That letter strikes a cord in me, it could have been written by my mother to me. We’re in that phase of life when the tables turn, she no longer manages on her own and I have to help her. Changes happened gradually and fairly slow during the last few years but lately it changed much faster. It’s hard to see your mother change like that, from independent and managing her own life to needing more and more help.

The letter in English

Please note that this is not a straight translation of the letters in French and Spanish below.

The day that you see me old I ask of you, please have patience and try to understand me.

If when we talk, I repeat a thousand times the same thing, do not interrupt me to tell me “you’ve already told me,” just listen to me please and remember the days when you were a kid and I was reading the same story night after night until you did fall asleep.

When I do not want to wash, do not scold me and especially do not try to make me feel guilty. Remember that I had to run after you with a thousand reasons for you to take your bath when you were young.

When you realize my ignorance on new technologies, give me time to learn, and especially do not do those big eyes and do not look so desperate. Remember my dear that I taught you how to do many things like eating properly, get dressed and comb your hair and how to cope with life events

The day you notice that I am getting old, please be patient and above all try to understand me. If at times I lose the memory or the thread of the conversation, give me time to remember if I can, do not become nervous, just know in your heart that what is most important is that you listen to me and I’ll be by your side.

And when my tired old legs can no longer walk as before, give me your hand, the same way as I did at your first steps. When that time comes, do not feel sad or incompetent. I ask only to be with me, understand me and try to help me with love as my life ends.

And with all this love for the gift of time and life we shared, I would thank you with a big smile and with such great affection I had for you all the time. I just want to tell you that I love you my dear daughter.

I found another English version at Dear son and daughter, take a look at the photos.

The letter in Spanish

Carta de una madre a su hija
Mi querida hija, el día que me veas vieja, te pido… por favor que tengas paciencia, pero sobre todo trata de entenderme. Si cuando hablamos, repito lo mismo mil veces, no me interrumpas para decirme “eso ya me lo contaste” solamente escúchame por favor. Y recordar los tiempos en que eras niña y yo te leía la misma historia, noche tras noche hasta que te quedabas dormida. Cuando no me quiera bañar, no me regañes y por favor no trates de avergonzarme, solamente recuerda las veces que yo tuve que perseguirte con miles de excusas para que te bañaras cuando eras niña. Cuando veas mi ignorancia ante la nueva tecnología, dame el tiempo necesario para aprender, y por favor no hagas esos ojos ni esas caras de desesperada. Recuerda mi querida, que yo te enseñé a hacer muchas cosas como comer apropiadamente, vestirte y peinarte por ti misma y como confrontar y lidiar con la vida. El día que notes que me estoy volviendo vieja, por favor, ten paciencia conmigo y sobre todo trata de entenderme. Si ocasionalmente pierdo la memoria o el hilo de la conversación, dame el tiempo necesario para recordar y si no puedo, no te pongas nerviosa, impaciente o arrogante. Solamente ten presente en tu corazón que lo más importante para mí es estar contigo y que me escuches. Y cuando mis cansadas y viejas piernas, no me dejen caminar como antes, dame tu mano, de la misma manera que yo te las ofrecí cuando diste tus primero pasos. Cuando estos días vengan, no te debes sentir triste o incompetente de verme así, sólo te pido que estés conmigo, que trates de entenderme y ayudarme mientras llego al final de mi vida con amor. Y con gran cariño por el regalo de tiempo y vida, que tuvimos la dicha de compartir juntas, te lo agradeceré. Con una enorme sonrisa y con el inmenso amor que siempre te he tenido, sólo quiero decirte que te amo, mi querida hija…

The letter in French

Lettre d’une mère à sa fille
ma chère fille, le jour où tu me verras vieille, je te demande…s’il te plait, aies de la patience, mais surtout essaies de me comprendre. Si lorsque nous parlons, je répète mille fois la même chose, ne m’interromps pas pour me dire “tu me l’as déjà raconté”, écoute moi seulement s’il te plait et rappelle toi de l’époque où tu étais enfant et que je te lisais la même histoire nuit après nuit jusqu’à ce que tu t’endormes. Lorsque je ne voudrai pas me laver, ne me gronde pas et surtout n’essaie pas de me culpabiliser, rappelle toi seulement les fois ou je dus te courir après avec mille excuses pour que tu prennes ton bain lorsque tu était petite. Lorsque tu te rendras compte de mon ignorance à l’égard des nouvelles technologies, donne moi le temps nécessaire pour apprendre, et surtout ne fais pas ces gros yeux ni ne prend pas cet air désespéré. Rappelle toi ma chérie que moi, je t’ai appris à faire beaucoup de choses comme manger correctement, t’habiller et te coiffer et comment faire face aux événements de la vie. Le jour où tu remarqueras que je me fais vieille, s’il te plait sois patiente et surtout essaie de me comprendre. Si par moment, je perds la mémoire ou le fil de la conversation, donne moi le temps nécessaire pour me souvenir si je le peux, ne t’énerve pas, ne soit pas arrogante, seulement vois dans ton coeur que ce qui est le plus important est que tu m’écoutes et que je sois à tes côtés. Et lorsque mes vieilles jambes fatiguées ne pourront plus marcher comme avant, donne moi la main, de la même façon que moi, je le fis lors de tes premiers pas. Lorsque ce moment viendra, ne te sens pas triste ni incompétente, je te demande seulement d’être auprès de moi, de me comprendre et d’essayer de m’aider avec amour pendant que ma vie s’achève. Et avec tout cet amour pour cadeau du temps et de la vie que nous avons partagée, je te remercierais avec un grand sourire et avec cette grande affection que j’ai eu pour toi tout le temps. Je veux simplement te dire que je t’aime ma chère fille….

