About 22 years ago I met my greatest teacher... (Newsletter 6/1/20)
Happy Monday Happy Mom!
"Independent, intelligent, and kind" are the words I used to describe my oldest daughter at her mock graduation ceremony yesterday. She is not home with us due to quarantine so we participated in a Zoom meeting which her boyfriend's family planned. Her college graduation is postponed from May to December, but we all still wanted to celebrate this monumental event now. It was a beautiful ceremony on the pool deck with cap and gown, ti-leaf and orchid lei, and a commencement speaker. I gave a short speech and my son performed "Somewhere over the Rainbow" by Braddah Iz.
Last night I lay in bed thinking about this daughter of mine. She is the oldest of my five children and yes, I believe her birth order has a lot to do with her qualities. Being the oldest forced her to be independent since I was always breastfeeding or changing diapers. I attribute her intelligence partially to the fact that I stayed home with her the first two years of her life, reading to her practically all day long. Plus my husband and I never used "baby talk" around her. We talked as adults always. But mostly it's due to her own tenacity and ambition. Since she learned to read at an early age, we had our own secret way of communicating- we spelled out words using ASL letter symbols. She had a placemat to eat on that had the had images of the ASL alphabet. She also read her dad's medical terminology textbook and studied his flashcards with him when she was just two-years-old (which made A.P. Anatomy and Physiology a breeze in High School). Finally, her kindness is known by all who are blessed to have her in their lives. These are just three of her many amazing traits.
I want to elaborate on why she is one of my greatest teachers. I've been going through a rough patch. My emotions have skyrocketed over the past two months. I don't know if it's because I'm working from home, trying to manage my own children's distance learning, completing my Master's program online, dealing with significant events being canceled, gaining weight, or just not being happy with myself. My goal has always been to be a positive influence to this Happy Moms community. But my biggest goal is to be a role model for my children and to make them proud to call me "Mom." It's hard for me to admit that I am not happy with myself. I think it has a lot to do with my physical health. I mean it has to be that. In other news, I just landed the job I've been working towards for the past two years, I am almost done with my Master's program, I have two graduates this year and a daughter who will be serving an 18-month church mission in Australia in a few months. My children all had a successful school year in sports and academics. We've managed to keep my mom healthy through this pandemic. My husband is amazing! So why do I feel depressed?
"I hope you realize your self-worth (heart emoji)." That is what my daughter texted me last week. She truly is one of my greatest teachers. That is my desire for everyone who is part of my life- to realize your self-worth. So how do I dig myself out of this rut? Well, first things first, since I'm not happy with my physical health, I am going to change things. I workout almost every day, so the problem is my diet. One thing I am going to start TODAY is I am going to drink a green smoothie daily. I recognize that evenings and night time is my bad-eating time, so I'm going to eat a bigger lunch and have a spinach and protein smoothie for dinner. I'm also going to get out of my house daily, even if it's just a walk around the block, and I am going to phone a friend daily. I think that because I am normally such a social person, this Covid quarantine affected me more than I wanted to admit. I will let you know on my fb LIVE on Friday how I feel.
I hope that by me sharing my personal struggles, maybe you feel that you're not alone. Please post on the fb page any struggles or any tips you may have. Please share what you chose to do for YOU on the Happy Moms Facebook page. I hope you all have the best week ever.
Put priority on yourself. Make time! Get Happy! You are worth it!!!
What's on the Menu this week?
MONDAY: Kim Chee Soup
TUESDAY: Brown Rice & Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Salsa
WEDNESDAY: Vegetarian Spaghetti
THURSDAY: Potato Pancakes, Udon
FRIDAY: Brocoli Omelettes
SATURDAY: Veggie Pancakes
SUNDAY: Kids' Choice/Kids Cook
*I will be eating all these meals at lunchtime and having a green smoothie for dinner
What's happening at Happy Moms?
Check out my updated website. Also, join me for my LIVE Mommy Chat on Friday 5:30 pm Hawaii time at fb.me/happymomhappyfamilycom
What's happening in my home?
Summer school starts today (for me). My youngest starts online summer school in two weeks, the boys are working, and Kaylen is also working hard. The boys did dawn patrol with Daddy this morn and baby sister joined them for the first time. Kyle is on Green Smoothie duty.
Have a Happy week! Please let me know if I can be of help in any way with making time for yourself. If you need a pep talk to realize your worth, feel free to email me at mahele@happymomhappyfamily.com and please post comments or suggestions on my Happy Moms Facebook page.
Happily Yours,
Mahele
