Tag: kindness

When LOVE Is The Answer

Barbara Gruener

It’s THAT time again – #B2S – my favorite hashtag: Back To School!

And even though I’m not back to a specific school myself per se, I’m so excited about my upcoming author visits! In fact, yesterday I got to take this book and a little cardinal to my favorite empathy hero, one of the school counselors that I’ve been mentoring for years. What a blissful moment in time, to get a tour of her character building and 30 minutes of her time and attention. Talk about love; be still my retired-counselor heart.

I’m also grateful for this podcast episode with Craig Shapiro, a seasoned Wellness Coach in PA.

Buckle up because it’s a looooooong conversation. Might take two or three commutes if you’ve got in on your car radio. Or it’ll be a very long walk to listen from start to finish. But wow, we covered a lot of terrain and I think it’ll be worth your while. His most beautiful affirmation?

“The power of what you just said, is not what you just said … it’s how you said it.” Sigh.

I was blessed by of one of those love glimmers this week, with my son Joshua, who has been in between jobs for some time now. He’s going back to work Monday, so how does he decide to spend his second-to-the-last-day of free time? He asked for a lesson on making cinnamon rolls by scratch.

It made this Mama’s baker heart so happy. And guess what? It made me want to share the magic, so I sent some home with him, then shared a few with friends. More kindness from the kitchen, and who doesn’t LOVE this warm, home-baked deliciousness?

Doesn’t this decadence smell like love?

Here’s to being a walking and/or singing love letter and remembering that love is {almost} always the answer. Do let me know if you want to set up an author visit for your school and read-aloud of Mr. Quigley’s Keys or Birdie & Mipps.

Seed Money

Barbara Gruener

It’s no secret that I think about my little brother Mipps a lot, but August finds me especially melancholy because it marks the anniversary of the saddest day of our lives, the day he died.

Today, I’m thinking back 13 years, to a conversation I had with him at our pool when he came for a visit. I blogged the entire account back in 2011 {here}. Here’s a portion of the letter that came in the mail a few weeks later.

Seed money. Hmmmm. I’d not heard that term before, but I liked the idea behind it, to help put some skin in the game, if you will. Jacob did end up matching his FUNcle’s funds and ended up having a great time in Germany.

So I’ve decided that I’m starting a Seed-Money Scholarship with the proceeds from our book. In fact, I’ve already chosen our first recipient, an incoming senior in high school whose passion is infectious, whose work ethic is inspiring, and who shows up positively vivacious, wherever she goes. Simply put, she reminds me of Mipps.

So here’s how it’s going to work. I sent the first installment to her via Venmo today. When she works to earn a matching amount, I will send her the next installment. It’s that easy! If book sales don’t keep up, no worries; she’ll still receive her full scholarship.

I cannot wait to see the fruits of our investment in this compassionate, driven world-changer.

Oh, and, for fun as I work to keep sadness at bay, I recorded a read-aloud of the book, so you, dear reader, could hear it aloud how I heard it in my head when I was writing it.

Happy reading!

“This Treasured Tribute”

Barbara Gruener

Today I’m feeing grateful and honored by this heartfelt feedback from a passionate author, educator, and friend up in Canada whom I adore and admire so much.

Here’s a peek at the resource pages she’s referencing.

Not only did Mrs. Mac post these kind words of affirmation on Facebook, but her beautiful 4th-grade daughter also served on our First-Look Focus Team.

Here’s what Sadie had to say about our passion project: This book helped me to see that we all have precious names that deserve to be honoured and that it is ok to tell someone if you don’t want to be called by a nickname even though it is one your family might use. I like when my family calls me Sadie Pie but not when people that don’t know me do, just like Mipps.

Perfection! What are you grateful for today?

Enriching Birdie & Mipps

Barbara Gruener

Mom’s first question when she met her great granddaughter was “What’s her name?“

Her name is Leah Odette, but for now, she’s also affectionately known by the nicknames Nugget, Nuggs, Sweet Pea, Cutie Pie, Leah Bean and Leah Bear. It’s not likely that those will stick as she ages and it is likely that she’ll have an opinion about which nicknames, if any, she’d like for us to use, a topic that Birdie & Mipps tackles by talking our readers through self-advocacy, kindness and respect.

