It must be the draw up to Christmas, but love is in the air.
I am feeling and hearing a lot of gratitude and appreciation for the work people are doing and for the contribution they are having. Be it through Christmas cards, thank you notes, group dinners, love is present.
Anyone else noticing it too?
The cynical part of me, says why do we have to wait til the end of the year to express our thanks to the people around us, and then I think, who cares?
Isn't it wonderful that we do it at least once a year?
So what have you heard from others about what they are grateful to you for? Have you been listening to the positive words people are saying about you? Or did you brush it off? I have a tendency to brush compliments off, but now and I again, I pause and listen and realize that the person giving the gift of gratitude is also getting something from the exchange and me brushing it off, is not very considerate!
This allows me to indulge and be gracious in the receiving of it.
Another question. Have you been showing your gratitude? Is there anyone left that you still need to reach out to and acknowledge their impact on your life?
There is still time.
So if you do nothing else today, grab a pen and paper, draft that email and go thank someone for something wonderful. Go on, do it right away.
It feels great and its contagious.
Go spread the love.
It was simply just fun
A few weeks ago I blogged about a situation we had found ourselves in where we needed help.
It was quite a dark time and we needed to hunker down and huddle together as a family. We brainstormed ideas, talked to specialists and devised a strategy. We even put together a mind map. Pretty eh!
A few weeks later, after multiple reaches out for help and receiving it, we are in a better place. We have made progress.
The signal of the better place came on Friday.
It did not come handed to us on a plate, we had to fight for it, but the gift came.
Through the local authorities we had uncovered a group where teens with difficulties come together. The idea is that cool kids hang out on Friday nights, so why can't kids with difficulties do the same.
Its a group of about 10 kids with a range of challenges, some more extreme than others, but they have one big thing in common. Somehow they don't fit the mold.
They come together and decide what they are going to do, be it bake, go the movies, play sports etc. and in a structured way and with supervision. It's actually a pretty cool agenda.
After coaxing my daughter to attend for a second time, she went along. She really enjoyed the first meeting, but somehow got cold feet as the days passed. So with a bit of gentle persuasion she agreed to try it again. Deep down in my heart of hearts, I wanted this group to work. My gut told me that she would fit in and be loved for who she is. The kids would see in her what we do. A kind, gentle little girl who just needs a safe circle of buddies. A wonderful and fun little girl who likes to joke and laugh but often doesn't find the smile.
As she walked in, the group beamed from ear to ear. Hi Lili one boy shouted, come sit here Lili said the other. Immediately they made space for her at the table and handed her the pens so she could join in the activity. She fit in. She was included.
Three hours later she was collected and was overflowing with excitement. She had loved it.
When I asked her what she loved about it, she said. "It was simply just fun"
And therin lay the magic!
It was quite a dark time and we needed to hunker down and huddle together as a family. We brainstormed ideas, talked to specialists and devised a strategy. We even put together a mind map. Pretty eh!
A few weeks later, after multiple reaches out for help and receiving it, we are in a better place. We have made progress.
The signal of the better place came on Friday.
It did not come handed to us on a plate, we had to fight for it, but the gift came.
Through the local authorities we had uncovered a group where teens with difficulties come together. The idea is that cool kids hang out on Friday nights, so why can't kids with difficulties do the same.
Its a group of about 10 kids with a range of challenges, some more extreme than others, but they have one big thing in common. Somehow they don't fit the mold.
They come together and decide what they are going to do, be it bake, go the movies, play sports etc. and in a structured way and with supervision. It's actually a pretty cool agenda.
After coaxing my daughter to attend for a second time, she went along. She really enjoyed the first meeting, but somehow got cold feet as the days passed. So with a bit of gentle persuasion she agreed to try it again. Deep down in my heart of hearts, I wanted this group to work. My gut told me that she would fit in and be loved for who she is. The kids would see in her what we do. A kind, gentle little girl who just needs a safe circle of buddies. A wonderful and fun little girl who likes to joke and laugh but often doesn't find the smile.
As she walked in, the group beamed from ear to ear. Hi Lili one boy shouted, come sit here Lili said the other. Immediately they made space for her at the table and handed her the pens so she could join in the activity. She fit in. She was included.
Three hours later she was collected and was overflowing with excitement. She had loved it.
When I asked her what she loved about it, she said. "It was simply just fun"
And therin lay the magic!
Bookshelf !
Last night as I went home I was staggered to see the below bookshelf in my living room.
It blew me away. It was stunning. And seemingly came from nowhere.
For over a year we had discussed and debated buying or building a bookshelf as we both believe that books are part of our lives and as such should be on show. A room without books kind of misses a soul. So we were on the search for a book shelf to enhance our room.
So after deliberating, we decided we would have one made and we would use existing wood to capture history and the essence of former parts of the house. As far as I was concerned that was a project for 2020...........
You see when our old 70's designed fireplace was ripped out last year and replaced with a more modern glass version, the old oak mantelpiece that hung over the open fire was removed. At the time I asked the fireplace builders to keep the wood and to minimize the damage. I didn't know what I wanted it for, but I knew it would come in handy.
So this weekend, my husband sat at his deck with his ruler, pencil and squared paper and designed a bookshelf. I had recently come across a "book tree" through the internet searching or maybe even on facebook and had sent it to him as a form of inspiration.
Anyway today is Friday and yesterday I took the photo. Basically between Saturday drawing up the plans and ideas, my husband had found a carpenter and mobilized the whole thing!!!
It took 4 days - start to finish. I would like to think I had some contribution to this in terms of inspiration and motivation, but it in terms of execution and follow through, my husband wins out!!
I am in awe of this piece of art/furniture and hugely impressed with my husbands ability to pull it off in 4 days.
So what project is on your mind? What is stopping you achieving it?
Everyone has a book tree problem waiting to be solved. Are you going to solve your this year?
It blew me away. It was stunning. And seemingly came from nowhere.
For over a year we had discussed and debated buying or building a bookshelf as we both believe that books are part of our lives and as such should be on show. A room without books kind of misses a soul. So we were on the search for a book shelf to enhance our room.
So after deliberating, we decided we would have one made and we would use existing wood to capture history and the essence of former parts of the house. As far as I was concerned that was a project for 2020...........
You see when our old 70's designed fireplace was ripped out last year and replaced with a more modern glass version, the old oak mantelpiece that hung over the open fire was removed. At the time I asked the fireplace builders to keep the wood and to minimize the damage. I didn't know what I wanted it for, but I knew it would come in handy.
So this weekend, my husband sat at his deck with his ruler, pencil and squared paper and designed a bookshelf. I had recently come across a "book tree" through the internet searching or maybe even on facebook and had sent it to him as a form of inspiration.
Anyway today is Friday and yesterday I took the photo. Basically between Saturday drawing up the plans and ideas, my husband had found a carpenter and mobilized the whole thing!!!
It took 4 days - start to finish. I would like to think I had some contribution to this in terms of inspiration and motivation, but it in terms of execution and follow through, my husband wins out!!
I am in awe of this piece of art/furniture and hugely impressed with my husbands ability to pull it off in 4 days.
So what project is on your mind? What is stopping you achieving it?
Everyone has a book tree problem waiting to be solved. Are you going to solve your this year?
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