We all have favorites – a favorite song, shirt, activity or meal. We also want to be the favorite – the prize-winning student, the angelic child or the loyal grandchild. I often say to my daughter, “You are my favorite baby girl” and her response is “I’m your only baby girl.” I say the same to my son: “You are my favorite baby boy.” It is my way to show them how special they are to me individually because truly, they are both my favorites and my one and only son and daughter.
Category: Blog
Laughter IS the Best Medicine
Although the old cliché sounds corny, laughter really is the best medicine sometimes. Nobody ever died of laughter. In fact, you don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. I love to laugh although others may not appreciate my loud cackle or the snorting that accompanies it. Sometimes, though, I forget how much I love it and how much I need it. Sometimes, I think we even forget to laugh while caught up with the drama of everyday family life, relationships and work-related stress.
Kids Should Be Kids
Today, I realized I am a grown up. It’s not because I have a mortgage or a few stray gray hairs poking out. It’s not because my knees pop when I get out of bed or because I use clichés that people under 20 do not understand. I realized I was a grownup when I told my kids a story about “when I was a kid” and they both rolled their eyes, just like I did when I was younger. When I was a kid, I couldn’t stand it when those “wise” adults u sed to preach to me about what kids should do. Kids should be kids – how much more vague does that get?
WiFi Anyone? Nature Girl in Training
So many times, I hear people talk about the “wonders” of the Great Outdoors and the magical sounds of nature. They rave about the healing effects of fresh air, the natural aroma of campfires and the sweet, soothing sounds of crickets chirping at night. While I appreciate the beautiful lands, trees and waters that we are blessed to have, I’ve never been a nature-type girl. The thought of sleeping on the wet ground, fighting off nature’s creatures and cooking (yes cooking … ugh) over a campfire, makes me itchy and hungry. With that said, it doesn’t mean I haven’t tried. I’ve tried and I’ve failed miserably. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Productivity: One Wet Dog at a Time
For the past few days, I’ve had the house to myself. It sounds like a wonderful thing – time to complete all of those tasks that I’ve been putting off, time to sit back, relax and catch up on TV shows, and time to do all of those things I’ve wanted to do, yet I’ve been too busy to accomplish. Wrong. It is a horrible thing, especially for productivity. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
How Writing is Like Dancing
I’ve never been much of a dancer. Besides a few wedding receptions, 20-something bachelorette parties and a teen party, I don’t usually show off my dancing moves for all to see.. That doesn’t mean that I don’t try to pop, lock and drop it for the sake of embarrassing my kids, but I’m not an expert by any means. My daughter, though, is an avid dancer and has performed in recitals for the past five years. I sit in awe each recital weekend, amazed at the determination these dancers have and the grace they exhibit with each number. When I watch my daughter dance with her peers, I’m reminded of how dancing is such a beautiful art of expression – just like writing.
I’m a Scaredy Cat Writer
It may sound incredibly ironic for me to admit, as a teacher of writing and an active freelance writer, that I am deathly afraid of writing. With every project I begin, fear consumes me and I initially panic. I doubt myself and sadly, procrastinate. And then, I breathe and realize that I’m human.
Inspiring Summer Reading Program
When I was younger, I loved to read – everything from each book in the Sweet Valley High series to magazines and newspapers. This love of reading inspired my love of writing. I would read books and articles and try to mimic the style, the action and the flow that engaged me for hours on end. Over the years, time has not been kind to my love of reading. Between preparing for my classes, running kids to soccer games and dance lessons and maintaining somewhat of a clean house, the hours turned to minutes (and often these minutes consisted of keeping up with my RSS feeds on my mobile phone). My children, though, have found the time to read and they read hours on end, especially when the cable is out or their Nintendo DS games need to be charged. [More...] Since my schedule allows me to spend the summers at home (for the most part), I’ve always wanted to launch a summer reading program with them. My initial idea was to make it a game or a contest, with prizes for thousand and million word readers. But, ultimately, I’ve been hesitant because I don’t want reading to become a chore, like homework … This summer, though, they launched it for me. In fact, my daughter was most inspired on the last day of her parish school religion class last week. Our parish priest challenged each child to read a gospel from the Bible before the fall semester. She pushed aside her Babysitter’s Club books and the Twilight series and cracked open the big book. Each day, I have been inspired watching my daughter pick up her Bible and read a few passages, eager to accomplish this goal. I was touched that she was taking her faith seriously and inspired that she was seeking information to guide her on a daily basis. As we were sitting outside today, soaking up some sun – my daughter with her Bible and hand and me on my MacBook – I leaned over and asked her which gospel she chose to read. She smiled, giggled a little, and said, “Mark. Father Joe told me it was the shortest.” I may have jumped the gun with my awe of her dedication, but I’m still quite inspired by her clever thinking. Happy Summer Reading! - Shannon Philpott Blog Entry: May 28, 2010 © Shannon Philpott, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Use This Only For Emergencies
When I traveled to Europe the summer after high school, my mom handed me a credit card right before I boarded the plane. She looked at me sternly and said, “Use this only for emergencies.” The next three weeks were filled with “emergencies.” It was an emergency when I found the cutest jacket at EuroDisney. It was also an emergency when I was starving for a Belgian waffle on the streets of Belgium. The “emergencies” continued until I reached the $500 limit. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Sell Me Like THAT
I’ve never been a fan of sales people. As a journalist, I’m naturally skeptical and I always feel like sales people are trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I question whether they really have my best interests in mind or if they are truly looking out for themselves. I generally dislike when people try to sell me. A car lot is a miserable place for me because I have this internal struggle of trying to stay strong and negotiate while carefully monitoring my budget and my needs/wants. Door-to-Door sales people make me even more uncomfortable. I feel like they are barging into my private life and interrupting my day.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 