My Organized Chaos

Canadian Mom Blogger in Alberta, family travel, travel, recipes, reviews, brand ambassador

Goodness Starts Today

By 294 Comments

As I stare at the August calendar and count the days left in summer holidays, my heart sinks. It’s been an awesome break for us, and we’ve certainly made the most, just as we set out to do when summer first began.

From a cross-Canada trip, sun-filled days spent playing in the backyard, and so much in between; we made many memories to cherish.  

summer memories captured

While I can’t say it’s been all rainbows and glitter with my three daughters {they sure know how to fight at times}, there’s been loads of good moments with them.

My best recollections are giggles echoing through the yard as they ran through the sprinkler, the look of ‘awe’ on their faces when they spotted a whale in the Bay of Fundy, many afternoons spent at the outdoor pool, and the shrieks of glee when I announced that dinner was cereal and ice cream one night when it was just too hot to cook. 

whale watching st andrews new brunswick canada travel tour jolly breeze ship

On the outside these seem like incredible memories, right?  

In the case of the sprinkler, I was actually at the kitchen window, listening, yet not apart of the actual event. When we had cereal and ice cream for dinner; the girls came in the door, ate quickly, and then left in a flash so they could re-join their friends for play. While I did swim with the girls at the pool many times this summer, I regret not going off the diving board with my oldest when she asked me to join her. I had no excuse to refuse, I just didn’t want to. 

summer memories goodness starts today

Don’t get me wrong, these are great times and happy experiences. Yet, there are times when I could have better connected with my children.

Recently my oldest was excited to share the news of a new skill learned in cheer practice, yet her story was drowned-out by the arguing of her twin sisters in the backseat. Did I designate a quiet time right away, to really listen without interruption and celebrate with her? The fact that I can’t say for sure means it was a huge opportunity lost, and for that I’m sad.

Related to this, I dont recall when I last set aside quality time for just one of my children, only her and I. For those with multiple children, when is the last time you did this as well? 

We’ve all made a plethora of memories with our children this summer, yet amongst them all, was there a life-changing event for your child? An experience that was true and deep, without life’s chaos interfering in that bond?

I might be asking a lot of questions here, yet they are important things to consider since change starts with the realization that something massive is missing. 

Quaker recently released a very heart-warming video called “Goodness Starts Today”, and the video captures a true story about a family that puts their busy life on hold, to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I urge you to watch the video, yet you’ll want to grab a tissue as this is the deep connection I’m referring to. And it’ll hit you like a tonne of bricks. 


 This true story captured by Quaker isn’t unlike my own, or many other families I know. We all have such busy and chaotic lives, and the balancing act is so tough.

In fact, it’s this quote in the video that hit me especially hard, “I hope she doesn’t think I work too much or don’t pay enough attention to her, cause I really do value the time we spent together”. Parenting involves a constant game of tug-of-war between commitments, and you hope such young minds understand the struggle and the fight to keep that balance.  

QUAKER_TheRecital_video-parenting-life

The truth is, our time with our kids is so limited, and this video by Quaker mentions that fact. I don’t necessarily think it’s the amount of time spent, yet the quality of that time is more important.

When the father and daughter are on that stage dancing together; you can literally see joy pouring from their faces, and also from the mother who is watching from the audience. 

QUAKER_TheRecital_goodness-starts-today

Now that you’ve watched the “Goodness Starts Today” video by Quaker {and there’s a behind-the-scenes video as well}, I have just one more question for you:

When was the last time a real-life experience between you and your child, produced a feeling for you both, similar to your reaction from this video?

I’ve spoken before about only having 18 summers with your child, if you’re lucky. Only 18! In another week our summer of 2015 will have passed, and that collective number will be reduced by one.

Don’t let this chance pass you by. 

There’s still time to take hold of the opportunity to make that one memory that will stay with you and your child forever.

Make the decision for that goodness to start – today.

QUAKER_TheRecital_life-parenting-goodness-starts-today

 

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, yet as always, all opinions are my own.