Sesame Street also has a few clips that address the importance of names {The Name Song, Your Name Is Very Important, and Our Names Are Special} that you can share before or after your Birdie & Mipps read-aloud, to enrich your discussion.

Use these clips to cultivate self-awareness and caring connections as your learners share how their parents/caregivers chose their names, what their nickname (if they have one) is, and what name, if any, they really like or wish they had. Invite them to create a bumper sticker, T-shirt logo, or PSA showcasing their name and what it symbolizes to them and what they want it to stand for or mean to the world.

Then compare and contrast these titles around this timeless topic.

For other ideas, check out the enrichment pages in the back of our book.

Be creative and enJOY the synergy as you step into and get acquainted with one another’s stories.

A Horse’s Gentle Tickle

Barbara Gruener

Nicknames can come from anywhere, but how did the word “nip” become Nippers, then Mippers, then Mipps? In the story, Mipps asks Birdie if she knows how he got his nickname.

Meet the real-life Scooter, my pride and joy, whom my sixth-grade self found malnourished and super skinny at a farm about 25 minutes down the road. I talked my Dad into letting me invest in her, a gorgeous Arabian Pinto mix, and I nurtured her back to health on my family farm in the early 1970’s. We went on to breed her twice; her foals Menty and Misty were absolutely gorgeous miracle babies. I love how our artist perfectly portrays this beautiful mare.

The cool part about realistic fiction is that a large part of it is true; this sneak peek into the real part of our story, Birdie & Mipps, and how my little brother, Mark, came by the nickname Mippers, then Mipps, comes from treasured memories that have lasted a lifetime.

I’m so very grateful for the affirming feedback that the book is receiving; check out this five-star review from passionate educator Mrs. Monty in Florida, as seen on Amazon:

Birdie & Mipps is not only a compelling story but also a fantastic resource for classrooms.

I’m so grateful that our story is resonating with educators like Barbie; it’s my hope that it’ll be a springboard for many cool conversations about the importance of names and the respectful use of nicknames and that it’ll serve as a reminder that how we treat each other matters.

Now This Brings Tears

Barbara Gruener

I was so happy to see the Amazon truck carrying this precious cargo.

My dad’s copy of Birdie & Mipps.

His reaction to a pillow hug made from his son’s shirt holding our book was priceless.

First, he laughed.

Then, he caught his breath.

“Now this brings tears,” he admitted freely as he turned the page and saw the picture of his baby boy on the bike in the back of our book. Tears. So. Many. Tears. Tears of grief. Tears of pride. Tears of loss. Tears of gratitude. Tears of joy. Tears of what was. Tears of what isn’t anymore. Tears of missing. So. Many. Tears. Of. Missing.

And yet, we move forward, one breath, one step, one day at a time. For there are babies to be baptized, like Leah, the newest member of our family.

Do we wish Mipps could have been here for this four-generation celebration? No question. But we definitely felt his presence as we continue to grieve with the hope of one day seeing him again. Until then, we work with intention to keep his legacy of love alive by sharing his story and continuing his ministry of compassionate connections, gratitude and generosity.

Thank you, dear reader, for your interest in our book and its backstory. Have you read Birdie & Mipps yet? What was your favorite part?

Loving Feedback For Birdie & Mipps

Barbara Gruener

Today I’m grateful for the readers who took the time to share their reflections at BN.com.

Sharing a story so close to my heart can be daunting and a little nerve-wracking, so these kind words are helping still my soul.

The books are making their mark around our home state just like my Pied Piper brother did. Here, the books are proudly displayed in the Mark W. Natzke lounge at his workplace. They loved him and they miss him so much.

Mipps’ friend Bridget from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern WI worked with her team to place a copy in each of the family rooms at their house that bear his name. He served on that Board of Directors for 9 years and absolutely LOVED that place as he championed their cause.

It has been a bittersweet few weeks as we put this story about how Mipps got his nickname out into the world, but my heart is happy that his legacy of connection, generosity and love continues. That’s what this beautiful bird symbolizes and that’s why I’m loving the feedback that’s feeding my emotional reserve.

