Get Connected to be Happy

 I am intrigued with the 7-Day Happiness Challenge in the NYTimes, inspired by the book that will be released this week -- The Good Life  by Dr. Bob Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The premise is quite simple, but is based on the results of the longest scientific study on human happiness that has ever been conducted. 

Happy New Year -- on to 2023!

Happy New Year! As we close out 2022, it's time to look back and start making those new year's resolutions! I looked back at my Happy New Year blog post in 2017, and I am going to take it to heart and follow my own advice. I won't repeat it all here -- but try short resolutions - a month at a time. Try to make small but important changes and see if they stick. Check it out. 

BlessingsBarb is Back!

Welcome back to BlessingsBarb! I am looking forward to getting back to writing, and hope that I can offer some encouragement to those who need a little lift. If we have learned anything in the past two years, it is that we need to be connected with other people. Isolation is devastating to the spirit, and we need to reach out and help each another. 

June 17, 2017

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Preventing Summer Slide

Every summer children have a choice – to read or not to read! Studies show that a struggling student should read six books to keep from regressing (or sliding backward) over the summer break. Students lose almost 2 months of academic progress each summer when they don’t read, and that adds up over the years! Students who read throughout the summer have a definite advantage when returning to school in the fall. Here are some tips for keeping your children engaged in reading this summer.

March 28, 2017

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – St. Francis of Assisi

A good reason to run… the Feeding the Valley 5K!

I have never been a runner. For me, running has to have a purpose. If you are late, you run. If you want to get somewhere before everyone else, you run. But just to go out and run for fun? It never ever crossed my mind.

So why do people do it? Obviously people run to get in shape or stay in shape. Some report that it really feels good to get out and run! But this Saturday, people will be running to feed the hungry and support a great cause.

Phones and their Proper Place

One of my strongest beliefs is that the Dinner Table is the place where children learn the most. Most of a child’s perspective of the world is shaped by their parents. Family meals bring a unique opportunity to discuss world events, new ideas, and lessons learned. Children have a chance to report things they have seen or heard at school and bounce them off their parents in a safe environment. Parents have the privilege of being the primary educators of their children, and children instinctively trust their thoughts and opinions. The best time to share these ideas and opinions is family mealtime.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Respect is widely accepted as a feeling of admiration for someone as a result of their qualities, talents, or achievements. Our current culture doesn’t seem to value respect. I have the feeling that there is no one who is beyond skepticism and criticism. The news shows and late night talk show hosts skewered everyone who ran for president. There is no one left who hasn’t been ridiculed and had all his/her dirty laundry aired for the entire world to see. Every little error has been highlighted and exaggerated, leaving very little room for admiration.