Posts Tagged ‘Mia and Happy Dog’
2023 January 8 California USA – Blog post #618
I (Teresa Jade LeYung) wish everyone, wherever you are - peace, safety, kindness, light, love, joy.
In the San Francisco Bay area, we have had heavy rain and wild winds.
During illness last week, I listened to the reading of THE LITTLE PRINCE (LE PETIT PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) three times. Thank you, dear Elisa Sasa Southard https://sasasouthard.com/, for having introduced me to this remarkable fable years ago. Took me long enough to enjoy this book! Now I see why you love this story.
THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry narrated by Kenneth Branagh
At around 1 hour, 19 minutes and 50 seconds into the story …
Fox tells the Little Prince: “Here’s my secret. It’s quite simple. One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”
The Little Prince repeated the Fox’s words in order to remember.-”Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”
Fox says: “It’s the time you spend on your rose that makes your rose so important.”
The Little Prince repeated in order to remember. “It’s the time I spend on my rose…”
Fox says: “You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose …. “
Thank you, YouTube channel user Read Aloud Books https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvERNl6csog 1:45:45
Thank you, YouTube channel user Christopher Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APG1upS8LDw 1:45:45
About Antoine de Saint-Exupéry https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoine-de-Saint-Exupery
I wish to include in this blog post names of other beloved authors of children’s books and books for young readers:
Maria Kawah Leung https://mariakawah.com/ Mia and Happy Dog are the two main characters in LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong In An Unhappy Home
Frances Kakugawa https://franceskakugawa.wordpress.com/ Wordsworth is the main character in Frances’s wonderful series.
Edward C. Hartshorn https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Sandy-River-Edward-Hartshorn/dp/1953198007/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Scot and Clayton are the two main characters in GHOSTS OF THE BIG SANDY RIVER.
T.E. Watson https://www.tewatsononline.com/ Paper and Wind are the two main characters in A PLACE TO BE.
Robert D. San Souci https://www.kqed.org/news/10389946/mourning-childrens-book-author-robert-d-san-souci and https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Author-Robert-San-Souci-screenwriter-for-6022631.php
E.B. White (Elwyn Brooks White) https://www.britannica.com/biography/E-B-White
Beatrix Potter https://beatrixpottersociety.org.uk/
Thank you for reading my blog post “The Little Prince, Little Heroes of Bay Street, Wordsworth the Poet, Scot and Clayton, Paper and Wind – Main Characters in Books”
I wish everyone, wherever you are - peace, safety, kindness, light, love, joy.
Sincerely,
Teresa Jade LeYung
Story Theme Consultant / Photo Historian / Author / Public Library and Public School Advocate
http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com goes to Teresa’s Blog
Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”
Love Made Of Heart ®
USA Federal government offering 4 COVID home test kits (2 boxes) for winter prep
https://www.covid.gov/tests or https://special.usps.com/testkits
Master teacher and practitioner of Chi Nei Tsang GILLES MARIN’s blog post: “Detoxifying from Vaccines with Herbs, Fruits and Vegetables”
https://www.chineitsang.com/post/detoxifying-from-vaccines-with-herbs-fruits-and-vegetables
2022 June 26, 21:18; June 27, 01:00; June 28, 13:00, 23:16 California
Teresa Jade LeYung here saying “Thank you, Kim McMilllon, Ph.D., for having children’s book author Maria Kawah Leung on your show “Writers On Writing”. You both are Heroines / Heroes!”
To watch the 39-minute interview https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q
Maria Kawah Leung https://mariakawah.com/ is the author of the delightfully illustrated book
LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong In An Unhappy Home
which is endorsed by Hannah Yeoh who is a Member of Parliament in Malaysia.
The main characters in LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET are Mia (a little girl) and her Happy Dog (who is much much more than a stuffed animal)
Kim McMillon asks: “Maria, why did you write your book?”
At the first words, Maria Kawah Leung shows courage …
Maria: “Kim, I’m very much honored… because I am a behind-the-scenes kind of person, but, because of my book Little Heroes of Bay Street, it’s important for me to get the message out there… about domestic violence.”
Maria: “Happy Dog has been my best friend since I was 6 years old. He helped me survived watching my father abuse my mother. When I was little, and this was happening, I thought that my family was the only one in the entire world that this was happening to. So, it was very scary. And I felt very lonely. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I found out that other families had the same situation….”
