Happy summer!

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Teaching Kids to Think Big
By Caleb Gardner

My parents always focused on the outputs of what they saw as a successful life: get a steady job, get married, have kids, open a 401(k), die as materially well-off as possible… But I think this is where we can change the definition of success for our son. I’d much rather encourage him to do something he loves, to make a difference, to think for himself – to live life to the fullest. The outputs can be a natural extension of that, but I’d rather focus on the outcomes of a life well-lived.

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The Bilingual Advantage
By Claudia Dreifus

There are two major reasons people should pass their heritage language onto children. First, it connects children to their ancestors. The second is my research: Bilingualism is good for you. It makes brains stronger. It is brain exercise.

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A bunch of ideas for the new web/blog have been floating inside my head. I like the idea of a blog because it’s less static and could function as a sketchbook. I hope to find some time to make the changes soon.

My little Tarahumara will be 7 months next week and is already crawling fast! And while I attempt to flow in yoga class, I’m amazed to see him be so naturally flexible. He can flow from downward facing dog to plank to pigeon pose with no trouble at all. Signs that he may become a runner or yogi just like mama.

A good read for new parents is From Birth, Engage Your Child With Talk by Jane E. Brody. And Animal Playground by Putumayo Kids is a beautiful collection of animal-themed songs from around the world. The video above is from one of the album’s song The Littlest Birds by The Be Good Tanyas (Canada).

I can’t believe October is already here. Happy fall!

This morning I ran the Achilles Hope & Possibility 5M, an event full of encouragement and celebration. It’s held in Central Park by the NYRR and the Achilles Track Club. Achilles is an international organization whose mission is to “enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics, to promote personal achievement, enhanced self esteem, and the lowering of barriers between people.”

The air felt hot and humid, and shortly after mile three (which is what I usually run), I thought of stopping. I looked around and said to myself: What are you complaining about? — hot and humid!!! Ok, this was in Spanish and can’t translate everything, but I’ll tell you I was upset that a negative thought crossed my mind in such a positive event. I remember pronouncing all the R’s — RRReally stRRRong!

I didn’t stop running and it felt awesome to get to the finish line and cheer on the rest of the participants. I encourage all of you to get involved in any way — running, walking, or volunteering. This event truly shows that when there’s vida…there’s unity, hope, and certainly infinite possibilities.

Happy summer!

I don’t know who made the drawing, but I’m grateful to the sweet student who thought I was a super librarian and drew me in such great shape. Look at those abs and arms! I love the detail of the English and Spanish dictionary next to the RMSL (Rossana Martinez Super Librarian). This is too funny and I’m going to frame it and hang it in my new office!

Although I’m still laughing at the drawing, it made me think about how there is a little bit of a superhero in all of us. Otherwise, how could we balance our time to be healthy, work, enjoy family and friends, make art and everything else.

This week while commuting to work, the train was full and I saw a man give his seat to an older woman that was cornered in one of the doors. And I thought: superhero! Unlike the cartoons, we can’t save the world in five minutes, but it’s the small, everyday actions that make superheroes.

It’s wonderful and so inspiring to see generous people share and give money to good causes. But for those of us that can’t afford to give money, we can use our creativity to make changes. The common denominator is to follow our hearts, use our intelligence and patience to improve the present and change the future… And remember change takes time.