1. Don't be afraid to smile at strangers. I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the grocery store (or some other such place), completely absorbed in what I was doing and looked up to find some stranger smiling and carrying on a conversation with Hannah. She doesn't care if she knows them or not, she just smiles...and they smile back. I need to break out of the habit of self-absorbtion and remember to flash an occasional smile at those around me.
2. Speak up for what you want. Hannah has only recently started standing up for herself and I have loved watching her learn. Avery no longer bullies her and I can no longer tell her what to wear or how to fix her hair without hearing her input. The truth is, I think the world might be a little better place if more people stood up for what they want and didn't let themselves be bullied by others.
3. There is no shame in the afternoon nap. Hannah loves to sleep. I'm pretty sure she gets that from me. I will often find her asleep on the couch in the afternoons. Taking a nap is so often considered a luxury or for lazy people but shouldn't be so. In fact, it is a great way to refresh your body and your mind and to turn a bad day around.
4. A little hug goes a long way. There is nothing like someone coming to you with a hug to make you stop whatever it was you were doing and remember what is really important.
5. Be confident in your choices. Just the other day, Hannah came downstairs wearing a long sleeved silver sweater and a pair of blue jean shorts. She chose the sweater because she liked the way it was sparkly and the shorts because it was warm. She didn't care that I was telling her they didn't match. To her, her choices made sense and she wasn't about to change just because someone else didn't agree. How wonderful would it be to have that much confidence?
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