Maria: “I wanted to de-stigmatize this issue [domestic violence], so that people don’t think it’s something that happens ‘to those kinds of people’. It happens everywhere, all cultures, all social economic statuses. I want to raise awareness. Especially for the children. And the mothers. That’s why I wrote a children’s book. Whereas my sister [ Teresa Jade LeYung] wrote an adult novel Love Made Of Heart.”
Kim: “The books you and your sister write help community, families, helping people understand just how prevalent and how dangerous domestic violence is.”
Maria: “I wish I had a book like this when I was little. That’s why I wrote it. For the children. For the teachers to be aware. No teacher was ever aware that I was going through all this pain. I didn’t act out in school. It’s not like I brought attention to myself.”
Maria: “I’m hoping that through my book… that every teacher would get a copy… and school counselors… nurses… so that they can be aware, and, look out for signs, and reach out to these children.”
Maria: “It’s NOT an easy thing. It’s NOT an easy thing for a teacher to approach the parents. Because of feeling ashamed. I felt ashamed when I was abused. I thought people were going to say ‘She must be stupid or uneducated’ or ‘ she brought it onto herself’. You have to be brave and confront the parents so that they can seek help.’
Kim asks Maria about Happy Dog …
Maria: I was 6 years old, my brother Vitus was 10. My brother had asked our parents to get Happy Dog for me…. At the store, my brother saw him [Happy Dog] on the top shelf. One of a kind. No tags. Nothing. I think he’s an alien from somewhere. There he was, already kind of tattered… people must have played with him. His arm already needed sewing.”
(please watch/listen to the interview to find out who Happy Dog is a successor of)
To watch the 39-minute interview https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q
Maria: “A few years ago, artist Chandra Garsson, a dear friend of my sister Teresa’s, gave him [Happy Dog] … would you say botox? New lips altogether. Thanks to Chandra, he looks brand new.”
Maria: “Maybe I didn’t publish the book until now… because I wrote it ten years ago… because I felt ashamed that I grew up in a family with violence and that I also experienced it myself [when I was an adult] … that people might think I’m childish because I still cherish my childhood toy. Now I’m old enough to realize I don’t care what other people think. It’s a healthy thing for children to have somebody or some thing to make them feel safe… to go to their happy place.”
Kim: “I remember your mother. She was extraordinary beautiful. [ Rita ] I had great admiration for her.”
Maria: (holds up photo of herself and Happy Dog with her mother) “My mother was dying of metastasized breast cancer in 1999… Yes, she’s beautiful. Powerful. And she’s a powerful guardian angel now.”
Maria: “I’m not trying to tell happy children in happy homes that they should know about all these horrible things that happen in the world. But if it’s a friend in the classroom… you want to help that friend.”
Maria: (showing audience pages from her book; pages 22 and 23 where Ms. Chavez tells Mia that it is not Mia’s job to make her parents happy. )
Maria talks about the illustration on page 22 – about the pictures of the two people on the classroom wall. “… my real life fourth grade teacher, I loved her, but she didn’t see any signs that I needed help. But she was a wonderful teacher. And that’s my friend Mayhar A. Amouzegar, provost at University of New Orleans. He has published several novels. And he writes nonfiction for his work. All these inspirational people in my life.”
Kim: “I found your book so inspirational. I love it. It’s so important. I felt it was healing for you, pouring out that experience, that it could help another person. I thought that was beautiful.”
Maria: “If I can reach as many children as possible and help them heal … when children witness violence at a young age….”
Kim: “When I saw your book was out, I was so proud of you, Maria. I just adore you and I’m so happy that you’re doing so great for the world. I do believe helping people to overcome issues is one of the greatest things, in service to others, so, thank you for so much service to others.”
Maria: “During lockdown of this pandemic, domestic violence has skyrocketed…. Please reach out to people because it’s scary for everybody, this pandemic. There’s fear, there’s hatred, it’s a scary time. Help the families out there now.”
https://mariakawah.com/ has resources for families in USA and Malaysia
To watch the 39-minute interview https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q
Please help LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET get into all branches of public libraries https://www.worldcat.org/
Where to purchase Maria’s book: LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong In An Unhappy Home
The book is available in 3 formats - Hard cover; paperback; ebook – written in 2 languages – English and Chinese (simplified characters).
