I am thankful and grateful...

                    

for the smile, a stranger gave me unexpectedly

for the rain that wet my feet on my way to work yesterday

for the ray of sunshine that blinded my eyes when I was walking

for the singing of the bird that woke me up this morning when I wanted to sleep more 

for that difference in opinion, I had with my friend that made me appreciate her more

for the times my parents didn’t let me do what I wanted because it wasn’t good for me

for all those people that aren’t part of my life anymore because, from them, I have learned a lesson

for that bad experience I had because it helped me be a better person

for the day that isn’t going well because make me appreciate the good ones

for those moments I felt a failure because it helped me grow as a person

for the days I doubt myself a little because it made me believe in myself more

for the good news, I saw on TV because it gave me hope in humanity 

for those words my teacher told me when I thought I couldn’t make it 

for that moment I didn’t like myself because it made me appreciate myself more 

for that tear turned into a smile because made me believe in better days to come

for just opening my eyes this morning because I have one more day to live

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                        -Tere Rodriguez-Nora,2017

My experience with suicide ideation... on the Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

It is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. A month where we try to be more conscious about what is suicide and how we can prevent it. As part of it, I am sharing my personal encounter with suicidal thoughts and ideation. It is the first time,ever, I’m expressing myself about it...

I lived an abusing relationship for a long time. It was a very difficult relationship where I experienced verbal and emotional abuse. At some point in it, suicidal thoughts came to my

mind.  These thoughts came particularly when I was driving back from visiting my son who was in college. When you drive to the north side of Puerto Rico from the west coast, there is a high mountain that you will drive through. From this mountain, you can see a cliff with an amazing view of lower mountains and ending with the view of the ocean.
Every time I drove through there, for almost 2 years, the same thoughts came to my mind "What if I drive to the cliff  and end my  sadness."  The cliff had a way of hypnotizing me and, in my head, was calling me.

Those thoughts circle in my mind every time I was driving back home from visiting my son. I even stopped near the cliff once. Wanted to see how deep it was and what could happen to me if I decided to drive/jump in my car.

After getting home from visiting my son, days will follow full of questions in my head. I had one question that constantly came to my mind "What if I changed my mind while I’m going down the cliff?" This is the question that kept me from doing it. I am very grateful to have had it! I am still alive, happy, and looking forward to many adventures!

Life can give us, sometimes, difficult situations hard to handle. These situations are just situations, not our life. They are experiences you lived. I have learned that the path of one’s life could be full of stones, small and bigger ones; but between those stones, there are flowers that will accompany you while you walk your life’s path. We should pay more attention to those flowers; they will help us walk through all the stones.

Take care, Tere

                                                                                    

 

                                                                           

Haiku poems cocktail (The evening)

Black sky full of stars
Give a sensation of peace
Enchanting darkness

Oranges turned red
Dancing colors through the sky
Ending graciously

Bright, majestic light
Guides and protects the night
Shines throughout the sky

Soft, warm evening breeze
Touches the salty waters
Calming the night sky

Round disk in the sky
Turning colors one at a time
Leaving for the day
                        -Tere Rodriguez-Nora

PAUSE... (COVID-19 reflection of life)

Pause, take a peek of all the amazing things around you 
Pause and listen to your heart beating
Pause, don’t let the daily routine consume you
Pause, appreciate a sincere smile
Pause to feel the breeze while walking in the morning 
Pause and stop taking people for granted
Pause to value what others do for you
Pause to dance while enjoying the music 
Pause to pay respect to the ones that make 
a difference every day
Pause, value and admire all the beauty 
we have around us
Pause and be grateful for everything you have
Pause to acknowledge the best in others
Pause so you can miss the good old days 
Pause so you can dream about the future
Pause to understand that there's more 
than being busy
Pause to spend an afternoon with your parents
Pause before you miss your children’s growth 
Pause so you can keep on dreaming 
Pause to let your creativity flow
Pause, hug that special someone
Pause and show your love to others
Pause to take a deep breath
Pause so you can continue living
                                       -Tere Rodriguez-Nora

Review of the books series: My Furry Foster Family

My Furry Foster Family is a beautiful book series, written by Debbie Michiko Florence, that touches the theme of fostering animals. The series consists of 4 books: Truman the Dog, Buttons the Kitten, Apple, and Annie the Hamster Duo and Betty, the Bearded Dragon. Each book has lovely, simple, and bright illustrations created by Melanie Demmer.

Each book narrates a story about fostering a different type of animal. The stories take place at the Takano home. Dad, mom. Katia (who narrates the stories, and their dog named Ollie are the Takano's family members. Each story tells us how the family gets to adapt to foster each different animal while the animal adapts itself. The stories are full of adventures pointing out the personality of each animal, like Betty that enjoys being pampered or Truman that gets in a lot of trouble, or Buttons, who is a shy cat who wants to feel safe, and finally, the hamster duo, Apple and Annie, who like to play hide and seek.


Focusing on each animal foster care, this series of books approach beautifully concepts like caring, affection, responsibility, teamwork while having fun adventures. This is a great series to help children understand the importance of caring for another living creature as well as being responsible while doing it. It also shows that when you share responsibilities and work together with others, things can be easier and more fun.

Debbie Michiko Florence is the author of this series. She is an award-winning, children's book author who is a former classroom teacher and zoo educator. Besides My Furry Foster Family, the author has 2 other book series: Jasmin Toguchi and Dorothy and Toto. 
Melanie Demmer is the illustrations of this lovely series. She is interested in work that has a positive and memorable impact on children.


 

* This book series was gifted to review as part of the Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 celebration/event (1/31/20).


                                                                                   

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators. 
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS: A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

 Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

Author Sponsor Link Cloud

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove,  Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson  & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series  Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

·       Free Multicultural Books for Teachers

·       Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz

·       Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators

·       Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

Random Notes and more: Are you a believer?

Random Notes and more: Are you a believer?: Do you believe tomorrow might be a better day Do you believe in humanity Do you believe there’re more good people than bad ones ...