Page 17 - Boomer Times Magazine September 2020 Issue

THINK YES! By Linda Sauget
Appreciation THE PLAYGROUND BULLY

During the last two years of his life, astronomer Carl Sagan battled
an aggressive bone marrow disease. There were times when it looked Author: Rosemarie Cole — Reviewed by Anita Finley, Gerontologist
like he was recovering, and other times when the disease had the upper When I received Rosemarie It’s a really important subject and
hand. Cole’s small and beautifully illus- I see adults who are bullies. When
During one of his better periods, Sagan wrote, “I recommend almost trated book, The Playground Bully, I people have power, they can either
dying to everyone. You get a much clearer perspective of what’s thought it was only for children, and be caring, gentle human beings or
important and what isn’t….” although it looks like a children’s bullies. I see this now in politicians,
That is what Wayne Dyer meant when he said we need to learn to book, after reading it myself, I real- police, school administrators, busi-
die while we are alive. In other words, we need to learn to appreciate ized how it definitely is a primer for nessmen and even in social situa-
what we have. teens and parents. It’s a quick read tions. If only they read Cole’s book
Ralph Marston says, “What if you gave someone a gift, and they with very obvious lessons about the in their young years, it might have
neglected to thank you for it—-would you be likely to give them anoth- harm that bullying can do, especial- made a difference in their actions
er? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that ly to young children. today. I also believe that children
The author is very passionate repeat what their parents exhibit,
life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” about this behavior and so the lessons continue.
There is a simple gratitude practice to help us develop our sense of she writes about it by “Understanding how
appreciation. Make a list of everything you are grateful for. Would you using small children in and why a bully uses
have 25 items on the list? 100? 500? The list helps us focus on the good a classroom, all behav- aggressive behavior is
in our lives, and we can add to it as we notice more. ing on a scale from 1 to key to knowing how to
What we think about expands. Thinking about gratitude and appreci- 10. There seems to al- handle the situation.
ation draws more of that to us. It helps us recognize what is important ways be one child who “A common reason
without having to suffer the loss of it. has bullying tendencies that a kid is a bully is
Florence Nightingale says, “Live your life while you have it. Life is a and unless it is brought because he/she lacks
splendid gift. There is nothing small out to the child and the attention from a parent
in it.” parents, it might contin- at home and lashes out
Wisdom of the ages... ue into adulthood. The teacher in at others for attention. This can in-
Linda Sauget is the author of “If You this book works with each child and clude neglected children, children
Think It”...and lives in Ft. Lauderdale. Linda uses positive psychology to show of divorced parents, or children with
is also available for speaking engagements. them how kindness and generosi- parents under the regular influence
Please email her at LSauget99@aol.com.
To purchase a copy of Linda’s book, go ty makes them feel good. I’m sure of drugs/alcohol.
Linda Sauget to: www.IfYouThinkIt.com. everyone who reads this book will “Older siblings can also be the
appreciate how it is applied in real cause of the problem. If they’ve
From The September Cover life. been bullied, they are more apt to
If you have young children or bully a younger sibling to feel more
grandchildren, this is a perfect secure or empower themselves.
Everything You Need To Know About gift. The colorful pictures will en- “Very often parents are bullies,
Strawberries courage the young readers to read are angry, or don’t handle conflict
each page. The words are large and well.
Fresh summer strawberries are one easy to read. I wish I had this book “Kids usually bully because they
of the most popular, refreshing, and when I was a young parent. I had learn this behavior at home. It is
nutritious fruits available. one child who seemed to pick on learned behavior which can be un-
my other two and it was a constant learned.
The sweet, slightly tart berries have
“Some kids are just more aggres-
powerful antioxidant content and do battle to make her understand that sive, dominating and impulsive by
it was harming her brothers.
not rapidly boost a person’s blood
Reading the book made me curi-
nature. It doesn’t always mean that
sugar, making them an ideal choice ous about why bullying has become they are bullies.”
for those who have diabetes, and a
safe, delicious addition to any diet. a very “hot” topic in schools and Let’s do our part to be an exam-
so I began to research it. I have ple of kindness and fairness.
Fruits and vegetables of all types, including strawberries, offer many
health benefits. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that added to this review what I found.
consuming 400 grams (g) of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the
risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. About the author:
Rosemarie Cole is an avid prayer warrior and
In this article, we look at the health benefits of strawberries, their mother of three. She loves her family.
nutritional information, and ways to include them in the diet. She is the author of two prayer books, a children’s
Benefits book “The Playground Bully” and marriage booklets
Strawberries provide a range of potential benefits and can support “Romance 31.”
the body’s defences against a variety of diseases. There are more than She lives in Florida with her husband and children.
600 varieties of strawberry.
To read this entire article, go to BoomerTimesFL.com. (Purchase The Playground Bully at rosemariecole.com)

SEPTEMBER 2020 BoomerTimesFL.com BoomerTimes & SeniorLife / 17