The softcover copy is available at Amazon now.

Zooming In To Wisconsin

Barbara Gruener

Not sure I’ll ever forget this moment, when my late brother Mark’s friend Mike tells his sister’s class that he was gifting each of them a copy of Birdie & Mipps.

Is this not just the most adorable shot of them digging in?

But my favorite has to be this budding author looking at Mipps’ memory page.

I am grateful to have been able to put Mark’s picture in the back across from the reflection questions; turn the page to find empathy enrichment activities and name extension ideas. Publishing with Road To Awesome has been an incredible experience. Holding this special delivery sent my soul soaring.

And reading with our granddaughter, Leah? A joy we’ve not known, until now

If you have your copy, we’d love your feedback over at BN online.

Happy summertime, dear reader.

Young Authors’ Day

Barbara Gruener

I had the most incredible time on Friday celebrating the 20th-annual Young Authors’ Day at Willow River Elementary in Hudson, WI; what a treat to be invited to be their special guest and get to share our story. I’m so grateful to Sarah and her beautiful school family for the warm welcome and loving kindness throughout the day.

To walk into the library and see our book among these special literary picks?

PRICELESS!

Sometimes it just doesn’t seem real, that I get to travel around helping young writers learn about the publishing process from seedling idea to hardback book. It gives me great joy to answer their questions and sign words of encouragement in my book for them. My favorite new phrase? Sometimes empathy is quiet.

So what’s next? As another school year winds down and we slide into summer, our release of Birdie & Mipps is just around the corner, set for next week, May 23rd, 2024. This Thursday, I’ll be at our Friendswood Library to talk with local young authors about publishing, then we’ll do a “Hello-my-nickname-is” activity before our fabulous librarian Christina and I read the book aloud. I get to play the older sister Birdie, while she tackles the role of a very curious Mipps.

Didn’t she do an incredible job on the invitation?

Oh, and before I head out, a huge shoutout to Julie Garnett for showcasing Mr. Quigley’s Keys on her Musical Storytime Plus. We are super grateful to be a part of her stellar storytelling family.

Do let me know if you’d like to schedule an author visit for your budding writers.

Inspiring School Visits

Barbara Gruener

Happy February; today I’m excited about and grateful for my visit to Howard Elementary in WI last week, to follow-up a virtual visit I’d had with these fourth-grade empathy heroes back on Kindness Day in November.

Mrs. VandeHei invited me back for an in-person visit when I got home, so on the Friday of this year’s Great Kindness Challenge, off I went, to meet them in person. Once there, I found a hand-colored sign Welcome Mrs. Gruener hanging on the shelves in their library; this S donned the keys to connection from Mr. Quigley’s Keys!

I introduced the three classes to my puppet Winthrop as we talked about what empathy is; how can they predict how Winthrop is feeling even though they don’t speak bird? Their answers were intuitive and inspiring.

Then, we looked at what it means to switch places with another, step into their story, and walk in their shoes for a spell. We practiced the Empathy Switch on our hands and paired it with this poem: E-M-P-A-T-H-Y; put yourself in my shoes and I think you will find; E-M-P-A-T-H-Y, you’re a superhero of the empathy KIND, adding the hand-jive movements to jazz it up.

Since I’d already read Mr. Quigley’s Keys to them, this visit lent itself to a debut of my new book, Birdie and Mipps! My sister and I acted it out; my Dad played the cameo role of the narrator.

After we read it aloud, one friend had a question that I wasn’t quite sure how to answer: Does our little brother, Mipps, know that I wrote a book about him? Sigh.

We had empaKEY necklaces for all of them, to remind them that they have the power to unlock doors with their kindness, that they surely hold the key to someone’s heart, that they are KEY to their school’s success. Before I laid my head on the pillow that night, this beautiful gift from one of my new fourth-grade friends seered itself on my heart.

What fun to make it a family affair, to get to share my story with Debra and Dad in tow. I’m so grateful for my continued partnership with this gifted teacher and her fourth-grade team!

Before I headed to WI, I led a workshop in TX; click {here] if you want to see those slides.

Now that I’m back in TX, I’m counting the days until I become a Grammy. Check back here for that exciting announcement in just a few weeks.