By Jamie Ervin •
May 26, 2009
It’s come to my attention of late that many of us focus on the difficulties in parenting. We are quick to gripe about our children’s behavior, habits, friends, language, school, clutter and seldom make mention of their beautiful smiles and outrageous thirst for life.
So, I’ve decided to become grateful. Every day I will find some reason I am grateful… it may be directly related to my children or not. No matter what there will be a connection because I am THEIR MOM, no matter what. That is my first job… my first priority.
Tonight I reflect back on our day. I see the smiles on their faces when they come rushing in the front door at the end of the school day. Normally I would focus on the noise and mayhem that follows suit… today I just see those happy faces, so eager to rush in and tell me all about their days.

I’m a bad daughter, as I haven’t gotten anything for my mother this year for Mother’s Day. The truth is I hate buying gifts, and I don’t have time to make anything. Of course, I have turned the responsibility over to my children to honor grandmother, but I did send her this video, which of course I had to watch first making myself Mother of the Year (on the same evening my daughter told me I was “extremely mean” for asking her to do her homework).
Mother’s Day originally began as a day of peace; it is not a Hallmark holiday. MomsRising, an organization devoted “working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America”, has created personal videos for Mother’s Day. According to MomsRising, Americans will spend $16 billion this year on Mother’s Day celebrations! That’s a lot of money to show Mom we care, and even though I have sent my mom her special video, I will probably still buy her some Dr. Hauschka.
By Sean Daily •
April 28, 2009

Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas’ Editor-In-Chief, talks with fellow green living podcaster Meredith Medland of Personal Life Media’s popular Living Green Show about green media and podcasting, life-changing epiphanies, and the benefits of martial arts practice.
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Courtesy of our friends at GreenLivingIdeas.com]
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