Guilty of Not Following Her Heart

Karen, a single never-married thirty-year old attorney has a four-year old daughter, whom she just picked up from her parents' home after another all-day affair in court.

Like every Thursday, Karen took her daughter, Anna, to McDonald's for dinner, which was a very special mother-daughter bonding time. Karen ordered a salad for her and a kid's meal for Anna. To Anna's delight, the kid's meal came with some crayons. While they were eating, Anna turned over the paper trayliner and began to draw a circle with some numbers just inside the perimeter of the circle. Instead of staring out the window like she usually did, Karen looked at what Anna was drawing.

"Whatcha drawin' sweetie?" Karen asked. "A clock," Anna said. "Are you sure it's a clock? It's got more than twelve numbers in the circle." "I know, Mommy. It's a clock for you. You said there's not enough time in the day."

Tears formed in Karen's eyes.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" asked Anna. "There isn't enough time in the day, sweetheart. You and I have to make some more time ? time for each other," said Karen. "I didn't know that you liked to draw so much." "Oh I do, Mommy. Gramma lets me draw anytime I want to," said Anna. "She does?" "Yep. We went to the bookstore today and she bought me a coloring book." "So that's what was in that bag. You've got a good grandma, honey." "I know. She told me that YOU used to like to draw, too. When you were a little girl." "That's right," Karen said softly and was not sure if Anna heard her. "I DID used to draw a lot and do a lot of sketches," she spoke in normal tone. "Sketches?" asked Anna "Oh, sketches. Sketches are drawings with pencils." "Can we do some sketches at home?" "Why of course. Tell you what. When we get home, I'm gonna look for some sketches that I used to do and show you." "Okay," said Anna excitedly.

When they finished dinner and got home, Anna showed her mother the coloring book that her grandmother had bought her. While Karen was looking for her sketches, Anna showed came to Karen's room every time she finished with coloring a page. Karen gave her daughter kisses, praise and encouragement every time Anna showed her another page of her work.

Karen finally found her old sketches and went into the kitchen where Anna was drawing. To Karen's surprise, there were drawings on the doors of the white cabinets. Anna had drawn on two kitchen cabinet doors.

"Isn't it pretty, Mommy?" asked Anna. Karen's jaw dropped. She was stunned and could not move for several seconds.

Anna finally broke the silence, "Gramma's kitchen is colorful. I want our kitchen to be colorful. Do you like it, Mommy?"

Karen backed into one of the kitchen walls and lowered her body to the ground until she was sitting on the floor. She cried profusely. Anna was confused why her mother was crying. When she showed her mother some of her work in her coloring book, her mother was happy and excited. Now, her mother is crying.

"You don't like it, Mommy?" Anna finally asked. Karen was finally able to talk, "No, sweetheart. I like your drawings. It's just that when I was a little girl, I did the same thing on gramma's walls." "Did she like it?" asked Anna. Karen was breathing deeply, almost hyper-ventilating and said, "She screamed at me." Karen was now breathing more normal. "She screamed at me," she said softly. "Why?" asked Anna. "Because I was supposed to color on the paper. I was supposed to follow the rules. I had messed up gramma's cabinets." "Did I mess up your cabinets?" "No, sweetheart," Karen said quickly. "Those cabinets needed some color. I want you to keep on drawing, okay? But I will get you some bigger drawing paper for you so you can make me some bigger pictures." "Wow! I will make the bigger pictures even prettier!" Anna said with anticipation. "How come you stopped drawing, Mommy?" Anna asked her Karen innocently. Karen took a deep breath and said. "Because I got shut down by what happened to me when I was about your age?" "Huh?" Anna asked confusingly. "I will explain it to you when you are older, sweetheart. Keep on drawing in the meantime."

North Notes is a writing and researching company, which primarily helps writers gain focus, motivation, remove mental blocks that help to unblock the writing process. EVERYONE who writes has been stuck at some point in his or her career. You do not have to accept these mind-boggling roadblocks!

http://www.northnotes.com

(586) 216-7516

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..
In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.
The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.
Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.
New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.
The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.
TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.
Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.
San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.
Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.
A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.
Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.
Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.
Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.
Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.
Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.
A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.
Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.
Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.
OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.
A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.
The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.
Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.
Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.
The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

6 Great Freebie Resources for Parents of Twins & Multiple Births

A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More

Exams Cause Stress For Parents Too

When it comes to exams, or indeed any academic work,... Read More

How To Help Your Child Learn

Just as every snowflake is unique, so is every child.... Read More

Parenting Your Teenager: Late vs. Too Late, and 5 More Sure Fire Tips

Late vs. Too LateEvery now and then, I'll hear a... Read More

What Do You Do When Your Child is Smarter than You?

We adopted our first child when he was three months... Read More

Ultimate Airplane Themed Games & Activities for your Childs Birthday Party

Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games... Read More

His Toy, Her Toy

I remember when my daughter was born. Visions of her... Read More

Positive Parenting of Teenagers: Helping Your Teen Understand What I Cant Afford It Means

Because most teens have not had the experience of getting... Read More

The Twenty-First Century Parent

John was a 43 year-old sales manager at a large... Read More

Learning Disabilities

There are so many learning labels floating around these days... Read More

Banishing Bedtime Blues

"My son won't go to bed at night without a... Read More

Time Out for Adults

"Get down from the table top right now! What are... Read More

How Being a Mom Makes You a Better Professional

"Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New... Read More

The Science of Mother Love

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the way... Read More

Top Ten Things My Six Year-Old Son Has Taught Me (So Far...)

I've learned numerous, important lessons on life, motherhood and men... Read More

Elephants and Teenagers

Something eerily familiar happened in KwaZulu-Natal's Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park in Africa... Read More

Is it ADHD or Bi-Polar Disorder?

Bi-Polar Disorder, or Manic Depression, is characterized by mood swings,... Read More

Humans and Their Innate Need for Drug Stimulation

We know that ancient cultures and Indians and the like... Read More

While You Have the Time, Take the Time

Here in Kansas, where we live, the leaves are turning... Read More

Your Kids Career - Whose Choice?

A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely,... Read More

Stress is No Kiddy Matter

Kids today no longer live the kind of privileged lives... Read More

Mommy, I Can?t Sleep! Sleep Disturbance in Children

"Just turn the lights off and go to sleep"Do you... Read More

Now, They?re Bullying My Daughter in Our Home: Welcome to Cyber-bullying

Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room... Read More

Your Checking Account

Checking accounts are an absolute necessity these days. You can... Read More

The Value of Play

Isn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows for... Read More

on demand house cleaning Arlington Heights ..