by Veena Davis (Singapore) | Apr 21, 2011 | Being Thankful, India, Infertility, Inspirational, International, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Pregnancy, World Motherhood
Great Grandmother
That fact that I am here today to write this post, or rather, that I am even walking the face of this earth, is actually a miracle. A miracle that occurred three generations ago, when a little lady persevered with her son’s life. This post is a tribute to that wonderful woman who was my great-grandmother.
In an age where having 10-12 kids was considered the norm, my maternal grandfather was an only child. And, not by choice either.
My great-grandparents had completed over 16 years of married life before their one and only son was born. Living in a little town called Thrissur in the royal state of Cochin, they had tried just about every treatment that was available to them in India in the early 20th century, somewhere in the 1920s.
It was around then that an acquaintance told them about a big hospital in Madirashi (later called Madras and today known as Chennai), where they had had success in treating infertility. My great-grandparents must have been pretty well off then (history, a.k.a my aunts from whom I learned this story, are not particularly clear on that point), for they decided to go to Madras to pursue the new treatment there.
Unlike today, in those days if a couple did not have children, it was thought that maybe God had cursed them and things were left at that. (more…)
Veena has experienced living in different climes of Asia - born and brought up in the hot Middle East, and a native of India from the state known as God’s Own Country, she is currently based in the tropical city-state of Singapore. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Several years ago, she came across World Moms Network (then World Moms Blog) soon after its launch, and was thrilled to become a contributor. She has a 11-year old son and a quadragenarian husband (although their ages might be inversed to see how they are with each other sometimes). ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ On a professional front, she works in the financial sector - just till she earns enough to commit to her dream job of full-time bibliophile. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ You can also find Veena at her personal blog, Merry Musing. ⠀
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by Jennifer Burden | Apr 2, 2011 | Being Thankful, Family, International, Motherhood
Want to feel good about yourself this week? Want to feel like you’ve made a difference in the world? Want to do this by helping others?
You can make a difference!!!
Donate blood. This week. Locally.
In memory of Captain Snuggles.
(Please.)
This week Amy Hillis of Ohio, USA and Kirsten Jessiman of Toronto, Canada are hosting an online blood drive for Captain Snuggles, Amy’s son who has recently passed away.
We think what they are doing is great. And, we want to support them and their selfless cause, so we are passing on the information to our readers to join in, if you can!
Check out the Captain Snuggles Blood Drive Facebook Page for more details. You can donate locally! Also, check out Amy’s post, “It’s Almost Here!” on her personal blog for even more details.
— World Moms Blog
Photo credit to http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcobellucci/3534516458/. This photo has a creative commons attribution license.
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Eva Fannon (USA) | Mar 22, 2011 | Being Thankful, Culture, Eva Fannon, Family, International, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parent Care, Parenting, USA
My husband snuggles with our four-year old daughter and asks, “If I get sick, will you take care of me?” She smiles, hugs him around the neck, and says, “Yes, I will take care of you daddy.” I chime in and ask, “If I get sick, will you take care of me?” She smiles and says, “Well, I already have to take care of daddy. Maybe my sister can take care of you.”
I laugh out loud – partly because I’m hurt…she’s such a daddy’s girl…but also because at such a young age, she already seems to understand the responsibility involved in taking care of someone.
This past Monday I hugged and squeezed my parents tightly as I said good-bye to them at the airport after we all spent a wonderful long weekend together in Northern California. I hadn’t seen them since November. As we pulled away, my four-year old asks, “Momma, are you sad?” I answer, “A little bit.” She says, “Why, because you will miss your mommy and daddy?” I say, “Yes.”
I have a close-knit family and a great relationship with my parents – Mami and Papi. We can talk to each other about anything. I talk to Mami everyday and never hesitate to ask her for her advice or opinion on an issue at hand. It was hard for me to relocate to the Northwest U.S. from the east coast because I was putting almost 3,000 miles between us…and it’s gotten even harder after I’ve had my own children. (more…)
Eva Fannon is a working mom who lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her hubby and two girls. She was born and raised on the east coast and followed her husband out west when he got a job offer that he couldn't refuse. Eva has always been a planner, so it took her a while to accept that no matter how much you plan and prepare, being a mom means a new and different state of "normal".
