neil

Yes and No. How is that for a definite maybe?Who we are and everything we do is the method of instruction. As you well know young people see what we do so much more than hear what we say.A couple of years back I was helping my son and his fiance clear some trees along their long driveway to allow sun to naturally dry the road at a climbing bend that was hard to navigate. One of the offending Poplar […]

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.” This thought found in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essay on Self-Reliance is a belief that most people, especially our youth, aren’t encouraged to keep top of mind. Now we can get into a back and forth about self-esteem vs humility. I will bravely proffer that they are not mutually exclusive. Most confident and contributing people […]

FEARLet’s be real, if you are at all paying attention you are feeling fear. As a very, very mature adult I fear less for myself and more for those wonderful little young and imaginative minds of my Grandkids. With all this uncertainty going into their heads now is the time for as much Love and reassurance as we can muster. Fear is real but it isn’t fatal. Make no mistake it can be debilitating and very uncomfortable which causes some […]

I in an attempt to stay in touch with my family I have been writing what I call the family newsletter almost every Sunday morning for over 3 years now. Remarkably that email string now includes some 60 folks, mostly family but we adopt many others into our family. I have been pleased to hear my grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc. mention things I write about in this weekly rambling. This vehicle allows me to spread affirmations, birthdays, news and […]

Here is a sobering but very wise statement by a man I have come to admire; FREDERICK DOUGLAS said; “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”.It will take some creativity but think of a way to plus each grandchild today and every day. One of the most effective ways I know is to ask them a question and then LISTEN.Thanks for being a Caring Grandparent.

Many of you that read these words are hurting from not being able to exercise your basic Grandparents Rights. Another group of Grandparents number in the millions and those are the brave souls caring for their Grandkids out of necessity. Just stop for a moment and think of the ramifications for these folks. Grandparents who have weathered the storms of raising their own kids are now thrust into that role for their Grands. Most are reaching into their savings, canceling […]

Inside every major disruption of life lies a chance to move forward. I realize that some of you are having trouble exercising your Grandparents Rights for many reasons, not the least of which is staying socially isolated. I challenge you to find new ways to stay MEANINGFULLY in touch with each and all of your Grandchildren. One really effective cure for loneliness is to actively reaching out to those we Love. Now is the time to invoke that wisdom of […]

Act, act, share and act some more. Being frozen in fear just plain feels bad. As you know our Grandkids watch what we do much more than hearing what we say. The magic is that if you do the right things you also benefit from forward motion at a time like this. Now I don’t advocate that everyone step to the edge of the high board and do a swan dive, though that would be……interesting. What I do is to […]

A new beginning. I am a sunrise kind of guy. When my Grandchildren come to visit they look forward to my taking each one individually to a sunrise. It is our special time together. Now is the time to increase your chances to have your Grandparent Rights on the other side of this challenge. I can’t possibly know the dynamics of each Grandparents family but in almost every case there is a way to get our noses under the tent […]