What parents say

Alexander the Great truly was an amazing person of courage. Sure, he had the best education (per Aristotle) and access to the best of everything else to grow him into the greatest conquerer ever. But I think what he believed about himself was the most instrumental in pushing him forward. Thanks to mommy dearest (and oracular confirmations) he believed he was the son of Zeus. Here's how I imagine Alexander made up his mind to be the baddest MF who ever lived:

Olympias: Alex, come on in and sit awhile. Have some grapes. I have something to tell you.
Alexander: Okay mom, but make it quick. I'm meeting the guys.
Olympias: You're old enough now, and I think what I have to tell you will help you feel confident about yourself.
Alexander: Um, okay. Didn't really have issues with that, but whatever.
Olympias: Well, you know those rumors you've heard about me sleeping with the serpent before you were born?
Alexander: Mmhmm.
Olympias: They're true.
Alexander: You mean...
Olympias: Yep, you're the son of Zeus.
Alexander: Whoa, cool.
Olympias: So, do what you will with that little tidbit. Just thought you should know.
Alexander: Gee, thanks mom!

The rest is history. There's no doubt that what parents tell their kids makes a big difference in what they eventually believe they can accomplish. Being told you're the son of God these days probably won't get you very far, but being told you're wonderful/smart/creative/pick-your-praise surely does no harm, and could possibly land you into a place thought impossible. Look at our President. I'd like to know what Barbara told little Georgie day in and day out.

Of course kids are resilient, so there've been many successful adults with less than complimentary parents. But showing belief in your child, whether sincere or not, can only lead to good things. There's been plenty written about positive reinforcement, so this is nothing new. But I've been trying a little more often to encourage my kids. If anything, starting early sprouts some good habits, which are all too easy to forget when life gets hectic. I don't have a whammy like Olympias did, but I have enough faith to make up for it.

Winter

It's been some time since I've written a blog. I'd like to say it's because I have nothing to say, but the truth is I've been making damn sure I never have a spare moment to think too hard. Because if I think too hard, eventually I'll be reminded that it's winter. And because we've been without a furnace for almost a month, it's hard work to forget how cold it is. Happily, our new $$furnace$$ was installed today and my fingers have thawed out enough to write about it.

It's a beauty, I must say. Everything you could want in a furnace, plus an extra air filter. To Robin and the kids, that means fewer allergens in the air. To me, it means dusting less often. It's new on the market, so we were cautious about choosing it, but at 95% efficiency, it was the least expensive of its caliber. It's the Affinity model here.

So to distract myself so successfully for the past month, I was catching up on movies. (Saying I was "catching up" implies that I was previously neglecting the necessity of movie watching due to something even less important, thereby relieving the guilt from wasting so much time watching movies.) There were some good ones for sure, which I may blog about if I want to relive the experience, but more than likely I will have moved on. I will suggest seeing The Departed however. One of the best screenplays I've seen in a long time, and just such a fun movie to watch. And I will advise not watching Babel if you have kids, unless you REALLY need a good, gutteral cry.

Different people cope with winter in different ways, I guess. Some shop. Some eat. Some get a prescription. I used to work through winter, but now being home all day, the season is much more blatent. Movies help in the evening after the kids have fallen asleep, but there are 14 other waking hours in the day, most of them cloudy and cold. Somewhere in the past month I decided that if there ever were a time of the year to savor your favorite things and lose yourself in pleasure - guilt-free, winter would be it. So I enjoy my lattes a little more. I take the time to let my favorite soft cheese melt in my mouth. I cook meals that fill the house with salty vapors, then enjoy the results with a glass of wine. Not that I won't do these things when Spring comes around, but for the next few weeks, I'll relish them a little more.