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Our famous sleek-designed quality heavy-duty ceramic mug displays Why Mom Deserves a Diamond logo on two sides. Popular 11 oz. size. Dishwasher safe. Makes a great gift that will preserve precious memories. -
In a collage of mind-blowing stories, author Diamond Mike Watson reveals the secrets of unlimited possibilities. Tales of Imagination is a children’s imagination book with twenty short stories and six poems. It is a classroom read-aloud book that invites readers to rediscover the childhood we once knew. Each tale encounters whimsical fantasy and unforgettable characters. These creative stories for children remind us that imagination is not an escape from reality-it is the door to understanding it. The greatest adventures are not always found in distant lands- they begin in our minds. From the Introduction: “Some may say these stories happened in real life. Others will say they only happened inside the abyss of my fantasies. In either case, one may agree that, in one way or another, every story in this book happened. Studies may one day show that being awake or being asleep may not be complete opposites. Whether in living or in dreaming, we all embrace a glowing ember of genius. I hope these stories will help blow life into the ember of every reader. From deep in the brain, there lies a secret place where everything is real.” As the founder of the nationally recognized Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest, Watson has inspired hundreds of thousands of young writers to read and to express their creativity through writing. For the school classroom or a good bedtime story, you will find yourself reading these tales over and over again. You will never look at the world the same way again.“Diamond Mike’s optimism is contagious, leaving students and teachers inspired to look upon any goal as attainable.” Cristina Barber. MacArthur Fundamental. Santa Ana.
“Thank you for again giving me this opportunity to enrich my students’ learning experience.” Susie Spargur. Chapman Hills Elementary. Orange.
“(Our students) will never forget your charisma and inspiring story!” Keeley Hayashi. Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Anaheim.
“You have made a difference in so many young lives – and a few old ones too.” June McCartin. Eastbluff Elementary. Newport Beach.
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The largest certificate displays the official gold-toned metallic star seal. The smallest certificate can be signed by your child, rolled into a small scroll, and inserted into the enclosed glass bottle.Four Keepsakes in One Beautiful Collection
If your child was an Orange County contest winner between 1993 and 2026, you can preserve their heartfelt essay with the new Winning Words Collection. The Winning Words Collection transforms words into four unforgettable keepsakes. Whether displayed in a frame, tucked inside a favorite book, carried in a wallet, or placed into a bottle of glowing starstones beside one's bed, each piece becomes a lasting memory.Personalized for Every Winning Student
Every collection is personalized using the original winning essay from our archives.
Professionally printed on elegant 22-lb bond vintage-inspired 8.5″ X 11″ vintage-inspired parchment, the collection includes 4-in-1 certificates: • 5” x 7” certificate • 2″ x 4.75″ Bookmark • 2″ x 3″ Wallet-size certificate • 1” x 1.5″ Miniature certificate for Words in a Bottle. Included is: • 10 ml Glass bottle with glowing starstones.Simply provide: •your child's name, •the approximate year and grade they won, and •the school they attended.
For Orange County schools, we maintain every winning essay dating back to 1993.
Glowing Starstones and Words in a Bottle
The included Words in a Bottle contains glowing starstones that absorb sunlight or indoor light and glow afterward, symbolizing how words shine long after they are written.
The Winning Words Collection creates a meaningful heirloom that can be passed from generation to generation.
After being charged with sunlight or bright indoor lighting, the starstones glow for several minutes and continue to shimmer for hours. The starstones are created with safe and non-toxic materials. Since the bottle is glass and contains small components, it is not appropriate for small children.Each collection is packaged in a protective box to arrive safely and ready to be cut, framed, laminated, or rolled into a scroll. Photos shown are samples for inspiration and presentation only and do not include frames. -
A Legendary Story of Perseverance.
Moon Over Mountains: The Search for Mom is a powerful memoir of adoption and the lifelong quest to discover one's origins. In this deeply personal narrative, Diamond Mike Watson recounts his twenty-year search for the woman who gave him life.
The end of his journey revealed a shocking discovery: his birthmother had died before he could find her. Before her death, she carried a secret to her grave- her baby was stillborn. For nearly four decades, while a family grieved a child they believed had never lived, that child was alive, searching for a family who never knew he existed.
Born in Indianapolis in 1958 and adopted at three days old, Watson was raised by loving adoptive parents in Southern Indiana. Although he felt loved, two questions forever haunted him - Who am I and where did I come from?
