A Secret to Success This New Year: Become Committed and Resilient

Mom and son celebrating the new year in the Bahamas in 2025! "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." – Confucius Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three , working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. 2025 was intense. I faced a convergence of pressures: the stress of navigating life as a single mom while paying considerable  alimony ,  an intensifying family situation since we lost my beloved aunt, my dad, and my cousin’s mom—work related stress—learning a new job after an imposed job change, all while navigating the rapid pace of raising my kids and trying to maintain a standard of living for them with fewer resources. Together, these factor...

Random Acts of Kindness: Present given to co-worker

A co-worker lost her mother recently. I contemplated giving her flowers, but in true Chaton fashion, time got away from me. Here it was 4 weeks later and I hadn't given her any flowers. What to do?!

Well luck sometimes makes your life very easy. I ran into my co-worker at TJMaxx one day and she was looking for a particular purse, which she never found. As luck would have it, I found the purse at another TJ Maxx a couple of weeks later.

Given the price of flowers, the purse seemed like a great deal. So, I gave her the purse with the following note:

"I was going to give you flowers, but those fade so fast. So, I decided to give you something that was built to last. Your assistance is always valuable. And your stories give me a lift. So please accept sincerely, this humble gift. May God continue to provide you with strength during this difficult time."

The look on her face was priceless. She was truly surprised. And I was happy to be able to give her something that would be a constant reminder that people are out there to support her, even when she doesn't expect it.
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