Despite the craziness on most weekday mornings (getting a family of four out the door in time for work and school is no easy task!), she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. She and her husband are working on introducing the girls to the things they love - travel, the great outdoors, and enjoying time with family and friends. Eva can be found on Twitter @evafannon.
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by Dee Harlow (Laos) | Mar 21, 2011 | Being Thankful, Family, International, Mexico, Motherhood, Twins
Today, before my husband left for work, he offered to care for our 15 month-old twins while I took a shower. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, even though I hadn’t finished my requisite cup of coffee yet. “Ahhhhh…today will be a better day than yesterday”, I hoped.
By the time I was dressed, however, I faced a vomit-mess of one crying, sick toddler and the whining of the other, which completely washed away my aspirations for the day. My tears welled and my heart sank.
Upon leaving for work, my husband said to me, “you’ll be OK, it was just 15 minutes of frustration.” I muttered a tight-lipped “mm-hmm”, and cried when the door shut.
You see, it’s not just 15 minutes of frustration that got to me, it’s the accumulation of 15 months of frustration aiming at two moving targets: figuring out sleep schedules, feeding schedules, what solids to eat, changing nap schedules, illnesses and teething. (more…)
One of Dee’s earliest memories was flying on a trans-Pacific flight from her birthplace in Bangkok, Thailand, to the United States when she was six years old. Ever since then, it has always felt natural for her to criss-cross the globe. So after growing up in the northeast of the US, her life, her work and her curiosity have taken her to over 32 countries. And it was in the 30th country while serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan that she met her husband. Together they embarked on a career in international humanitarian aid working in refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan, and the tsunami torn coast of Aceh, Indonesia.
Dee is now a full-time mother of three-year old twins and continues to criss-cross the globe every two years with her husband who is in the US Foreign Service. They currently live in Vientiane, Laos, and are loving it! You can read about their adventures at Wanderlustress.
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by Sunny Springer (USA) | Mar 19, 2011 | Being Thankful, International, Japan
Our writer, Sunny Springer, is still searching for news of her friends and their families in the Fukushima area of Japan, her home country. As suggested by Sunny, World Moms Blog is providing a link to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ donation page for the Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster relief.
Sunny also asks that we keep Japan in our thoughts and/or prayers at this time. We are thinking of you and Japan, Sunny.
We hope our global community will consider Sunny and World Moms Blog’s plea for Japan, if possible. To donate, please click here.
— World Moms Blog
Photo credit to http://www.33ff.com/flags/worldflags/Japan_flag.html.
by Galit Breen (USA) | Mar 10, 2011 | Being Thankful, Family, Hobby, Humor, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting
In the seven years that I’ve been a mom, I have found some new interests, passions and ahem fixations. One of them being to find the best playgrounds in town.
I never used to worry about that before I had kids. Or, the finest pacifiers, best swimming lessons and kid friendly (read: loudest) restaurants. Nope. I never used to wonder about those either.
But some of my interests have stayed exactly the same. Eerily, oddly, obsessively: The same. (more…)
Once upon a time Galit Breen was a TRAVELER. She met amazing people and ate delicious food. And all was well with the world. And then, she started her real life. She became a STUDENT earning a BS in Human Development and an MA in Education. She became a classroom and reading TEACHER. She met a man on the internet (when it was gasp-worthy and new) and became his WIFE. She became a MINNESOTAN shortly after that, and he still owes her one for that. But the biggest earthquake shake to her soul was becoming a MOM. The interrupted sleep. The crying. The diapers. The lack of sleep. Did she mention the lack of sleep? But there was also the attachment, the touch, the bungee cords to her heart. Sigh. So today her labels are woven together. Tightly. A wife of one! A Mama of three! And a brand new puggle owner! Of one, people. Just one new puppy, thankyouverymuch. To keep her grounded and to add to the lack of lack of sleep factor, she writes. She writes about Motherhood. Parenting. Spirituality. Feminism. Education. Books. Writing. Balance. And Chocolate. Her writing is sometimes sarcastic, sometimes heart-warming and always transparent. Galit is a columnist at TC Jewfolk and has been published in places such as Jewesses With Attitude, Kveller and Scary Mommy. She is honored to connect with you here, at World Mom’s Blog. Galit can be reached by E-mail galitbreen@gmail.com or Twitter @galitbreen. And don’t forget to check out her personal blog, These Little Waves!
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