Beginning as a teenager armed with only his birthmother's name, a hospital bill, and a long-forgotten address, Watson embarks on a decades-long journey of dead ends and sealed records. His quest for one person transforms into the remarkable reunion of an entire family separated by decades of secrecy and loss.
Moon Over Mountains also offers insight into the history of closed adoptions in America and the challenges adoptees face when seeking access to their own records. Blended with lessons about forgiveness and the unconditional right to know where we came from, the memoir is enriched by vivid childhood memories and humorous adventures. Readers interested in adoption memoirs and family history will find this book deeply moving.
At its heart, Moon Over Mountains is a story of love -the love of a mother who raised a child, the love of a woman who made the difficult decision of relinquishment, and the love that inspires a son to spend a lifetime searching for the truth.
The conclusion of Watson's journey unfolds into the beginning of yet another- the search for his missing sister, Deborah Kay.
Moon Over Mountains continues to be an unparalleled chronicle of human spirit and a testament that all things are possible through intention and perseverance.
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For nearly half a century, Diamond Mike Watson searched for his origins. What began as a quest to find his birthmother became something far greater—his understanding of the nature of existence itself. What he discovered became Living Promises. Through eight simple but powerful principles, Living Promises: The Kingdom Within shows you how to recognize what has been within you all along. To love more deeply. Give more freely. Forgive completely. Live gratefully and joyfully. And face life courageously. PRE-ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY NOW — $24.95 Through Watson’s deeply personal reflections, Living Promises will help you:Finally, the book you’ve waited your whole life for.
Love yourself.Love others. Express your truth.Create each day.For those with deep curiosity: Living Promises explores: Who am I? Why am I here? What is truth? What is the Divine? And what is already within me? For parents: Living Promises offers simple principles and memorable stories that can help parents begin meaningful conversations with their children about how we treat ourselves, one another, and the world around us. For teachers: Living Promises contains dozens of reflective stories and poems that can become a classroom adventure for all grade levels. “Diamond Mike’s optimism is contagious, leaving students and teachers inspired to look upon any goal as attainable." —Cristina Barber. MacArthur Fundamental. Santa Ana. “Thank you for again giving me this opportunity to enrich my students’ learning experience.” —Susie Spargur. Chapman Hills Elementary. Orange. “(Our students) will never forget your charisma and inspiring story!” —Keeley Hayashi. Thomas Jefferson Elementary. Anaheim. “You have made a difference in so many young lives – and a few old ones too.” —June McCartin. Eastbluff Elementary. Newport Beach.
About the Author
At age seventeen, Mike Watson began a search for his roots that would last a lifetime. Although both his birth parents had already died, and his birthmother was told he was stillborn, Watson obtained a deep understanding of gratitude, love, and purpose.
In 1993, he created the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® writing contest to offer children, families, and educators an opportunity to reflect on the power of recognition and the appreciation of those significant in our lives.
Through decades of personal reflection, Watson has continued to explore a central question: What does it mean to fully live?From the Final Pages of Living Promises
"As you complete the circular journey of the Living Promises, you arrive where you have always been. Every step you have taken and every thought you have held has been its unfolding. And now, as you turn the final page, nothing new has been given—only revealed. As you close this book, you may notice something profound: the Kingdom is not a distant place to be found. It has lived within you from the very beginning.”Pre-Order Your Personally Signed First Edition
(Will be shipped in January.) *Book cover may vary slightly. -
The Legend of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond tells the remarkable story behind one of America's longest-running mother-appreciation writing contests. Founded in 1993 by jeweler and author Diamond Mike Watson, the contest began as a heartfelt tribute to the adoptive mother who raised him and to the birth mother he spent nearly twenty years searching for. What began with only a few hundred student essays has since expanded into a nationally recognized educational program that has reached sixteen states, inspiring hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and families.Through the simple writing prompt, "Why Mom Deserves a Diamond," students are encouraged to express their appreciation with a limited amount of words. Winning children experience an unforgettable moment as they read their essays aloud before placing a genuine gemstone into their mother's hand. While the gemstones become treasured keepsakes, Watson reveals that the greatest gift has always been the words.Blending memoir and inspiring stories, the book serves as a historical record of the contest itself. It includes a complete listing of every Diamond Winner since the inaugural contest in 1993, a timeline of photographs, the Fly Up program that encourages students to fully live their potential, and fascinating word-statistic charts revealing how generations of children described the people they love most. Together, these features provide a unique record into the language and expressions of young writers.
The Legend of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond celebrates the lasting influence of parents, teachers, and the written word. It reminds readers that appreciation is one of life's greatest gifts.
