Hi Everyone!
The following blog contains excerpts from my new book, which, I’m excited to announce, is now available globally! I also have my own digital storefront on Bookshop. Any link I share here will take you there.Â
There will also be other versions to follow, including a version for dads and a fully customizable personalized version, so stay tuned for more information on that. I’m very excited about this project!
Copyright © 2021 by Jeannie Honey Culbertson-Crow ~ The Noteworthy Mom
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Preface
Recently, in 2020, three key things happened in my life (among the many life-challenges we all faced as a general populace in 2020). I lost my job and became a work-from-home mom, one of my friends passed away from cancer (leaving her three young children behind) and my oldest son (age 19) prepared to leave the nest to begin a life of his own, amongst the chaos we now know as 2020.
From the ashes of my life, I began building my own business from the ground up. I was devastated when my friend Wendy passed away. It hit me extremely hard, mostly because I was faced with my own legacy. What would I tell my own children today, if knew with certainty I wouldnât be here tomorrow? After all, none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow, are we?
Of my six children, my oldest son has always had the strongest of wills (his name literally translated means âspear, battle, or little warriorâ) and we often have a battle of wills (where do you think he gets it from?). He has a protective nature and good intentions, even if he has a hard head. More often than not, at the end of the day, I still have to reassure him how special he is to me and how much I love himâand when you put it all together, thatâs where the idea for this book was born. It is a collection of truths I have told him over the years, as well as age-old advice passed down from generations.
I made this book at home on a laptop, printed it, and sent it with him when he moved out, so that he would always have a reminder that he will always be my little boy (even though heâs taller than me and outweighs me by about 40 pounds), whether Iâm 37 years old as I am now, 97 years old, or up in heaven watching over him, hopefully someday in the long and distant future. I also wanted other parents to have the same opportunity to pass this special gift on to their own children, too.
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Introduction
Ellen Cantarow once said, âMaking the decision to have a childâitâs momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.â And, boy, is it ever. You know if your phone or wallet were to grow legs and begin walking around, youâd want to keep that precious thing very close to you. But as your baby grows, and ventures further and further away, your heartstrings pull harderâitâs painful and scary, those moments, as your child grows up and ventures out into the world.
           As a mother, it starts at birth, the very moment they leave your womb. The doctor takes your baby away, to check for breathing, clear the airway, cut the cord. Sometimes, my babies were taken across the room to be cared for. Some babies are in trouble, needing surgery or extra care. Then, grandma, grandpa, aunts, and uncles want to hold little precious. Please donât leave the room with my baby, especially if itâs a firstborn!
           It continues. First day of daycare. First day of pre-school, kindergarten. The first sleepover. Those moments when your precious heart gets out of sight. Then, high school comes, and youâre lucky if they still speak to you. Hugs are less frequent. Theyâre driving now. Thatâs a tough one. Girlfriends, boyfriends, high school dances. Their first job. When was the last time you saw them?
           Then⊠High school graduation. College, maybe. The day comes when itâs time to move out. The final moment when your precious heart is leaving for the long-term. This moment, which all the little moments and stretches of time have been preparing you for, getting longer and harder in between, is finally here.
           When you cannot be there every day to remind them to be good, be safe, take care of themselves and how much you love them, donât worryâthey know. But this book is a great way to remind them. Your heart is now out there, every single day. As a parent, it can be difficult. This book is one way to help cope with that, easing the transition, for both parents and their adult children.
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It really is a beautiful, 20-page book, full of love and age-old wisdom, and I hope that you’ll follow my progress as I finish getting more books in this series published and available for everyone!
So please head on over to Bookshop and check out my book. Thank you for your support!
Jeannie Culbertson ~ The Noteworthy Mom