Soon the book will also be available in Spanish and Bahasa Malaysia.
Amazon Paperback edition https://www.amazon.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Simplified/dp/1543759815/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1610550303&sr=8-1
Amazon E-Book edition https://www.amazon.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Simplified-ebook/dp/B08L6224B1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652110887&sr=1-1
BookDepository Paperback https://www.bookdepository.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Maria-Kawah-Leung/9781543759815?ref=grid-view&qid=1656449469019&sr=1-2
BookDepository Hardcover https://www.bookdepository.com/Little-Heroes-Bay-Street-Maria-Kawah-Leung/9781543759839#
Barnes & Noble Paperback https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-heroes-of-bay-street-maria-kawah-leung/1137780986?ean=9781543759815
Barnes & Noble NOOK e-book https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-heroes-of-bay-street-maria-kawah-leung/1137780986?ean=9781543759822
To watch the 39-minute interview https://youtu.be/p-YMEPfwp2Q
https://mariakawah.com/
Educator, children’s book author, children’s advocate Maria Kawah Leung says:
“Creating my book LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET to help children feel that they are not alone has been a life-long goal. Empowering children to overcome obstacles is my passion.”
Dr. Kim McMillon, thank you again for having Maria Kawah Leung and Happy Dog on your show.
Maria, Happy Dog and Mia, thank you for being so brave. YOU are all beautiful and mighty Heroes!
Everyone, thank you for reading my blog post:
“Educator, children’s book author, children’s advocate Maria Kawah Leung says “Domestic Violence Awareness is about Helping the Families”
I wish you peace and wellness always!
Teresa Jade LeYung
Proud sister of Maria Kawah Leung and proud auntie of Happy Dog
Story Theme Consultant / Photo Historian / Author / Public Library and Public School Advocate
http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog
Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”
Love Made Of Heart ®
“MIT new study – Time spent indoors increases risk of COVID at 6 feet or 60 feet…”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/mit-researchers-say-youre-no-safer-from-covid-indoors-at-6-feet-or-60-feet-in-new-study.html
2021 March 14, 21:38; March 15, 14:47; March 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27; amended 2021 March 27, 07:44
Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog Post #604
Last week, I was at a place not far from where I live - to escape from construction noise (neighbors modifying their house to “age in place”). While I am happy for anyone who can do that … the persistent noise produced by power tools and hammers reactivated my persistent pain pathways in such a way that I don’t have words to describe the sensations. For sure they are “unpleasant” and “undesirable”.
On March 10, at this place of tranquility, I woke up to the sound of power pruning. NO! I thought Am I being tested?
On March 11, another unpleasant incident occupied my thoughts.
On March 12, I read the email from kindhearted mentor author Margaret R. Davis. Margaret asked: “Teresa, can’t you apply the very same principles you use to reduce pain to block out the irritation of the construction noise?”
Margaret is referring to what I have learned and what I continue to learn from Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Danielle Rosenman, Professor Lorimer Moseley about retraining my brain / practicing neuroplasticity.
Thank you, Margaret! Thank you to ALL the dear hearts in my life who care about my well-being. I am most grateful!
Soothing thoughts. I thought about LaH who delivered me to this lovely place and how MT, SS, NN individually visited me and brought delicious foods, and, everyone who sent cards, emails, text-messages, voicemail, thoughts, prayers.
On the evening of March 13, 2021, I wanted to watch the movie PRIVATE BENJAMIN (starring Goldie Hawn) again.
Well, not only did I find clips on YouTube, but also, I was rewarded with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsGZZA3LNM Ms. Goldie Hawn’s inspiring presentation “Importance of Mindfulness”
I was overjoyed listening to Ms. Goldie Hawn’s sharing stories of children learning about how their brains work, and talking about their amygdala, prefrontal cortex … what is neuroplasticity, practicing “Brain Breaks” (meditation) with their teachers three times a day in school, using soothing thoughts to quiet their hardworking brains, and, the children going home to share their knowledge with their parents and other family members.
At 19 minutes Ms. Hawn shows the audience a film on MindUP – the signature program for children of the Goldie Hawn Foundation.
At 39 minutes Ms. Hawn talks about intentions; to witness thoughts, and not get attached to them.