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Comments

  1. I love the look of pride on my daughter’s faces when they’ve done something that they’ve had to be a bit brave for but done it anyway. Their self confidence shines when they realize they can do it! I like sharing those experiences with them =)

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  3. We would do a road trip across Canada, all the way to Newfoundland where my husbands family is originally from!

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  5. I have always wanted to go to Ireland with my daughters. It is where their Dad’s family came from.

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  7. Just do a long travel or cruise together. We work all year and always take short holidays

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  10. we would definitely go to Disneyland!! my family never got to go so it would be quite he experience for everyone

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  15. I would love to be able to enjoy Disney World with our 6 daughters and their families

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  16. I would love to travel to Europe with my husband and 3 girls..research our family’s history..see where we originated

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  19. I’d love to have a huge party with all my children (7 of them spread across 3 continents!) and their children. Then take a couple of weeks with each family and tour Canada with them.

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  21. We would take a class together, maybe acrobatics, since that is something that we all really enjoy.

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  22. I’ve always wanted to go to the far north. I always say Alaska but also Canadian North. I want to see the Northern lights. and the troopers

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  29. A big thing on our list of things to do as a family is to go on a heritage trip to see Scotland and Holland (where my husband’s family and my family are originally from).
    A smaller one that we want to do is to do a hike-in camping trip in the wilderness.

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  32. I’ve always wanted to go across canada by train, so far ive only done it from Manitoba to Edmonton.

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  35. We’d love to win the lottery together…LOL…but I suppose that doesn’t count. Otherwise, we’d love to explore other cultures in their respective country specifically for the learning experience.

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  38. I would love to one day be able to take my kids to Italy, It is our dream 🙂 I will get there !

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  39. We would love to take a trip to Scotland and Ireland to see and experience where our ancestors came from. I really think it would make us feel even more connected as a family.

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  45. I have always wanted to go to Australia! If it’s a family vacation, we really want to take the kids on a tour across Europe!

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  51. I always wanted to take my wife on a train trip through the Rockies, no mountains in NS

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  52. Oh we would LOVE to travel to Disneyland, to experience the magical kingdom in all it’s glory. It would be the most special adventure, memories to treasure forever!

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  54. Experience all the secrets the world has to offer in some of the most remote areas like Nunavut.

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  55. We would love to go to Disneyland! It is a dream of ours to experience the magical kingdom as a family, all the glorious sights, the dining, the rides. What a thrill it would be with sweet memories that would last forever.

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  61. i would like to take my children to Europe and see where part of their ancestary comes from.

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  62. To pick one thing if I could with my family it would be to travel to Disney World, my girls have always wanted to go there, they are grown now, but that is what I would do for them and make it a road trip too!!

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  63. I would love to take my family to a rescue animal shelter and teach them the importance that all animals are special, hopefully by bringing home a new doggie to their forever home.

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  72. I would rent a cabin up north where our 5 kids and significant others (if appplicable), and our 2 grandchildren, would enjoy time together! Bonfires, marshmallows and a lot of laughs!! 🙂

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  73. I would really like to move to B.C for a different lifestyle, I like the east coast but I would love the family to experience a whole new lifestyle we can’t have here.

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  78. I would love to be able to get the entire family together to spend Christmas with my Dad.

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  79. If I could I would take all my grandchildren to Disneyworld. Since this is not possible I try to make our time together fun by doing crafts with them, teaching them to sew, and taking them on adventures through books.

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  80. It would be great to do a road trip from Winnipeg to Montreal. We have always flown but it would be amazing to see everything along the way

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  85. I have the dream to take my family on a wonderful trip to Disney World. I hope it happens soon.

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  87. I would like to take a long road trip in a motor home with my family, stopping wherever we want, to fish or swim or do nothing.

