Dear Reader:

Yesterday was as close to a perfect day as I have had in awhile! Cool, sunny, not a cloud in the sky… a family gathering and celebration of life-my daughter Mandy’s birthday!

Last week Sara Haines picked out a children’s book to recommend to parents of young children everywhere …for many circumstances …. but especially needed as schools reopen around the country.

Sara said one of her children was a perfectionist so any small distraction or surprise set-back …completely out of his expectations …sent him reeling off-kilter for the rest of the day.

A friend recommended this book to her… It is about a little boy named Bert who is having a ” bad” day- his favorite shirt is dirty, his dog ate a hole in his shoe, his cereal got soggy waiting on his sister to get out of the bathroom and the worst…it is Saturday and instead of getting to play with the neighborhood kids… he has to go to the floral shop to help his dad since his mother is taking his sister to a recital.

The day continues along this line until his father takes him for a walk … for a talk. His father’s first words are ” A bad day doesn’t have to end that way… YOU own the day, you control it by how you react to these annoyances and that is all they are in the big picture. ”

As you can imagine more ” lessons continue until he says the most potent words” ” The Best Way to Win the Day Son… is to make someone else’s day”

By the end of the day Bert is giving each customer (leaving his father’s shop) a tulip and calling out ” WIN THE DAY!”

It is life lessons like these that really teach children how to cope… and it is our coping skills to difficult challenges in life that can make or break our failures and make our success throughout our lives.

So I had a Win Win Win Day… surrounded by family and enjoying each other’s company while being present in the moment!

So until tomorrow…

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

Celebration Time…