Yearly Archives:2026

Winnie the Pooh or Eeyore. Which one are you?

When my son, Christopher, was very young his favorite toy character was Winnie the Pooh. I was happy with that as Winnie the Pooh was one of my heroes. Unlike many of us, Pooh knows what will make him happy, and he pursues it with passion. When the honey pot waits, he is not diverted by anything that gets in his way—not bees, not blustery days, not getting stuck in a tree.

He could teach us all about being persistent, single-minded, and never having a harsh word to say. Pooh was always happy no matter how hard things got for him. And isn’t that what we all want to be.

Because Pooh went after what he wanted, and worked until the end to attain it, his days were filled with accomplishments and successful adventures. Wouldn’t we want all of our days to be like this.

On the other hand, Pooh has a donkey friend named Eeyore. Unlike Pooh, Eeyore spends his days worrying, complaining, doubting, and insisting that nothing good will ever happen. He is the epidemy of “Oh woe is me”. At the end of the day, unlike Pooh who is reveling in a pot of honey, Eeyore has had the kind of day he had expected. Even predetermined with his attitude. Sad and unaccomplished.

We have all heard it said that we “reap what we sow.” We get from life what we ask of it. If we think we can or if we think we can’t, both are correct.

At the beginning of each day, we can choose to be Pooh, expecting to have fun, happiness and accomplishments; or we can make the choice to be an Eeyore. We can choose to worry about everything, complain that we will never have what we need, blame others for our plight in life, and pronounce at every turn that life has treated us unfairly. This not only robs us of today, but it prevents us from having any expectation of things being better tomorrow.

Our path to abundant living needs to begin with a choice of attitudes. We need to believe that we are meant to be happy, that we are meant to be prosperous, and that all good things await us. We write the script of our lives each day and every time we make a life choice. Let’s choose Pooh “and live happily ever after.”

– Mary Grace Musuneggi

Feb 11, 2026

Surviving Valentine’s Day 2026

“Follow your heart but take your brain with you.” – Alfred Adler

It seems we have barely finished taking down the Christmas decorations, when in every store Valentines appear. And, although Valentine’s Day should be something to look forward to in the doldrums of the winter; for many women, Valentine’s Day can bring us into the cold reality of defining us in terms of our relationships… or lack thereof.

For those of us over 50 years of age, we can remember how in elementary school, we would spend days decorating a shoe box, writing out Valentine cards and choosing the best card for that “someone special”; only to watch that “someone special” walk past our desk to give his “someone special” card to that too adorable, too sweet, “teacher’s pet” little girl, who wouldn’t have much as given him the time of day.

She would take the card and put it in her box with the other 15 “someone special’ cards she got that day. By the end of the school day, the amount and size and shape of the cards we received defined us as popular… or not; in the right clique…or not; pretty… or not … and so on.

And somehow 30 or 40 years later, nothing has changed.

Unless our current relationship is with our prince charming, our soul mate, our life partner, our spouse; or unless we are the adult version of the “teacher’s pet”, Valentine’s Day defines us as single, divorced, widowed; unhappily attached; sadly unattached; in the wrong relationship with the wrong person; or living with the person who just will never think to buy us flowers and candy, but they will get our car washed. No matter what, we will define ourselves in terms of our relationship on that day.

This holiday can attack self-esteem, produce anxiety, create confusion over lifestyles and cause a sense of inadequacy for women who are normally intelligent, successful, self-confident, and self-assured.

The whole reason for this is that we all have the need to be loved. And thanks to Cinderella and “Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts, we believe that romantic love is the ultimate form of love. And Valentine’s Day is all about romantic love.

So how do you survive this if you are not currently in a romantically loving relationship? You can begin by focusing on who you love and who loves you. Even if this is your kid sister or your mom, you can be reassured that you are a lovable person. Hang out with your mom. Take your little sister shopping. Share a bottle of wine with your best friend. Spend some time being grateful for who you are and what is special about you. These thoughts will reassure you and remind you of your self-worth while restoring your self-esteem.

Plan to spend February revisiting the goals you had set for yourself going into the new year. Concentrate on the things that are important to you. Do something special for yourself. Go to a spa, get a professional pedicure, or get a massage.

Send a Valentine’s card to everyone you know. You will feel good for doing it and they will feel great for receiving it. And for some people, this may be the only card they get. Write on each card, “For Someone Special”. Prepare your favorite dinner, have a glass of wine and watch your favorite movie. Use this time to become the kind of person you would love or the person you would love to be. Use the day to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Use the day to create a special memory.

 Valentine’s Day will come and go. Memories can last forever.

– Mary Grace Musuneggi