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  92. Swim with sharks it’s a big one on my bucket list but might be too scared to do it lol

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  96. Disney for 2 while weeks to experience absolutely everything and I would whisk away to Bora Bora for 2 nights of bliss

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  104. Just do a road trip across Canada visiting each province/territory would be awesome!! 🙂

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  105. Now that my brothers and I are all older, I really would like us all to be able to go on a family vacation. Since two of my brothers are so much older than me and my younger ones, we haven’t done a BIG trip together since I was very young. I’d love to be able to do this with everyone now that we’re older.

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  106. Something I would love to do as a family would be to form a band. I would want to be the drummer.

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  107. Go to disney together! We were going to go this year but with the exchange rate so horrible…..nope!

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  110. I love any kind of travel with my daughters. However, our trip to a dude ranch still gives us the giggles, many years later!

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  113. We would love to go on a vacation with both of my daughters and their families! It would be so wonderful!

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  116. I’d travel to yellowstone national park and hike up halfdome. Great looking gift basket!

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  120. We would drive the West Coast of Canada and the USA. On our bucket list and hopefully to get done soon.

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  131. If I had a chance I would go to meet my long lost sister. we recently found each other on facebook and we have been chatting. Would love to meet her.

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  132. I would like to do another houseboat trip with my kids as adults.Was the BEST vacation I EVER had,including Europe and the Tropics!

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  133. I would travel with my family all over the world. We would experience new and exciting things together. We would learn and laugh together. All of our time would be quality time spent together.

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  134. I would live in the same city as my mom and sister. I miss them living so far away. This video made me cry! It was so beautiful!

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  140. I would love to take my kids to Victoria to see my Mom. My youngest 3 have only met her once (and that was almost 3 years ago)

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  152. I used to work on a Tall Ship and I would love to take my kids so they could experience what it’s like to actually sail on a tall ship

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  154. cross the country on a train, seeing everything from the Rockies, all the way to Newfoundland!

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  155. I’d like to take my family to Hawaii. It’s where my grandparents went on their honeymoon and I’d love to take her back there.

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  158. A family hike to Dunder Rock has been on my bucket list for several years, but we just don’t manage to find the time to get it done. Hopefully we’ll get there before hunting season starts.

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  162. We would learn to play a sport (or climb/ski) together. We love activities and tend to plan time away for vacations but not necessarily time to do things together in the city that we live in.

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  167. Far fetched as it may seem – fly to Switzerland with my 11 year old son Evan and visit a Lindt chocolate factory. Watch/Learn/Sample masterpieces of chocolate – indulge – then return and implement the treadmill regiment again.

    Eva Mitton-Urban

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  168. Would love to go on a long holiday anywhere together. As long as it doesn’t cost very much

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  169. I’d love to check out Nova Scotia, I hear it’s beautiful!!
    Also ty for the chance at the giveaway, perfect for back to school!

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  173. I would love to go to Disney World with my family! What a dream come true that would be!

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  176. Something that I always wanted to do was travel to Ireland. I hope one day to be able to do this and take my parent’s and kids there, on a family vacation.

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  177. I would like to take my family to Denmark to see where their ancestors are from.

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  179. We have always wanted to take the kids to the tropics so that they know the smell of salty tropical air.

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  181. On a big scale we would go to Disney World – somewhere none of us have been before and where we would all love to go (we are saving up and planning to go in 5 years). On a small scale we would go on a family bike ride. My husband is an avid cyclist, and our eldest is awesome on her bike too, but I can barely ride. I would love to practice enough to feel confident enough to go on a ride with them, and with our little bubba in tow (bike trailer style, as she is too young to ride for a few more years now!). I just need to get my confidence up, and make the time to do so/practice.

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  182. I would go to PEI , been wanting to go for a while now , want to see the red mud and eat fresh seafood and visit the Ann Of Green Gables Museum 🙂

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  184. I watched this recently and loved it! With our kids being 13 and 6 it is tough at times to find things that can connect them together, their interests are obviously very different. It is also rare that they each get individual time with just their parents. So recently when our daughter went on her first sleepover we made sure to make it a fun time for her brother. Took him out to dinner and then we went and watched a movie with him at the theater. One that started at 10pm at night, the kind that we normally would not go to with his sister in tow. We did the same sort of thing for her when her brother was off on his own sleepover this summer too.

