#FF Friday's Fabulous Finds: End of 2013 Treasures & Predictions for the Future

Thought for the Day: This time of year, it seems that life is rushing by with little time for catching up on reading. It feels like Alibaba and the Forty Thieves are stealing the last days of 2013! However, I came across some treasures this week that I want to share with you today. All five look towards the future with ways to improve our lives.In the 1st,  IBM makes some predictions about what we will see in the future. The future may already be here for a lot of people who no longer need an office as the second article reports. The fourth find tells about how actress Glenn Close and other stars are making their way to Washington DC to advocate for a new Mental Health bill. The fourth, a video, takes a look back at the accomplishments of a grass roots movement, Moms Demand Action to end gun violence that began just a year ago in response to the Newtown tragedy. The fifth is a feel good story that looks back two years and forward to a bright future for an 18 year old immigrant who has been the odds & uses twitter in a very creative way. (For those of you who read yesterday's post, the reporter's personality is clearly revealed in his tweets.) I hope you enjoy them.

1. IBM reveals its top five innovation predictions for the next five years 
2. Office Not Required
3. Glenn Close visiting Capitol Hill to advocate for mental health bill
4. One Year Later: No More Silence
5. Reporter Follows Up on a Hard Story and Finds a Really Happy Ending

Have a wonderful weekend!

#FF: Professor Rap, Jane Fonda, Table Talk & Juggling Parenthood

Thought for the Day: I love the internet. It exposes me to new things every day. This week was no exception. My #FF Friday's Fabulous Finds this week include: two videos about a Professor, I happen to know personally, from Tufts Medical School who uses Rap to teach students about stem cell research, a world wide Valentine's Day Dance with Jane Fonda leading the way to stop violence against women, questions to facilitate communication with your children & an article with questions a five year old might ask their working mother about juggling work & motherhood.

1) My first Fabulous Find was a video, http://bcove.me/ip2g48yb, from The Boston Globe about Jonathan Garlick, A Tufts University professor who uses Rap music to teach students about stem cell research. I've met Jonathan socially several times while in Boston & never suspected his hidden talents. The 60 year old professor has earned a reputation with his students as the Stem Cell Rapper. I have included not only the Boston Globe article, but an earlier YouTube video (above) that went viral. He is an educator who is literally breaking down a difficult subject & communicating his message about the importance of stem cell research to young people in a way that they will remember.

2) My second Fabulous Find for the week  brings together multiple areas of interest for me. I have been a fan of Jane Fonda for many years. Her acting skills, outspoken ability to speak her mind even when her beliefs are unpopular, candid sharing of her personal problems & support for feminine causes are some of my reasons for respecting her. I have heard her speak twice & spoke with her briefly each time. The first time, I learned about her early painful years in Connecticut. I had not known that Ms. Fonda spent years in therapy trying to make sense of her mother's suicide when Jane was just a toddler. I also heard how years after Jane had taken on the cause of helping women victimized by rape, that she learned that her mother had been raped. So I was hooked when I saw that Jane Fonda was sponsoring this massive event: V Day Until the Violence Stops, http://janefonda.com/one-billion-rising/#.URK3X2P3hF0.facebook. But my excitement did not stop there. The event involves another of my passions, dancing, to help promote the cause. They call it One Billion Rising / Strike /  Dance / Rise! Events are happening around the world & anyone (including men who care about their mothers, daughters & wives) can join in the world wide flashmob experience. Take a look, find an event over Valentine's week near where you live & join the movement!  -->

3) I discovered my third find on Google+. This blog post by +Stefanie Mullen suggests 10 questions a week for Table Talk with your children: http://www.ooph.com/table-talk/table-talk-family-dinner-questions-week-37/#. This week's post is number 37, but you can check previous weeks. On the blog you will find great ideas for conversation starters with your kids like: 8. If I had to dance or sing in front of your friends, which would be less embarrassing for you? or 10. If I gave you one rule free day, which rule would you most be excited to be free of? It's never too early to start speaking with your kids about all kinds of topics so that they will feel comfortable speaking with you as they enter the tough teen years.

4) I picked the fourth article because of the unique perspective the author (who was doing a guest post) Leoarna, known as Not different but Interesting on Babyhuddle took of trying to ask questions her 4 going on 5 year old might pose if she interviewed her mother about the juggling act of being a working mother. The questions & answers may resonate with the working parents among you http://blog.babyhuddle.com/2013/02/things-my-daughter-would-ask-me-if-she-could/ .

Hope you enjoy these finds as much as I did & that you will share these with your friends. Have a wonderful weekend! 

Mother's Day Part V: If My Daughters Ruled the World

From

The lesser-known maladies of motherhood

A humorous look at the myriad ailments brought on by parenting.

Beth Teitell

Boston  Globe

Thought for today: If you'd like to laugh out loud about modern motherhood, it is worth a 99 cent trial subscription to the Boston Globe to read the article referenced above. (If you are not familiar with the Globe, it is a great paper.) I was in Boston on Friday, to see my granddaughter's dance recital. I saw both my daughters & all my grandchildren. When I told my oldest daughter that I was adding one more post (Part IV) to my Mother's Day series that I thought was a completed trilogy (Part I, Part II,  Part III) she said, "You need: If My Daughters Ruled the World." Which led to this 5th & final post for mothers who are in the midst of parenting the next generation. If you have children below the age of 18, I'd love to hear your thoughts & dreams of how things would change if you were in charge of the world.

I asked my daughter what she would like me to say, if I wrote a post from her perspective. She told me that she needed to think about it. My daughters will need to write their own views on this topic, but I'd like to speak about how I see them as they inspire my grandchildren. Both of my daughters are busy women juggling child care with their own aspirations. As they continue their own work & education, they nurture their children's growing interests in dance, football, tennis, music, lacrosse, basketball, fencing, & baseball to name just a few! Add cooking, cleaning, laundry & sleep, & there is little time for their own needs.

I am proud to see that despite all the duties they fulfill for their children, they are making space for their dreams & aspirations. By doing so, they are role models for their children, teaching them that mothers continue to grow & dream throughout their lives. My younger daughter's kids have been "high-fiving" their mother since she began reporting her grades as she completed her BA. They continue to be her biggest supporters as she works on her Masters in Special Education. My older daughter's kids have read their Mother & Great-great Grandmother's Memoir, Stored Treasures which their mother published. They helped her develop the cover of her book to find just the right design.

Every day my daughters & all mothers have the opportunity to change the world by teaching their children that with perseverance & hard work, you can make a difference. As they recycle, study how much electricity & gas they are using, they are showing their children simple things they can do to reduce our carbon footprint. When they donate clothing or canned goods to needier families, they are making a statement on helping others. During meals, they talk about current events. Over breakfast, on Saturday, my 16 year old grandson asked whether research projects can be banned by public intervention. An interesting discussion of the pros & cons of the banning the study of viruses that might help cure diseases resulted.

So, even when you feel overwhelmed by the day-to-day chores, carpools & challenges (& lesser known maladies of Motherhood) of running a busy household, remember, you are in charge of changing the world & the future of the world is in your hands by influencing your children. Use your influence wisely. Happy Mother's Day!

I'd love to hear ways you as busy mothers today are helping change the world.