How Does She Do It?: 101 Life Lessons from One Mother to Another

182 Pages·2004·1.62 MB·English

by  Sheila Ellison

How Does

She Do It?

101 LIFE LESSONS FROM

ONE MOTHER TO ANOTHER

Sheila Ellison

For Nancy Moshenrose Maley,
my mother, who showed me with her encouragement, love,
creative tidbits, humor, and wisdom exactly how it’s done.

Contents
An Invitation xi
1.Celebrate Yourself 1
2.Laugh Now,Clean Up Later 2
3.Forget the Spoonful of Sugar 4
4.“You Never Listen to Me” 6
5.Stories We Tell Ourselves 7
6.Not All Children Are Created Equal 9
7.The Compliment Cure 11
8.“You Let Your Kid Do What?” 12
9.The Joy of Lowered Expectations 14
10.What It Means to Be Courageous 16
11.Mom’s Appointment Book 17
12.Everyday Magic 19
13.A Giving Nature 20
14. The Welcome Mat 22
15.We All Have Disabilities 23
16.Nobody’s Perfect—Including Mothers 25
17. Learn to Disappoint Others 26

18. Ten Minutes a Day 28

19. An Inspiring Habit 29

20. What It Really Means to Have Style 31

21. Actions Speak Louder 33

22. Too Stressed for Sex 34

23. Let Go of the Rope 36

24. The Real Think Tank 37

25. Both Right and Wrong 39

26. Seize the Moment 40

27. A Life of Spiritual Practice 42

28. Creative? Yes—You! 43

29. The Men in Your Life 45

30. Show Up as Yourself 47

31. Bathing Suit Blues 48

32. Let Tears Rain 50

33. Controlled Burn 51

34. Fire the Judge 53

35. Invitation to Your Defiant,

Ass-kicking, Experimental Self 54

36. Listen to Your Anger 56

37. Count to Ten and Breathe! 58

38. Bring It On! 60

39. Draw a Line in the Sand 61
40. Driving Lessons 63
41. It Takes Two to Fight 64
42. They Need You Now 66
43. Stranger at the Door 68
44. Money Love 70
45. One Honest Voice 71
vi CONTENTS
46. Moments of Suffering 73

47. Ask for Help 74

48. Grateful Optimism 76

49. What Children Remember 78

50. A Ministry of Presence 80

51. You’re a Safety Net 81

52. Create Community 83

53. Decisions That Hurt 84

54. Emotional Self-defense 86

55. Practice Forgiveness 88

56. Grateful for Grief 89

57. We Are the Champions 91

58. A Sexy Attitude 92

59. PMS = Perfectly Made System 94

60. Demon Days 95

61. To Tempt or Not to Tempt 97

62. Body Connection 99

63. Age-old Obsession 101

64. Surround Yourself with Beauty 103

65. Things Kids Say 104

66. Grow a Friendship 106

67. Never Forget Your Girlfriends 107

68. Fitting In 109

69. Kids Who Challenge Life 111

70. Negotiation—Our Specialty 113

71. Space to Grow 115

72. Embrace Your Strength 116

73. Food for Thought 118

74. Learning to “See Funny” 120

75. Sensuality Discovered 121

CONTENTS vii
76. Mirror, Mirror 123

77. Mom’s Yearly Bonus 124

78. Shop Till You Drop 126

79. Peaceful Existence 128

80. If Moms Ruled the World 129

81. Girls’ Night Out 131

82. A Time to Give 133

83. I Think I Can 134

84. The Spectacular Lives Inside Each of Us 136

85. Me First 137

86. Taxi Service 139

87. Married with Children 140

88. Heal Each Other 142

89. A Visit to the Outhouse 143

90. Dropping the Ball 145

91. Life Design 101 147

92. Secrets to Keep 148

93. Stand-in Mom 150

94. Digging Deep Enough 151

95. The Real Holiday 153

96. Romantic Interlude 155

97. Wild Woman 156

98. The Color of Your Life 158

99. Family Memories 159

100. Time to Dance 161

101. What Is Enough? 162

Acknowledgments 164

viii CONTENTS
About the Author
Other Books by Sheila Ellison
Credits
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Copyright
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