DOES YOUR CUP RUNNETH OVER, OR RUN DRY? by Sharon Jackson, admin and all-rounder


I believe that in order to fully give to, and be present with, our children, it’s important to look after ourselves, and to fill our own ‘pleasure tanks’ first. This enables us to be generous with the overflow and to set the example for children that it is healthy for them to look after and love themselves. There can be a lot of societal shame


conditioned into us for looking after our own needs first, but it is very difficult to fully nurture and love others if we cannot properly look after ourselves.


DO THEY KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM? by Elizabeth Jewell Stephens, founding editor


My children mean more to me than anything else. Maybe this is because I’ve lost a couple of babies, maybe it’s because I was adopted (though my adoptive mother was extremely loving and would do anything for me), maybe it’s because I have a Cancer moon, or else it’s the way everyone else feels anyway – who knows, and will I ever have the answer? I have two reasons for saying that I


am not sure if my children understand my complete devotion to them. First, I


am not very good at expressing my love outwardly. As we all have our stories, I’m not going to speculate on why this is, except to say that a tad of Asperger’s could be weighed in. Secondly, I’ve spent 28 years seemingly paying more attention to editing and publishing this magazine than raising the family. What have I learnt from this? If I am


really honest, I have to admit that I was not cut out to be a stay-at-home mum, and the kids say that I am ADD (and I admit that there is enough evidence to more than hint at this). My conclusion is that I have not learnt anything. However, I am learning that I don’t have to be guilty. It’s just the way it is – same as all of life.


MAY 2017 13


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