Tag: proud

Appreciating the Beauty in Different Types of Flowers (6-18-25)

This will be the last in the series inspired by my wife’s garden.  We are going wrap everything up with a final reflection on appreciating the beauty in different types of flowers. 

Here are some more close up shots of some of the flowers that my wife is growing in her garden or in a nearby pot.  Each of these flowers are beautiful, and all of them are beautiful for different reasons.  There are some I love because of their bright colors.  There are some I love because of the patterns on their petals.  I like marigolds, because they look like a lion that is blooming.  Every flower possesses beauty because of its own unique traits.  I wouldn’t ever want the space petunias to be just like the marigolds, because that would rob me of a chance to see something uniquely wonderful.

Let’s make some connections.  Like the flowers, we are all different.  Like the flowers, we are all beautiful humans.  Maybe, we are beautiful for our bright and bold energy.  Maybe, we are beautiful for soft and thoughtful demeanor.   Maybe, we are beautiful because of the unique patterns on our petals that tell a story.  Whatever it is, I hope you are proud of the things that make you beautiful.

The challenge: Will you celebrate the beauty within yourself?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Parenting Lessons- “Have a day you can be proud of.” (6-12-24)

This week we will kick off a series about lessons I’ve learned being a parent.  This entry contains some deep wisdom from Alice (12) about having a day you can be proud of.

A couple of months ago I was getting ready to leave for the office and I told the kids, “Have a good day!”  Alice responded with, “Have a day you can be proud of.”  I paused for a minute and said, “That’s different. Never heard that one before.”  Alice then started dropping knowledge.  She explained that a lot of things could happen that might make the day good or bad, but I could choose how to handle those things and how I handled them could make me proud of myself.  Since then, “Have a day you can be proud of,” has become Alice’s parting phrase, and it’s stuck with me ever since.

What does this have to do with anything?  At its core, Alice’s insight is that we can CHOOSE how to respond to things and that makes all the difference.  The day might end up being good or the day might end up being bad.  However, you have the POWER to ensure it’s a day you feel proud of.  It might rain all day, and you can choose to dance in that rain instead of grumbling.  You might get blindsided by challenges, and you can choose to lean into the situation instead of running away.  You might get knocked down, and you can choose to get back up instead of surrendering.  There is so much power in how you choose to respond.

The challenge: What will you do to ensure you have a day you can be proud of?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry