Listen and Love, Love, Love

What is the key to raising great kids?It’s simple: listen...and love, love, love!As told by Lisa Royse: When our mom (Julianne) turned 70, my sisters and I surprised her with a dream trip to New York City. We stayed in a fancy hotel near Times Square, explored Central Park, shopped in Chinatown, saw a Broadway show, and visited the Today Show, a staple in our home every morning growing up.Wearing matching 'I ♥ NY' shirts, we made it on TV to celebrate her milestone birthday. But the magic didn’t stop there. We were invited backstage at NBC and ended up on the Hoda & Jenna Show where our mom played a beach trivia game and won a trip to St. Martin!After the game, Hoda said, 'You have three happy, beautiful daughters. What’s your best parenting advice?' Without missing a beat, our mom smiled and replied, 'Listen and love, love, love!' Hoda placed her hand over her heart and said, 'It really is that simple, isn’t it?'Hoda was so moved, she repeated the phrase on the show and in later interviews. It became part of our family lore-and the inspiration for this book.Because sometimes, the secret to parenting and love really is that simple.Listen and love, love, love!This story resonated deeply with me, as I think it beautifully illustrates how we can build the strongest relationships, and is the best way we can change our world for the better. So, I asked if I could use it to write a children’s book, and Julianne said YES!This book is dedicated to my granddaughter, Aza, in the hopes that she grows up in a world that puts this into practice, and that she follows the Light and helps lead the way!