Learning mean, teaching grace

Pál Balkay (1785–1846)
Image via Wikipedia

A little girl watches a show about little girls and learns that girls are mean. She decides that to be authentic, she has to practice being mean, so she rubs mud all over her little brother's face. Her mother sees it all. Her mother, a wise woman, counsels the child.

We talked and talked about how anyone who is feeling connected with their Source would never be mean to anyone.

Michelle O'Neil
Full Soul Ahead

Afterward, Mom says the child seems relieved, "because this mean thing? She really doesn’t have it in her."

Don't you love this? What a fabulous mom, not overreacting, but learning what was behind the dirty deed (pun, yes) and discovering the child was confused by our culture into thinking she had to be something she did not want to be.

Thank goodness for thoughtful moms--and dads--who take the time to listen to their children and find out what is on their minds instead of lashing out with a punishment. That's how we build Ordinary, and is one more reason why Michelle O'Neil is one of my Ordinary Heroes. Sadly, Michelle says she may give up blogging soon to devote time to other pursuits. I have learned so much from her and will deeply miss her enchanting, funny, sometimes incredibly sad, frequently moving, stories of life with a husband she adores and two beautiful children, one of whom is learning to navigate the world, with valor and love, through the difficult prism of autism.

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We make peace in a million small ways every day.

All text and images, unless otherwise noted, copyright L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.

Good News Friday: Humbugs, a surprise party and beautiful people everywhere

On Good News Friday we build into our community some of the happy, playful joie d'vivre of the villagers of Ordinary. Here are my fave finds this week. I invite you to share some good news or a feel good link of your own in the comments section below.

Little Humbugs, protectors of nature

© Wildwood Media

Little Humbugs, created by children's book author and illustrator Marghanita Hughes, are the Protectors of Nature. Take a whirl around this gorgeous site and, if you have children in your life, read them one of the stories or print off one of the games and spend some quality time together.

You're invited to Christina's surprise party!

Happy birthday, Christina!

Today is Christina's birthday, and she's invited us all to her virtual party. What she doesn't know is that some of her cyber friends are planning a surprise. From time to time, Christina lists simple things she loves. Se'lah of Necessary Room asks us to do a post of our own about the simple things we love and pop over to Christina's page and leave her a link twith a happy birthday wish.

Now, I've never met any of these women, and only learned of Christina's blog yesterday, but when people are doing nice things to celebrate other people, that's good news, don't you think?


Seeing the beauty in ourselves and ordinary people everywhere

Michelle O'Neil of Full Soul Ahead posted this video recently, a trailer of sorts for author Karen Walrond's forthcoming book, The Beauty of Different, which has all the promise of being just the celebration of human uniqueness and beauty we would expect in the world of Ordinary. If you're like me, you'll be grinning ear to ear, as my momma likes to say, after spending two minutes watching this one. Thanks for introducing Walrond to us, Michelle!



What are you feeling good about today? Share it here!

Spread some cheer! If something struck your fancy this week, and you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the comments section, along with a link. If the link is to one of your blog posts, all the better. Do keep it upbeat, family friendly and in the spirit of building a world more like that of the Village of Ordinary. What are you feeling good about today? Share it below, won't you?

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None of the web sites featured today solicited promotion, nor do I receive anything for mentioning them here, other than the pleasure of knowing about some folks who are working hard to make the world a little more like Ordinary.

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We make peace in a million small ways every day.

All text and images, unless otherwise noted, copyright L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.