Show a Little Tenderness

K is for Kindness

To be kind means to be benevolent, to be compassionate and caring.

I am kinder on some days than others. When I’m not as kind as I’d like to be, it’s always because I am not being so kind to myself. Being hard on myself because I didn’t eat as healthy as I should have, or skipped my work out, or said or did something “dumb”…can lead me to show not-so-kind behavior to others.

If we were all kinder to ourselves, and we made a concerted effort to be kinder to others, this world would change.

Truly, I believe members of hate groups (such as the KKK) do not like themselves. They possess unsavory feelings about themselves and then their outlook on the world changes. They look for scapegoats to blame for their own unhappiness and fears.

Have you noticed when you’re really happy – happy with yourself and your life’s situation – the last thing you want is to be mean to others?

I wonder if you know the story behind the KIND bars. The founder (Daniel Lubetzky) is a son of a Holocaust survivor. He remembers his father telling him that while he was in the concentration camp, one German soldier threw him some potatoes, risking his own life in order to be kind.

Watch the three minute video. I love how this company says that “nice” is passive, but being kind is an ACTIVE verb!

kind bars.jpg

Jump, Jive an’ Wail!

J is for Jillian

I have been doing Jillian Michael’s workouts for the past seven years or so.

A friend of mine introduced me to her DVDs and I’ve been hooked ever since. At 48, I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and it just takes 30 minutes a day. (Do I sound like an infomercial or what?)

In my youth, I exercised to look good. Now, I workout to be strong.

When I feel strong physically, I am stronger mentally and spiritually.

I take care of my health for my loved ones, too. I want to be active for as long as possible and I want to model good living. Yesterday, my 15 year old daughter said, “Mom, when I’m your age, I hope I look like you.”

Body+Revolution+Logo

*Alphabiography blog series

Art is in the Eye of the Beholder

I is for Illustrating

I’m teaching myself how to illustrate. There are so many resources online:

I don’t have a goal, per se. But it’d be nice if I could illustrate my own books. I just know that I am loving this process. I sit down with my pencils, art pens, watercolor, paper and coffee (or other nice beverage, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and draw!

*Alphabiography post

Why Do Quail Run?

H is for Heed

I used to honor the fast and brash,

the notorious and well-heeled,

the industrious zealots

who marched on downtown pavement

But I’ve come to recognize true virtue

in the quail’s quivering plume –

in the solitary bay of the owl at dusk –

and in the jeweled skin of a rattlesnake

Wherever You Go

steve-richey-7217 — Photo by Steve Richey

G is for Geography

Davenport, Iowa

my childhood: pizza and friends, rollerskating rinks and birthday parties, and

Tae Kwon Do

DeKalb, Illinois

my high school years, academic stress, Madonna and Prince, cornfields, detassling, Del Monte factory

Rochester, New York

holy-crap-cold, ice storms, tunnel systems, hibernation, isolation, spring, independence

San Francisco, California

Real freedom (!), real work, KKSF Radio, banking, teaching, marriage, babies, house, traffic

Mesa, Arizona

Culture shock, new home, dry heat, sweet violin music, educating, new friends, cancer, husband’s lay offs, writing, and stillness

*part of alphabiography series

The Swoon

F is for Fainting

I passed out once

shortly after my first child’s birth

“extreme blood loss” is what the doctor said

“she’ll need three units of whole blood”

“But…what about AIDS?” My mother cried.

Losing conciousness is like

falling off a cliff

in very slow motion

it is painless

as long as your husband catches you

Sweet Roll

E is for Eclairs

I ate an eclair almost every day that I was pregnant

For both pregnancies

The fog blanketed our San Francisco home

Downing hot green tea with the french pastry,

I, a lifelong member of the “Am I Doing Enough?” Club,

was finally relaxed

despite the fact that the budding life

– fueled by choux and cream –

was taxing my stretch pants

*this blog post is part of the alphabiography project

*Dictionary.com word origin for eclair:

n.

1861, from French éclair, literally “lightning,” from Old French esclair“light, daylight, flash of light,” from esclairare “to light up, make shine”(12c.), ultimately from Latin exclarare “light up, illumine,” from ex- “out”(see ex- ) + clarus “clear” (see clear (adj.)).

Dogma

D is for Dog

Dog is an anagram for god

In my book, it is also a synonym:

unconditional love, constant affection, and non-judgment

They mirror humans –

Cruel people can create cruel pets

We should stop fearing pit bulls and, instead,

examine our own souls

C is for Cookie, or…

C is for Cooking

I have a love/hate relationship with cooking.

If it’s a lazy Saturday and I have plenty of time, I love cooking. I make a mean lasagna.

What better way to demonstrate love than to nourish people both physically and spiritually at the same time?

But after work, I’m tired. Everyone is looking at me. What’s for dinner?

I don’t know. I just want someone to rub my feet.

IMG_0357 (1) (1).JPG

High School is Short-Lived

B is for Barbs

In high school, our mascot was “the barbs”

– that’s short for barbed wire – which was invented in DeKalb, IL.

barb = sharp, bristly, obviously unpleasant…

causing inflamation and swelling. High school was constant stress over

grades, posturing and “success,” whatever that was.

My home life was more of the same, pure misery.

I felt invisible all the time. Nobody saw who I was, they saw who they wanted to see.

(Mostly, they were disappointed by what they saw!)

But I survived. I’ve actually thrived.

And you will, too. Hang in there. High school is temporary.

barbed

Kismet

Daily Practice

Author: chungwipff