Coffee Time Reflections with Silvia Escobar

When I look at my dining table, I see a lifetime of stories. We bought this dining set when our third child, Isaac, was born (he’s 31 now). We didn’t know it then, but we were getting ready to fill that eight seat table up! This is the table I homeschooled our kids at. Where… Seguir leyendo The Table That Remembers

There are many things that are a result of something else. Health is a result of eating healthy and exercise. A clean house is a result of good cleaning habits. Having good relationships is a result of working hard on them. Gratitude is no exception. I think gratitude is, at least partly, a result of… Seguir leyendo Teaching our kids Gratitude

One of my favorite things when I was homeschooling our kids was reading out loud to them. I so enjoyed reading a variety of books throughout the 25 years I homeschooled. From classics like The Chronicles of Narnia, to historical fiction like Johnny Tremain, to themed stories of Christmas and family, I absolutely loved it.The… Seguir leyendo The hidden value of reading

“Mom, did you hear me? What did I say?” That was the phrase I was always trying to prevent with my kids. If you have kids, you know that’s no small challenge. They can talk a lot and for a long time. And even though it’s challenging to listen the whole time, the gift of… Seguir leyendo The Gift of Attention

My dad came from Mexico when he was 21. Entrepreneurship was in his blood since he was a kid. He dropped out of school to help his mom raise the other five kids, even though he wasn’t the oldest. He would sell gelatin in the streets because he didn’t want her to have to do… Seguir leyendo The Power of Seeing Someone Go First

When I was growing up, my parents owned a store, and we lived behind it and later above it. There was always work to do, and I loved it. Whether I was pricing merchandise, stocking shelves, working the register, or helping in the butcher section, I’d much rather work in the store than cook or… Seguir leyendo Teaching Our Kids Life Skills

There is a notorious story in the Bible called the Good Samaritan. It is about a man who was beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. Two religious leaders passed by and did not help. Then a Samaritan, a man who would have been considered an outsider and even an enemy,… Seguir leyendo How to Make a Bigger Difference Than You Think

I was reading a book recently that highlighted the difference between these two words:“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” — Peter DruckerHave you ever spent an entire day checking things off your list, yet still felt like you neglected something important? I know there are responsibilities we simply have to… Seguir leyendo The Dishes Could Wait

When we moved from the city to the suburbs, one of the things I did not anticipate was the discrimination and microaggressions my kids would experience growing up in a mostly white community. In fact, in the year 2000, I didn’t even know what the word microaggression meant! The Merriam Webster gives this definition: a… Seguir leyendo Preparing our kids to handle disrespect and microaggressions

This summer, Arturo and I visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens. My favorite spot is the Bonsai exhibit. I am always in awe of the age of these little trees, ranging from 35 to over 100 years old! You may not know this, but Arturo studied agricultural engineering. He commented, as we went from bonsai to… Seguir leyendo Overcoming guilt and regret