Roses Galore !

These beauties are from a park near my house. I have walked by them countless times and did not stop even once to say hello to them. I had a whole day in hand and my son and I spent many hours at the park. 

While he was playing, I chatted with other moms.

I felt the green grass with my hands and thought how soft they felt.

I poured sand through my fingers and smiled at the ease with which it flowed when I just let them go. It didn't feel good when I held them tight in my hands.

I ran a race with my son's friend who reminded me that my body had slowed down with age but my heart hadn't.

 I stopped to smell the roses and it reminded me of how much my mom loved roses.

So many reflections and memories, only because I stopped for a few moments.  

 

Can neighbors be angels? #Thanksgiving

I decided to be really picky about what I am really grateful for. Of course, there is a lot that I am thankful for. But this is from the depth of my heart as a very few things touch me deeply and become a "memoir" that I carry with me.

My son doesn't get to see his grandparents a lot as they live far away. But he wishes that they could be closer to him. God hears the little wishes of his heart.I agree with him 200%, they could be a great influence on his life.So I always pray that God would send the right people into my son's life for him to connect with  and learn from them. When I prayed in all my religious fervor, I was dreaming about pastors preaching a zealous message straight into my son's heart and that it will touch him. OR would he run away screaming "touch-me-not"! My faith was not simple. Not simple enough to let God act on my prayer.It was proud enough to tell God what to do and how to do.

Today, God showed me how he can use the simple people to touch a 5 yr old boy's heart.

A few years ago, my neighbor and my son's favorite friend moved. He was sad because they had birds and always invited him to listen and talk to the birds. It was a world apart when he was with the birds.. I waited to see who our new neighbor would be.Again I was hoping and praying for a young family with kids so my son could have some playmates. Finally, someone moved in. I couldn't figure out who it was. It was because they were too quiet to even be noticed.One day I rushed to the peephole to see them when I heard their door open. It was an elderly couple.

I stepped out and said hello to them. I learnt that all their grown-up children were living in different countries and held very good jobs but they didn't visit them much. So they were by themselves. I told them not to hesitate to knock on my door if they ever needed someone or something.They were quite old.

We became very good neighbors as they fell in love with my little son. Each time they would see him they would give him fruits or cookies or candies. They gave him $20 for his 4th birthday and told me to buy toys for him on their behalf. We were a part of their family.They had a few relatives who came by and visited them with food and groceries.Every now and then, the lady or as we affectionately call her grandma, would give us all the extra, delicious food she would make as it was too much for just the 2 of them.She loved to cook, what can I say. Grandpa is no less. I needed a small cup of yogurt one day to cook something. He made me take the whole container! It is hard to come across people like them as they have given us so much and they don't know what it had meant to us. Once we are living on one income and she gave us 2 bags of rice as it was extra for her. They speak a different language so it is hard for me to tell them anything more than a few words in English that they don't understand. Grandma loves sweets and my way of saying thank you to her without damaging her health is sharing our healthy desserts with them.

My son has been observing this elderly couple since he was a year old. He has probably eaten more apples from them than from his own parents! He has seen someone just give and pour into his life, even if it meant cookies and candies. What else can make a child more happier?

We recently read the book, The Giving Tree together at our local library. Some call it  "dysfunctional", some call it " a cautionary tale". But to my 5 yr old son, it was all about trees and how cutting down trees will impact our environment. Period.I will not be adding any emotions or feelings to this pure story. It is a great book nevertheless and he was able to narrate the story to his dad later in the evening in the same order.It is about a tree that gives everything it has to a little boy until he becomes an old man. It also puts an emphasis on giving.He loved the story and made a remarkable reference to it when he saw a stump of a tree that was recently cut down near my house. Again I say, it is a great books for kids.

Today, as we were walking back from church , my neighbor, the grandma was returning home from her walk.My son recognized her at a distance and pointed to her and said this:

" Mommy, I think we should call them "The Giving Grandpa & Grandma" because they give us so much and now they are old. I like to give like them."

My prayers were answered. But not how I wanted them to be answered. God chose the humble, elderly couple to plant a seed in my son's heart.

I am thankful for my neighbors. God Sent.Angels.

Little Critter : You Go First . A must read for #Kindergarten from Harper Collins !

Considering the amount of books I have reviewed on my blog ( book reviews), I can go on and say that books are given great importance in our house and thus reading has become a regular activity at home. My son reads pretty well for his age and books speak to him. Over the years he has learned to listen to the voice of books. I jump in when I see a good book as I know it will have a positive influence on him.

You Go First by Mercer Meyer is one such book where thoughts are kindled through a crit-terrific story told in simple words. The story kept my 5 yr old's attention till the end. It is a must read for a kindergartner as their day at school revolves a lot around being "first". Who will be the first in the line? who will get to the lunch room first? Who will finish their snack first? While some competition is healthy, children will learn from this story that it also courteous, gentle and self-less to allow someone else to be ahead of them and take turns. They will be surprised to learn that this behavior can actually boost friendships.

 Unhealthy competition can ruin friendships. It can never be  too early in life to learn this important skill ! You will not regret buying this gem of a book. It can be read many times to reinstate the message.

Buy it from Amazon.ca for $4.17 or add it to your wishlist. Santa might see it !

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.