Something Special For Grandparents Day

 

 Celebrating Grandparents on Grandparents Day, September 7th- In September, we will celebrate a wonderful family holiday, National Grandparents Day. Celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day, the holiday was created to remind grandchildren to tap into the wisdom and heritage their grandparents provide. There are many fun activities that your children can do with their grandparents to celebrate the holiday. One is to complete a grandparent interview with a variety of questions. What were your parents like? Describe your childhood? What were your goals and aspirations? What advice do you want to pass onto your children and grandchildren? This will give your children a chance to see how the world has changed since their grandparents were young, plus give your parents an opportunity to share stories. Capture this on video and you will have a priceless family keepsake that will be enjoyed for generations to come. 

Happy Home Habits- August

 

 Once Upon a Family has developed the happyhome habits to make it easy and fun to build loving connections, instill strong family values and create a legacy for future generations.  These habits are based on the “protective” factors” that decades of research have shown will strengthen families against the negative influences in today’s world.

Using the power of rituals and traditions, the happyhome habits are things we can do with our families once-a-day, once-a-week, once-a-month, once-a-year and once-in-a-while. They are simple, fun and they give us peace of mind. We know we have accomplished the most important things for our loved ones.

Use the  Family Worksheets to complete the following happyhome habits:

The Beauty of “Bella”

At 28, Eduardo Verástegui seemed to have it all: fame, fortune, success. The hard work, talent, and good looks of this son of a Mexican sugarcane farmer had won him the life he’d dreamed of at 18 when he set out to become an actor. In just over a decade he had toured the world as a successful pop singer, starred in soap operas in Mexico, and won the leading role in the major motion picture “Chasing Papi.” His brooding profile and tousled black hair appeared on glossy magazine covers, in Calvin Klein clothing ads, and in a Jennifer Lopez music video.

But in 2002, “the Brad Pitt of Latin America” walked away from it all for the sake of his Catholic faith. Unhappy with perpetuating what he felt was a harmful stereotype of the Latin lover, and feeling that he was compromising himself for superficial goals, Verástegui turned down role after role in Hollywood, wondering if he would ever act again.

It’s a Good Show-Except One Little Part!

by Dr. Glen C. Griffin

 

Don’t swim with sharks or crocs

No one with any sense willingly goes swimming in water where there are crocodiles, sharks,

Art by Kimball Warren

harmful bacteria, or parasites. Sometimes water is so murky, it’s obvious we should stay out, but sometimes, hazards are not at all obvious. The same is true of movies.

Most of us enjoy forgetting our troubles as we watch an exciting movie, imagining being the hero and doing the things he or she does. During the show, our minds are filled with uplifting thoughts-or ones that may be grossly violent, inappropriately sexual, or otherwise self-destructive. So, it makes sense to take care about the roles we allow ourselves to play.