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  193. i try my hardest to be right by my kids side during all their sport, infact the 3 of us do Judo together so that it can be a memory for us when they are older!

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  201. I’d love to take a cross canada trip and make a few stops in every province!! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do!

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  202. I would travel to Newfoundland where my husband is from. It would be great to see his family again.

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  204. I would love to take my son to Portugal to see where his family came from and visit the family we still over seas.

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  206. I would love to take our children to Disney World. I hear it’s the most magical place on earth!

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  216. I would like to have all my children together – like in a lodge in TN as it is most centrally located. We have not all been together for 12 yrs. Most were together in Dec for the funeral of my only daughter, but one son could not come. I have 8 sons left.

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  221. I would love to go on a family trip in a RV , just driving around ,camping out in Canada , seeing everything , it would be so awesome

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  223. Wow! I dream of taking my grandchildren and their parents on a Disney cruise. It’s only a dream, but…

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  226. I would love to take my girls to Europe and experience history with them. There is nothing like watching something through the eyes of your children.

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  228. I would love to go Sky diving with my kids 🙂 Thanks for the chance at this great contest.

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  229. If I had the chance all I would really want to do is go whale watching. First on the East coast of Canada, then on the West Coast.

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  236. We would go check out Canada’s east coast then go check out the west coast. And all the places in between.

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  239. go together to a warm beach somewhere tropical, we have never all been to the beach at the same time

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  243. Love to do the small town festivals & show the kids that there is actually a lot to see & do in one’s own province. Tons of great entertainment & food to be enjoyed by all

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  247. i really want the opportunity to swim with dolphins. or go on a cruise with my whole family.

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  248. We are dreaming of a big trip to Disney World. I’ve never been either and would love to experience with my husband and the boys for sure!

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  249. I would love to have a behind the scenes tour of the Royal Ontario Museum. It would be an amazing experience.

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  252. If I had the chance I would take a cross Canada trip and especially concentrate on eastern Canada and the Maritimes.

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  255. my uncle moved to New Zealand 20 yrs ago – i would love to take the family and meet my cousins for the first time.

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  256. My son wants to see the pyramids and I want to visit Australia & Hawaii…so I think we’d love to travel the world if we had the chance 🙂

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  257. I would love to take my family with the grandkids to Hawaii! There is so much culture there!

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  262. I’d love to rent a cabin on the lake and take my family on a week-long trip to relax & rejuvenate. Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  265. I’d like to visit my siblings in Ontario, as they are not well.This would be a wonderful gift for us.

    Reply

  274. Hi,

    What a powerful video and real tear jerker. Thanks for sharing it with us. It made me sit down and think about how every day has shaped me and made me wonder how I can be a better parent. Here are a few of my thoughts.

    If I Could Raise My Child Again, I’d . . .

    Build self-confidence first, and the house later.
    Take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
    Do less correcting and more connecting.
    Finger paint more, and point fingers less.
    Hug harder and laugh longer.
    Be firm less often, and affirm much more.
    Take more hikes and fly more kites.
    Run through the fields and gaze at the stars.
    Stop dreaming of tomorrow and dream of today.

    Reply

  275. I’d go to Portugal with my fiance; see all the beautiful scenery, the history, eat food, drink wine. Amazing <3

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  277. I’d like to take my husband and children to to a Family Reunion so they can get to know relatives.

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  280. If i had a chance, I would go back to school to learn to teach and give back knowledge

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  290. I would love to take my daughter on a real vacation being that she is sick with kidney disease and myself with cancer we have never been able to,

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  292. If I had a chance I’d take my kids to the resort in Cuba where my husband & I were married. It’d be great to go back and show the girls where we were married, and I think they’d love Cuba!

    Reply

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