What I Learned from Vacations

 

Sir Robert of Hruzek has thrown out the challenge (well, ok, invitation) to join in his latest group writing project. The subject is also the title to this post (I’m so inventive!). So away we go…

I learned these lessons from vacations since I’ve been a Dad:

1. Plan your trip and plan to keep them occupied with FUN on your way to anywhere, whether it’s another city, a picnic ground or the local cinema. You’re not in the car to relax, Dad; you’re there to run activities and games. Get that straight and everything will be ok! Number plate games, I Spy and Fart Noise competitions seem to work. I’ve blogged about car noise before…
2. Have an agenda but don’t be all anal retentive about it. I can remember times on holidays where I got the sulks because the family wanted to do different things to me or were moving at a slower pace than I wanted … or even moving at a faster pace than I wanted. What was I thinking? Who’s the kid here?? When I go into the day with an aim but also a loose attachment to that aim (which usually means thinking “Today’s about being with people not collecting experiences”), I enjoy myself and bring enjoyment to those I love. (Which is a nice way of saying “I’m not a big jerk anymore”!). If you’re not getting this, watch Captain Ron and What About Bob and learn!
3. Plan some holiday time where it’s just you or just you and your missus. “Outsource” the kids (sounds terrible doesn’t it?) to a Holiday program for a day or two. They really just want activity and you may want a different kind of activity. Give yourself that gift and you’ll be more able to practise lesson #2 above with good grace.
4. And finally, try new things and invite your kids and your partner into those experiences. You will see other sides of each other that there’s no opportunity to see or appreciate during the normal stressful rush-hours of life. Enlarge your world as you enlarge them and theirs.

Hey, I could use a holiday right bout now!

Empathy and Kids

I thought I would post a letter I received from a friend, verbatim. This represents a great idea for helping our Gen Y/Z kids get a sense of perspective on how much wealth they actually have. It was a great launchpad for a discussion with Younger Son this morning about how we can help less fortunate people.

One of my upcoming teleclasses coming up later this year at Great Circle will  be on this very issue (ie., developing empathy in children), but here and now I’ll let Bryan do the rest of the talking…

Dear Friends,

Just yesterday at the dinner table my son asked me if we were rich. I thought this was a fantastic question. My immediate thought was to say of course we are not rich, but upon a little reflection I said just the opposite. His question prompted me to do a little research. I found this website http://www.globalrichlist.com/ which is a calculator that shows just how rich your family is compared to everyone else in the world. You type in your annual salary and the website ranks your wealth against every other person in the world. I was amazed to see where I actually ranked! Next time you need a reminder of all the blessings you have, log on. Don’t forget to say a little prayer for those who live on so much less than we have.

With Love & (Fresh) Thankfulness,

Your Friend Bryan

You Can Put as Much Spin as You Like on It, But the Cat’s Still Responsible.

Most of us know that cats are evil.

Meet Oscar (see his police mugshot left). Oscar has evolved a step beyond the cliched Cat Burgler. He’s become (perhaps) the world’s first Cat Murderer. That’s the opinion of this Daddy Blogger anyway. “What’s the story?” you ask?

Let me first explain where I came across this mass-murdering moggy…

 Laura Young is an accomplished intelligent and personable life-coach, whose writing style I genuinely admire. Nevertheless, you can tell a cat lover when you meet one…

I noticed that Laura’s post entitled Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths puts a nice spin on one cat’s presence at the scene of many deaths in the Nursing Home:

On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: “For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat.” Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day’s work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile.

Note: Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he
serves.

That’s lovely and all, but an alternate reading of the situation is that the Cat’s responsible!!

Am I the only one who picked up the sentence: ‘After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile’? Or this: His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death”?

Get the cat the heck out of there!

Oscar, I’ve seen your face. You better stay far far away from this little black duck. I got a car tyre with your name on it.

(Laura, feel free to make fun of me too! )

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