I love (no pun intended) the book The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz. I read it about 5 years ago and was blown away by it. If you haven't read it, its a must-read.
I have a 48 card deck with daily affirmations based on the book and I think I have started a new tradition. For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading one card a day to Penelope after she gets a bottle or nurses, while she is still in the mood for a cuddle.
Here's the card I read to her yesterday:
Front:
"Accept your own beauty."
Back:
"You are beautiful not matter what your mind tells you. That is a fact. If you are aware of your own beauty and accept your own beauty, the opinion of others doesn't affect you at all."
Ah, don't you wish your mother had taught you that when you were a baby? Actually, babies already know that. When they become older toddlers and children, they forget this truth, based on what they are seeing around the house. They instill their parents belief systems about themselves as their own. So really these cards are daily reminders for me. Reminders that I need accept my own beauty, in order to pass that skill along to Penelope.
Reading these cards everyday is also a nice pause, something else that helps me be present and in the moment with Penelope.
What do you think of our new tradition? Do you do anything similar?
I love this suggestion. I found the book on Amazon and on my Kindle it is only $7.99 Thank you fore mentioning it! Great idea for parents...one day at a time...one family at a time...one child at a time we all make a difference!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great reminder for parents. So many things get swept under the rug because we don't take the time to be in the moment and embrace parenthood.
ReplyDelete@M Kay Keller...That is great to hear! I tried to find the cards on Amazon, but couldn't. I am pretty sure I got them at a Barnes and Noble...
ReplyDelete@Sarah...glad you liked it! I think this daily practice could work with anything. You could make up your own affirmations or read Scripture.
This is really sweet!..
ReplyDeleteOne year my mother made a new years resolution to tell each of her three children I love You every day. I was a teenager at the time so I didn't appreciate it. Now that we dont live together... I'd love to hear it everyday. Penelope will treasure these little memories as an adult