Horrible Piano Player

This is the first post of many to come from my memoir. I have decided to publish it post by post instead of in book form. Enjoy!   A list of the posts from this book are on this Memoir page.

Carol

My mother has great friends. Once such friend; is the late Carol Z. Bless her soul. Carol was incredibly witty and smart. She was not afraid to speak her mind and share knowledge.

Here is an example of a conversation we had: Carol asked me, “If I were to tell you that you were a horrible piano player, what would you do?” I answered that I would laugh and agree with her about that. She responded by telling me that is because I do not see myself as being a piano player.

Then she asked, if I said you were a horrible mother, how would you respond?” I said that I would get mad at you and feel hurt that you would say such a thing. Carol then replied by saying, “Exactly. The reason you would do that is because your identity is tied up in being a great mother. It all comes back to that and that is how we react to things in our life.”

She went on to say that people take things personally and get upset because of how they think of themselves. Everything in your life is tied into your identity and how you feel about yourself.

After Carol died, I wrote this song in memory of her and others that were close to me.

 It is called, “Being in the Light with You”

~ Seann Vinyasa-Billson 

If you would like to learn more about dreams visit me at dreamtheanswer.com

Making Life Better

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once said, “A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.”

I love self-help books because - quite simply put, they help. As Joanna Ammons said in her review, "I cannot diminish its value by merely calling it a self-help book. It is an honest and refreshing way to get you moving in the right direction."

This book makes me feel good. I bet you, that if you read the preview to this book (Chapter One is titled "Well Duh") then you will want to continue reading it. For a limited time you can get this book for under $2.00 on Kindle. Links for USA & Canada.

Short Excerpt - (This really resonates with me personally. Yay! My "Well Duh" moments are  bringing about the changes I desire).

We are already fully aware, sometimes painfully so, of what our current habits of thought and attitude, action and reaction can produce; we’re living it right now. But if we also happen to be living with even the slightest desire to make our life, or some aspect of our life, better, then these “Well…duh” thought adventures begin to take form with their promise and threat to change everything. ~ (Kindle Locations 60-63).

Review by S. Stinson ~ A Mind Stretcher and Refresher!

As any student of self improvement or lifetime learner will tell you, we don't need to be told but we do need to be reminded. As the Master Motivator, Zig Ziglar said, "Motivation is not permanent, but neither is bathing" reminding us we need to be motivated and have our mind stretched regularly. The author achieves this goal in my estimation by his book, Making Life Better.

Making Life Better (highlights from the description)

• It's about making routine and daily choices of action, reaction, thought and feeling more profoundly connected to who we are, what we desire and what's most important to us.
• It's an invitation to turn off our auto-pilot setting and allow our sense of purpose, identity and direction to break into our lives with greater wisdom, clarity and intention.
• It's a recognition that a meaningful, fulfilling and happy life is really nothing more, though certainly nothing less, than a very long series of meaningful, fulfilling and happy moments.

Be sure to check out James' website and follow him on Twitter. Below is one of the slideshow previews. You can find more on his website by scrolling to the bottom of the page. Click on the image or here.

Making Life Better - Links in USA & Canada

Why don't I have a daddy?

Guest article by Elizabeth Reed.

Nowadays, being a single parent is a common and an acceptable part of society.  Many mothers choose to go to a clinic and use a sperm donor so that they can have and raise a child of their own.

This leaves those single mom children with questions. As they grow up they start to ask, “Why don’t I have a daddy?” 

“Michael and Mommy” is a book dedicated to those children and mothers.
It is important for mothers to ensure that their children start to learn about and understand their origin from an early age.

Michael is a curious and endearing child who begins to ask his mom questions about his identity and his family story, questions that are sometimes hard to explain to little children.

Join Michael in his quest and find out how love completes a family.

Read this heartwarming story together with your child during storytelling time!

Available on Amazon (for 2 to 3 year olds)

Note from Seann: But wait....do you have a little girl or are you a teacher looking for a way to explain to children about different sorts of families? Then you are in luck. Elizabeth Reed published another version of this book which stars a little girl named Megan. 

Review by M. Altman on Amazon - Helps children feel loved despite any situation

Families these days vary. There are the traditional families and those with single parents. I believe, as a parent in a traditional family, this book teaches ALL parents to be honest with their child and to continuously show our love to our children.

For children who are 4 to 5 years of age, there are books for them too!

         

~ Amazon Review by G. Harp

The Birds and the Bees story for sharing with youngsters…Accompanied by sensitive childlike drawings James' mother shares with her son that James began in her mother’s heart – her heart heralded the presence of a boy.

Megan and Mommy

A Family of Two: James Began in Mommy's Heart

A Family of Two: Ashley Began in Mommy's Heart