The book also shows the evolution of the FlyUp program, in which Diamond Mike has lectured to thousands of school kids about achieving their dreams.
A great keepsake for adults, teachers, children, and every parent of a Why Mom Deserves a Diamond gemstone winner.
The most precious gift is not a diamond placed in a mother's hand- it is the words spoken from a child's heart. Diamond Mike Watson.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2012 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
The closing chapter of an extraordinary publishing legacy.
Year Highlights
- 19,125 essays submitted
- 511 teachers participated
- Maximum words allowed- 22
- Grade levels 1-12
- 7,529 gemstone winners
- Final Mother's Book anthology published
- Expanded integration into the Common Core curriculum
Why You'll Love This Edition The final anthology in the series. It represents the culmination of twenty years of children's voices, family memories, and a national tradition dedicated to honoring mothers.
Order Today Once remaining copies are gone, no new editions will ever be printed. Own the final chapter of this remarkable story.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2011 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
For almost two decades, children from across America shared why their mothers mattered.
Year Highlights
- 19,750 essays submitted
- 610 teachers participated
- 8,140 gemstone winners
- First diamond awarded to a first-grade student
- Pink carnation seeds were launched in red balloons
Why You'll Love This Edition A celebration of nearly twenty years of memories, appreciation, and family connections.
Order Today A milestone edition worthy of every collection.
“I really enjoy watching my students labor over their entries for this contest. We all do this from our hearts.” -Robin Williams. Teacher.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2010 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
This year's theme emphasized the healing and inspiring power of positive words.
Year Highlights
- 21,655 essays submitted
- 705 teachers participated
- 25 teachers were contest judges
- Grade levels: 1-12
- Maximum words allowed: 25
- 2 diamonds awarded
- 8,113 gemstone winners
Why You'll Love This Edition A remarkable collection demonstrating how language can uplift and inspire.
Order Today One of the largest and most impactful anthologies ever produced.
“While creating the largest Mother’s Day essay contest in the nation was not Michael Watson’s intention, sharing an appreciation and love for all mothers certainly was. Without a doubt, he has succeeded.” -National Jeweler Magazine.
Positive words are living things. When written, they become real. When spoken, they have the power to heal, encourage and inspire. Throughout our lives, we remember the beautiful words spoken to us. -Diamond Mike Watson.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2009 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
What began as a humble tribute blossomed into a national celebration touching millions.
Year Highlights
- 19,734 essays received
- 214 Orange County schools participated
- 52 schools outside Orange County
- 694 teachers participated
- Maximum words allowed: 25
- Grade levels 1-12
- 2 diamonds awarded
- 6,300 gemstone winners
Why You'll Love This Edition A volume filled with some of the contest's most heartfelt and mature writing.
Order Today Own a book from one of the program's most influential years.
---In 1993, Diamond Mike Watson founded a writing contest in honor of his adoptive mother and the birthmother he had never known. The most creative contestant would receive a diamond. A girl named Margaret claimed her grand prize diamond. Like buried treasure, her enchanting poem sparkled deep within the mound of entries.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of kids have submitted words of love to the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest. The contest is now in honor of all moms, and this book is the story of how the largest mother’s appreciation contest in the nation was created.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2008 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
The contest's mission expanded beyond prizes to encourage kindness, appreciation, and reflection.
Year Highlights
- 16,148 essays submitted
- 167 Orange County schools participated
- 535 teachers participated
- Grade levels: 1-12
- Maximum words allowed: 25
- 2 diamonds awarded
- 5,000 gemstone winners
Why You'll Love This Edition A beautiful reminder that words have the power to strengthen families.
Order Today An inspiring keepsake celebrating the importance of gratitude.
---“We appreciate all the effort you put into this beautiful contest, and because the whole purpose is to share all the love that you have in your heart with other human beings.” Luz Vazquez. 2008 Diamond Mom.
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Are you in this book?
Contains all winning essays and unforgettable moments from the 2007 Why Mom Deserves a Diamond® contest.
This emotional year honored the life of Martha Watson with the first heart-shaped diamond award.
Year Highlights
- 15,521 essays received
- 505 teachers participated
- Maximum words allowed: 25
- Grade levels 1-12
- Heart-shaped diamonds awarded in honor of Martha Watson
- 4,000 gemstone winners
Why You'll Love This Edition One of the most meaningful and emotional volumes ever published.
Order Today A touching collector's edition filled with heartfelt memories.
“If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what are 25 words worth?” Orange County Register.
