X-Factor

I was so impressed with a young man named Chris who said that he was sober for 70 days,  as he performed his own song about the life in recovery.

Chris Rene, a 28-year-old trash collector and recovering substance abuser whose original song, “Young Homey” won over the judges as well as the crowd at the Seattle arena. The song featured confessional sung/rapped verses, and Rene entered into a (slightly shaky) falsetto at the chorus, but the judges scooped it up. 

What a testament to being sober. To hear more click here.

A Natural High!

Fly Fishing in Alaska, truly "A Natural High"!

Things Our Kids Want and Need

I’ve created a list of things that our sons and daughters want and need.

Acceptance, Adventure, Affection, Affluence, Appreciation, Belonging, Bliss, Boldness, Care, Cleverness, Confidence, Connection, Control, Coolness, Courage, Curiosity, Desire, Determination, Devotion, Dignity, Discovery, Ecstasy, Encouragement, Energy, Enjoyment, Entertainment, Enthusiasm, Experience, Fairness, Fame, Family, Fashion, Freedom, Fun, etc.

This is a partial “List of Values” important to our kids. It includes A-F, only 6 of the 26 letters in the alphabet. As short as this list is, it speaks volumes about their emotional wants and needs.

A Shout Out to my Son,

It’s time I give my son some praise.

Christmas Eve is always a big deal at our house. A lot of food, music, family, friends, gifts and games. This year was no exception. We had a Christmas Carole Sing Along with my mother on piano and a friend Rebecca, on Fiddle. Wonderful. The food was spectacular. Our youngest daughter is a Pastry Chef and our youngest son a Food Chef. Their creations were the best they have ever been.

Freedom to Fail

One of the best things that we can give our kids is the Freedom to Fail. In failure they will find success; their own success. This success will be hard fought, well deserved, something that they can be proud of. But it comes from their willingness to deal with the choices and consequences connected to their use of a MAC. (Mood Altering Chemical) More accurately, this success will happen, if we, as parents, allow them to fail.