Eyres On The Road

Today Linda and Richard talk about some of the Christmas traditions, rituals, and ideas that have worked for their family over the years. These range from trivial ideas like hanging the Christmas tree from the ceiling so kids can't push it over to big ideas like how to escape Santa and commercialism on Christmas Eve by focusing entirely on Christ and on giving by staging an imaginative "Jerusalem Supper."

The Eyres share some recent tough times including several deaths within their immediate families and close circle of friends, and discuss the learning and perspective that can come with grief. This rolls into the word "align" (ALN) and some thoughts on how we can more deliberately align our goals with our reality, our character with our ideals, and our will with the will of God.

The Eyres are casting from the Yucatan today, and thinking about how we can make our children and grandchildren more empathetic, more aware, and more truly "citizens of the world." In the second half of the show, Richard and Linda shift to a more personal vein and talk about recent tragedies; and discuss how thinking and talking more openly about death can produce genuine interpersonal and family benefits.

This episode (despite the fact that Richard has almost lost his voice from the Thanksgiving revelry) is about Thanksgiving and Christmas family traditions and how these rituals are more than fun little habits--they are the glue that holds families together, and observing them and making a big deal of them is important. And its not a bad idea to modify and create new traditions that teach the values we want our kids to have.

Today, Linda and Richard delve into their favorite word (and favorite holiday) "Thanks-giving." They discuss how real gratitude is more than a path or a way to happiness--that real, heart-felt thankfulness actually IS happiness in its most obtainable form. But as the Eyres point out, there is a fork in the road of gratitude and one path leads off toward pride while the other produces real humility. See Meridian Magazine or instagram @richardlindaeyre for more.

The Eyres devote this episode to their love of books, and give a few clues about their own forthcoming books; and talk about writing in general and the various publications they are publishing articles and poems in these days. But they begin the show with November Thanks-giving and with their conviction that "Gratitude is not the path to happiness, gratitude IS happiness in its most obtainable form."

This episode is about the Eyres' concern that most of us don't read (or write) poetry anymore. In earlier generations, poetry was a key form of entertainment and expression and caused a very different kind of thought than today's texting, messaging, and social media. The goal of a prose writer is to help his reader understand, but the goal of a poet is to help his reader feel. Read Richard's poetry online every Monday in Meridian Magazine.

In this episode, the Eyres explore the win-lose culture that we and our kids live in, and discuss the question of how competing and improving and winning can be given a more positive and win-win spin. How can we teach our kids to be motivated to improve and win within themselves rather than measuring by whether or not they can beat someone else? Here are some ideas in the family and the spiritual realm.

Yesterday Richard, while traveling, ran into a man who had detailed memories of the TV show the Eyres hosted years ago which was called Families are Forever. It started some thought about some of the unique national and local media experiences they have had and they dropped their planned topic and just reminisced about media experiences and about how the common love all parents have for their children should unite this divided world.

Linda is on an outing with her four daughters and daughters in law this week, so Richard takes the opportunity to interview his good friend and publisher Christopher Robbins and the two of them talk about trends, changes, and the future both of families and of publishing. Christopher's book company is called Familius, and it exclusively publishes books that seek to help parents and families. See Familius.com.

The Eyres continue their 3-letter lesson series (which will become a hybrid book) with INC which is not a corporation but an abbreviation for Inclusive which is what the world needs now and the opposite of the exclusive, divisive, polarizing attitudes that dominate our politics and our news and divide our communities and churches and families. Inclusivity is the answer! See the connected poem on Instagram @RichardLindaEyre.

In today's episode, Richard and Linda get into their own personal love of music and sports and the extensive efforts they see parents putting in to get their kids to all the teams and lessons and extracurriculars they are involved in. Then they pose the question "is it too much?" and why don't kids have jobs outside the home as they grow up like the parents did, learning responsibility and how to deal with money.

Today, the Eyres get back into their Three-Letter Lesson series and talk about an expanded view of the word SEE. Can we look harder, notice more, become more aware of beauty, of people, of situations, and even of the Divine. Can we tap into the Spirit and thus see more? Can we see deeper inside of ourselves as well as further outside of ourselves; and can this sharper, more perceptive seeing turn into true understanding and empathy?

(Rerun from 05/28/22) After a family week in Costa Rica and a few days in LA for Richard's national tennis tournament, the Eyre's are casting today from Phoenix where their granddaughter's high school graduation. They are joined on today's podcast by their daughter Shawni, a prominent mom-blogger (71toes.com) in a discussion of UNITY in politics, in communities, in Church, and in Families. Are we more divided than ever before, and what is the path to more UNITY?

In this episode, the Eyres begin by talking about their return from New York and their week with family as a granddaughter leaves for a mission in Australia. They then shift to an online seminar Richard is preparing called "How to LIVE" with month-long sections on How to LIVE physically, How to LIVE mentally, How to LIVE emotionally, How to LIVE socially, and How to LIVE spiritually. Write to EyresGrandparenting101@gmail.com if you want to participate.

In this episode, the Eyres talk about the power and recent popularity of three-generation families--of parents and grandparents working together for the good of the grandkids. Richard and Linda will keynote a national online Grandparent's Day conference on September 10 at GrandparentsAcademy.com where you can register for free. The best experts on grandparenting and on parent-grandparent communication will be featured from Sept. 10 to 16.

Lots of people have heard of "Joy School" and the Eyres are constantly asked exactly what it is. On today's episode they talk about the origins of "social-emotional learning" and how important it has become in modern education. Then they tell the story of how the non-academic preschool curriculum of Joy School came about and how moms form neighborhood co-op Joy School groups and rotate as teacher.

Richard flies solo today and talks about the brand new book that he edited, called NO DIVISION AMONG YOU. He feels like the polarization--and the "five D's" that go with it: discord, division, dissension, dismissal, and disrespect, are tearing apart our country, our communities, and even our churches and families. This new book, now available on Amazon, and at Deseret Book, contains 14 essays from diverse but committed Church members that can help us find UNITY.

The 29th installment in their ongoing series on "3-letter lessons" is the dual success formula "W&P" which on the temporal level is WORK AND PLAN, involving setting goals, creating plans, and working to achieve our own ends. But the Eyres suggest a higher, more spiritual formula for success where W&P stands for scriptural couplets: WATCH AND PRAY, WONDER AND PONDER, WAIT AND PATIENCE, AND WORSHIP AND PRAISE.

In today's episode, the Eyres tackle the question of whether AI is our friend or foe, of whether Artificial Intelligence can control us, can develop intimate relationships with us, and can eventually destroy us. Richard and Linda juxtaposition the hopelessness of an atheist view where we are overmatched by the first Alien Intelligence to ever exist with the hope of a faith-based view where there is a Divine Intelligence that has a plan for us all.