[ Teresa Jade LeYung here…
“Wow, witness my thoughts but not get attached to them. I thought about my lineage…. If as children my grandparents on both sides were given the opportunities to practice this skill, then, as adults they would have passed it onto their children (my parents), and my parents would have passed it onto me and my siblings.
“My parents were young people during World War II; my mother was orphaned; my father had to leave home to find work and send money to support his mother and siblings; then, they experienced colonization . . . such chaotic lives . . . and no one to teach them how to create peace for their beautiful brains.
“Last week, while I was at that lovely place that turned out to be not so tranquil, I said to my pals ‘I am what I think.’ If I am to truly heal from persistent pain and unpleasant sensations (all produced by Beautiful Brain), I must practice detaching myself from worrisome thoughts, and, use soothing thoughts to create pleasant sensations.” ]
* * * * * * *
https://mindup.org/ says: “Since 2003, MindUP has been helping children develop the mental fitness necessary to thrive in school and throughout their lives.
MindUP is the signature program of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created in response to the global epidemic of childhood aggression, anxiety, depression and suicide. Based firmly in neuroscience, MindUP gives children the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions and face the challenges of the 21st century with optimism, resilience and compassion.”
* * * * * * * *
Above graphics of the brain is from TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION workbook
by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO
http://www.neuroplastix.com
https://shop.neuroplastix.com/Neuroplastic-Transformation-Workbook-92-W8PZ-LIIY.htm
[ Teresa Jade LeYung here…
“I wonder if Dr. Moskowitz, Dr. Golden or Dr. Danielle Rosenman know about Ms. Hawn’s foundation and that the children in the MindUP program know what their Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex and other parts of their brains do and how they (the children) learn to develop mental fitness.
“In our family, no one taught us anything resembling mental fitness.
“The adults were inept. In the 1970s, my escape was watching movies from the 1940′s, but, many of the characters in those films were lost souls. Our brother turned to music. Our little sister relied on her imagination; her stuffed animal companion Happy Dog was her loyal and gentle confidant.
“As an adult, my sister always chose careers that involved helping children. She is Maria Kawah Leung – author of LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong in an Unhappy Home. The protagonists in her illustrated book are Mia and Happy Dog. To hear a reading of Maria Kawah Leung’s book by Hannah Yeoh, a member of Parliament in Malaysia, and to hear Happy Dog’s message to children, and Maria’s comforting words to children and adults … watch on Youtube https://youtu.be/9k8DLcJlvVg
“If MindUP had existed during our childhood . . . I can just see my little sister coming home to show our parents how to “quiet their hardworking brains” ]
* * * * * * *
https://mindup.org/
The heroes at MindUP announce: “We are happy to announce MindUP will now be rebranded to MindUP For Life. Evolving the visual identity to embody its new holistic direction.
We are thrilled to unveil our new brand identity and share with you that MindUP is evolving to become MindUP for Life. After many years as a school-based program for educators, MindUP for Life will now also be available to parents, families, and adults. This rebranding marks an exciting time in MindUP’s history, as we are launching the 2nd edition of our curriculum as well as an interactive online platform projected to launch this spring to support our growing audience. Over the last few months, we have worked with the amazing team at Le Parc Design to create a new image that would accurately depict our growth and helps us impact as many individuals as possible.
To foster children’s well-being through educational programs based in neuroscience and mindful practice.
Based firmly in neuroscience, MindUP teaches the skills and knowledge children need to regulate their stress and emotion, form positive relationships, and act with kindness and compassion.”
Ms. Goldie Hawn explains how brain breaks and meditation have a positive effect on our neurobiology https://mindup.org/category/mindup-at-home/
* * * * * * *
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading this blog post: Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Everywhere I go, I learn about our beautiful brains. This week, MindUP, Ms. Goldie Hawn’s foundation”
I wish you and your beautiful brains – safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, smiles, sweet laughter, soothing thoughts and more soothing thoughts!
Sincerely,
Teresa Jade LeYung
Theme Consultant / Platform-Building Coach
Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”
www.TeresaJadeLeYung.com
Coach Teresa’s workbook -
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW — print edition and ebook
http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com takes you to Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung’s blog - resources regarding our beautiful brains / persistent pain / depression / wellness
Love Made Of Heart ®
Teresa Jade LeYung says “Be kind to our beautiful brains.”