lazy thinking around by reminding myself that I was lucky to have a tumble dryer, the clothes to put into it, and the family to be washing them for! It was still a chore but somehow it didn’t seem such a bad one anymore.
My husband reminds himself of the story when the alarm clock goes off early in the morning and he struggles out of bed and to the train. He "gets to" go to work. Many people don’t. And I think of it when I am sitting, uninspired, in front of my computer, wishing that I didn’t have admin or website chores to do for Activity Village. The thought doesn’t last long. I may have admin and website chores to do, but I also "get to" provide activities and inspiration to parents, teachers and children around the world every week. How lucky can I be?
About the Author
Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of Activity Village.co.uk - providing the ultimate one-stop resource for parents and teachers looking to educate and entertain their kids. Visit the website at http://ww.ActivityVillage.co.uk
and subscribe to the free newsletter at http://www.ActivityVillage.co.uk/free_newsletter.co.uk
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