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The Huffington Post wrote about it too at Devon Spurgeon, Warren Buffett’s Chief Of Staff, Keeps Hilarious Business Card: ‘You Don’t Call Me. I Call You’.

For some occasions that kind of card can be useful but using a Gmail address is a bit generic. I, for fun, bought the domain youdontcallme-icallyou.com which carries the message in a different way.

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The Ra is one of the most classic VIVOBAREFOOT styles to date. The sumptuous vegetable tanned leather upper sits on the original VIVOBAREFOOT sole. It’s a truly versatile shoe; smart enough for the office and stylish enough for a night out, offering barefoot health benefits from day-to-night.

I wanted real barefoot shoes which means no heal, no built in support and a thin flexible protective sole. The VivoBarefoot concept gives me that.

No heel, no midsole, no arch support, no gimmicks! VIVOBAREFOOT encourages us to move as million years of evolution intended – barefoot.

Ra features (from Terra Plana):
- Flexible.
- Ultra thin 3mm TPU sole.
- Puncture resistant.
- Vegetable tanned minimum chrome leather upper.

The lining is Naturetex 50 which is made from 50% recycled plastic bottles. I like the slogan, At Cosmo we strive to make the world we live in a better place.

Now I have barefoot or almost barefoot shoes for all occasions:
- Vivo Barefoot Ra is a more “dressed” shoe.
- Keen Sayulita Lace is a leisure shoe.
- Nike Free 3.0 V2 is for walking and running (when/if I want to run).
- Keen Sun Valley Slipper is my indoor shoe, I’m usually barefoot at home.

Read more in the Tag Archives: barefoot.

Related posts suggested by system:

• VIVOBAREFOOT, The original barefoot shoe
• Keen Sun Valley Slipper
• Nike Free 3.0 V2

Perfect for your transition from work to play, week to weekend, Keen’s Sayulita lace-up shoes are made of soft, flexible suede and styled with a laid-back look.

Related posts suggested by system:

• Keen Sun Valley Slipper
• Vivo Barefoot Ra black
• Nike Free 3.0 V2

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked.

“You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

- Trina Paulus

Serendipity at work

I had finished reading “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki which has an origami butterfly on the front cover. The quote above turned up in my Facebook stream and the butterfly connection is obvious.

Going from caterpillar to butterfly is a great example of change which is what my business is all about.

Photo source: Butterfly World June 2010

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Today I felt like creating a collage that shows the first part, “Inquisitive, openminded, loves life.” I think the collage can be titled “a harmonic thinker with a childlike mind.” Childlike in the sense of being open and inquisitive. It’s also about playing more, one of my goals.

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The big shoe companies are clearly paying attention to the (minimalist approach) trend. Nike was first to market with the Nike Free, a flexible shoe for “barefoot like running” with less padding than the company’s typical offerings.

The Nike Free line of footwear features a segmented sole which provides greater flexibility while still having an amount of cushioning. The Free line is based on a scale from 1-10, where 1 is barefoot and 10 is a typical athletic shoe sole.

That scale makes the 3.0 closest to being barefoot. Today I bought a pair of Nike Free 3.0 V2 which are “semi-barefoot” shoes. The soles are very flexible, walking in these shoes are very different to using an ordinary pair of shoes. Less padding in the Free shoes means you need to walk and run differently. No landing on your heel, it hurts too much.

It’s said that you shall take it slow and get used to minimalist shoes. I’m glad that I walk barefoot at home, it seems to make a big difference since I walked more than usual today yet still have no aching feet or legs.

Either the shoes are small in size or you need larger barefoot-shoes. I normally wear size 9, in these I needed size 10.5.

Related posts suggested by system:

• Wiggling Their Toes at the Shoe Giants
• Vivo Barefoot Ra black
• You Walk Wrong

That means topics such as coaching. mentoring, business and networking will be at Key Coaching in the future. The old posts for those topics will be removed from this blog and links will be redirected.

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• The Tao of Coaching
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About a year ago I posted Ready for 2010 where I listed my three words: Trust, Connect and Grow. I kept the words I had selected for 2009, they were still important to me.

In March 2010 I posted Three Words Become Five. I added Rhythm and Nourish to Trust, Connect and Grow.

My 3 words for 2011

I go back to three words instead of five, I extend what some of my three words stand for. In no specific order they are:

Trust means to trust my inner voice, to build trust and to be trustworthy.

Connect goes outwards (connect to more people in real life and virtually, be visible and valuable) as well as inwards (connect to my inner self). I include creating relationships and to collaborate, together we can achieve more.

Grow covers to grow my business and to grow as person. It includes to learn and share. I am a life long learner, sharing knowledge and ideas is fun. I also include nourish, without that nothing will grow.

My words work well as corners in a triangle, they complete each other and none is more important than the other. My words will guide my actions during the year, it’s easy to check back to them and see if I’m aligned with them or not.

Three Words Elsewhere

Chris Brogan posted My 3 Words for 2011 where he also lists words other have sent him. Mich Sineath created a wordle based on that post, it’s interesting to see which words that stand out.

Additional reading

The last part of Happy Holidays 2009 talks about why new year’s resolutions can be dangerous.

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• Three Words Become Five
• Goals, guidelines and keywords
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