New Gabby Douglas Docu-Series

Confession: I used to be a reality tv show junkie.  It all started when I was a wee lassie and my mom said the most awesome sentence that could be uttered to a kid in the 90s, “I’m going to buy cable.”  Whaaaaat?  I was going to be the popular kid in the neighborhood with cable tv!  Yes, that was a thing Generation Z; very few people had cable tv in the early 90s, so if you had cable your house was thee spot.  Basic tv did not have Cartoon Network or MTV and there certainly was no recording or pausing the tv.  You had to watch your show while it was on or it poofed into oblivion unless you used a VCR (basically a version 1.0, non-digital DVR that used massive book sized tapes that you insert into it and had to press play and stop to record your show).  I was hooked on The Real World.  It was a show about a bunch of opinionated, 21-year-olds from different backgrounds that were thrown into a house together with a stocked bar.  Not exactly quality tv, but it was a new concept.  Watching tv sure has come a long way, especially now that streaming services are offered.

Since becoming a mom, I have cut back on my tv watching, but I am still a sucker for family reality tv shows.  Babies and new mommies, veteran mom’s tackling issues, gifted children and families of color all make my heart fuzzy.  So I was really excited to hear that Olympic champion Gabrielle Douglas is coming out with a docu-series, Douglas Family Gold, chronicling her journey to the 2016 Olympics.  Gabby Douglas won the team and individual all-around events in the 2012 summer Olympics.  That competition also established Gabby as the first African American woman gymnast to win gold in the individual all-around event.  Gabby is such an inspiration to all children through her determination, discipline, and drive to follow her passion.  Her accomplishments are especially important to the black community as she is such a great role model to black children; who encounter a lack of quality role models in certain sports and the overall entertainment industry.

The series premiers May 25th at 10 p.m. on Oxygen.  Will you be tuning in?

Meditation Monday: Grieving

Earlier this month, Mister’s cousin suddenly passed away.  They grew up together and were rather close, so his passing has really taken a toll on our family.  He was a great friend and father and sometimes I think that makes it harder.  Mourning him opened up my own wounds about the people that I have lost.  As much as you want to celebrate their life, the thought that you’ll never talk to them again stings you over and over.

The grieving process is such a personal thing.  Everyone has their own way to mourn their loved one.  Reminiscing about the good times you shared, taking a walk, or even doing an activity that person used to enjoy are all ways to grieve.  And the length of time that it takes to heal varies from person to person.  My grandma and I were very close my whole life.  We did everything together – travel, bingo, church, movies, made forts with the couch cushions.  She even stayed in my college dorm with me for a week at 89 years old!  When she passed, I was so hurt that my buddy was gone.  It was very hard to let her go, but that would have been selfish of me to wish she had lived longer (because she was sick).  She lived a great life and I’m thankful that I got to spend so much time with her.  I say all of that to say, if you are grieving someone right now, it will get easier.  It doesn’t seem like it will, but the old saying is true, time heals all wounds.  And it’s not that you love or miss them any less, but the sting subsides a bit and you begin to actually celebrate their life and smile when you think of them.

Please take 10 minutes to practice this meditation.  I wish peace and healing to you.

Meditation Monday: The Stressed

TGIM!  Yes, I said Thank Goodness It’s Monday.  Don’t hear that one very often – or pretty much ever.  This past weekend was very rough and I’m happy that it is over.  My son was having an unusually painful teething day, my errands were scattered around town, I left a blanket in the washing machine – which I’m sure has 15 different kinds of mold on it by now.  I barely cooked a real meal, my husband worked all weekend, the dog destroyed his bed again and no matter how much I cleaned, the house was still a mess.  Oh yeah, and my little love muffin hid the base to the house phone so I couldn’t charge it.  Needless to say, I was stressed.  Everything just seemed to go wrong and the little issues kept piling up.  At one point I laid on my bed, closed my eyes and wished that a cleaning/cooking/nanny fairy would fix it all.  Well I am no fairy, but I am the cleaner, cook and nanny so those jobs were hardly getting done.  Woosah!

Continuing with my efforts to incorporate meditation into my life, I decided to look for a video that would help me relax and get things back on track.  I really like this video because it reminds me that I can only do so much and to focus on one thing at a time.

What are some ways that you relieve the stress in your life?  Please leave a comment below and let me know about your meditation experience.