perception

Beauty Is Everywhere

Beauty really is everywhere! It is in the ugliest places. 

Beauty can even be found in the ugliest of people.

Sometimes you just have to look.  And perhaps, at times….

you may have to look really hard.

But it is there, I promise!

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This picture was the only pretty thing in sight from where I was. It was a ran down trailer park in Tennessee. And the only sign of life in sight aside from a few happy birds and squirrels. But had I not looked, I would have missed it. Even in a ran down trailer park, there it was…. beauty!

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To some it is a weed, but it’s a flower!

This picture was taken at a dump, in the middle of the mountains. Granted, I am not certain this location was meant to be a dump, but that is where that long gravel road took us.

And that is what people in this particular area had made it. A dump. There were shards of broken glass, trash, and bugs galore. From the looks of it, perhaps dead bodies were hidden there. Who knows?

Although this is a weed to some, in the midst of a dump….. it looked beautiful against the blues skies and other landscape. So yes, even in the trashiest of places, there is still beauty.

This topic was on my mind quite a bit this past week. It is hard to find beauty in things and people sometimes, so I made that my personal challenge.

Now I pass the challenge on to you. In the next week or from now on, look for beauty in the ugliest of places. Let me know what you find. What would you have missed, had you not looked so close?

© Angela Bininger and The Empowerer, 2009-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Angela Bininger and The Empowerer with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

That Chicken Must Have Eaten Healthy Mom!


As we sat down for Easter dinner the children said our prayer and we began to eat. As I began to cut apart the chicken my youngest says “was that like a hole chicken?” I assumed she will be disgusted, but told her yes. it was a whole chicken. She replies “It looks like they just cut the head off!” and I confirmed that she was correct. I then began to explain the entire process of being meat to the table.

Having been a vegetarian for nearly 21 years, I figured that at least one of my children would be as equally disgusted with the meat process as I. She didn’t seem affected and we ate our dinner. As we ate and chatted my daughter had darn near eaten the bone of the chicken. She then proclaims, “That chicken must have eaten really healthy, it sure was juicy!”

Obviously, she will NOT be a vegetarian 🙂

How To Have And Maintain A Healthy Relationship With Your Children

Although I am not a certified professional in this area, my life experience takes me beyond what any fresh graduate in psychology would know. For I have 7 sisters, and 3 children of my own. I can say for certain that a parents relationship with each and every child is different, and unique.

I have spent years observing the parent child relationships and the differences of perspectives on parents by children who were all reaised within the same household.  It is amazing to see how much perception  varies from child to child. Although children have the same parent providing the same things in the exact same environments, the  children still  have different memories and perceptions of that parent.

While one may remember a parent to be hardworking, one may remember laziness. One child may remember a happy parent, while one remembers them disgruntled. One may remember a parent to be a liar, and another child within that same home and upbringing may remember that parent to be a liar. It varies from family to family, but nonetheless we all remember things differently.

Each child will carry their own issues to adulthood  if they are not tended to in the earlier years. It is important that we as parents are aware of how to not only create a healthy relationship with our children; but keep it healthy for years to come. There are steps we can take early on to promote a lifetime of happiness with our children, even as they mature and become adults themselves.
Steps To Maintaining That Healthy Relationship:

Communication

In any relationship communication is important. It is crucial that our children always remain comfortable telling us anything. With that being said, it is imperative that we do not cast judgment on what they say, and that we truly listen. They are their own person. They are not who we want them to be. They are who they were created to be. Often times children quit speaking if a parent exhibits controlling behavior. If they can’t tell us the little things, they will never tell us the big things. So stay calm, and just listen. They will always come back if you do.

Equality

It is important not to show favoritism, and treat all children fairly. If you are attending events that are important to one child you should be attending events important to the other children as well. By not having equality it is causing the children feeling that are feeling more left out to have less faith in themselves. Therefor lowering their self-esteem, which can have a huge impact on their teenage and adult years.

Support

It is important to show support in anything they do. Even if you think it is the craziest thing you have ever heard of. By being negative about their choices, you are pushing them away from you. Get down on their level, and try to see things as they see it. If they have an interest in something, help them peruse it. If they need someone to extinguish their flame, there are plenty of people in the world to do that. If they are on fire with enthusiasm, burn with them. Being enthusiastic and having drive, is a good thing!

Apologize

There is nothing better for a child or even adult child to see, than a parent apologize when they are wrong. We are not perfect, and we will make mistakes. It is important that we do not sweep things under the rug, and pretend as though we know nothing about what happened. It is OK to apologize to your children if you need to. They understand just as everyone understands, that we are doing the best we can. It’s not like a “How To” guide comes out with the child or even in the afterbirth.

Keep Your Word

Do not make promises you can’t keep. Instead teach them that your word is who you are.

Tough Love

This is a hard thing for any parent, but often necessary. To prevent a co-dependent relationship it must be enforced. Make them work for what they want, and do not bail them out of every situation. By doing this, you are enabling them to repeat the behavior. They will repeat the same mistakes until they learn, and bailing them out only teaches them one thing: not to count on themselves.

Pray

We may have a plan for our children and the direction they go in life, but God likely has one that is completely different. Pray for your children to make wise choices, and to become good people. Pray for them to yield to His plan for their life.

There aren’t exactly any true tests in parenting until the child reaches the age of18. To know how well you have done is only answered when the child does one of two things; sinks or swims. It is vital for their health and the health of our relationship with them that we prepare them in all areas of life to promote healthy adult relationships in their life. It all begins with communication. However it can also end from the lack of such.

© Angela Bininger and The Empowerers, 2009-2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Angela Bininger and The Empowerers with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.