I had NO idea that rainbows were any type of sign to look for a loved one you had lost.
I am in Oregon and my family is in Utah, so when I heard the news of my brother unexpectedly dying, I was in a way, on an island with my husband and no other family around. It was hard to be alone and not be with everyone trying to process, sharing stories, trying to make sense of his sudden death. I did what I could do—I had my husband drive me all over the coast to show my brother the beauty of Oregon that he didn’t get to see. We had talked about him coming to visit & how he would love the rain here. I had sent him photos and video of the ocean, sea birds, heart rocks, sunsets, etc.
I figured showing him the best and highest views around would be a beautiful way to send him off in my own heart. It had to be one of the windiest days at Yaquina Head Lighthouse, but I was determined to climb the small mountain that had a full 360 view from the top. The wind was whipping like we had never seen, but we climbed. No one was around, so it made our time on top even more memorable. I leaned into the wind like a bird. I put my arms out like I was flying. I blew kisses to the wind and told my brother he would love this view. It was an incredible moment I will never forget. We hopped from coastal location to coastal lookouts with me talking to my brother and wishing he was there. It was a beautiful way to connect with him. I felt like he was finally seeing Oregon and where his sister lived and loved. It was a cherished day.
The very next day I had to travel to pick up my daughter at her college. While I was in town, I stopped at the local Trader Joe’s to grab a few things. I decided I wanted to find a little plant or a purple (his favorite color) flower or a purple pot in remembrance of my brother. I was looking at everything and nothing was jumping out and then I noticed a tiny plant in a pot with a vintage looking rainbow. I literally had the words, “United Colors of Benetton”pop into my head—-I instantly thought, “What! I have not thought about that brand since the 80’s” I knew it was a message from my brother—it was so him. I smiled and thought, “Okay. Okay. I get it. That does remind me of you & the United Colors of Benetton.” Now mind you—I have NEVER had rainbows as any type of association with my brother. Not ever!
Then, as I placed the tiny plant on the counter the girl said, “that is so cute. Is it a gift for someone?” I smiled, “kinda, I am buying it for myself to remind me of my brother that just passed.” The girl instantly began to grab my card out of the machine & asked to pay for it. Oh what a beautiful gesture. I smiled and lovingly grabbed her hand, “That is the most loving gesture and I know my brother is smiling down on this situation. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness. I sincerely thank you for being in this moment and offering. That is so sweet, but I need to do this for myself.” She said, “Are you sure. Can I buy you some flowers or anything?” It was such a sincere moment from another human being and my heart welled up in love and appreciation. I again looked at her with such sincerity and thanked her for this beautiful moment, knowing my brother was loving it so much. It was so wonderful.
I shared that story at his funeral because I knew how those little acts of kindness would bring him such joy. I knew he was smiling.
Then, after the funeral and my little family was preparing to head back to Oregon (14 hour drive) I was writing a couple of notes—the first was to one of my brother’s best friends (who lived in Nashville) & would be coming to Utah to grieve and be with family. As I was writing her note I had the need to share…”You have always been a rainbow on his cloudiest days”—what, rainbow. That was not my thing, but it came to me again…rainbow.
The next letter was a simple note of love and thanks to my parents. As I was writing that one a little childhood song began to play in my mind. A song my mom would sing to us as little children. A song I sang to my daughter when she was little….it went like this…Red and Yellow and Pink and Green, Purple and Orange and Blue….I can sing a Rainbow. Sing a Rainbow. Sing a Rainbow for you. ANOTHER RAINBOW. What!!!?!
Then the next day as we got to our Oregon Home it had been raining on and off all day. We were exhausted, so my little family all crashed on the couch.
Just before we left to Utah we had some new neighbors move in next door. We had a lovely conversation to get to know them just before we left. We left & they had no idea about my brother and his untimely death. BUT, the day we returned to Oregon—our new neighbor sent us a picture that he had just taken out on our beautiful beach—A gorgeous double rainbow. WHAT!!!?!
My brother was sending rainbows.
Then, as I was typing this blog post, I just learned how rainbows are a sign of someone you have lost. I had no idea. It is so wonderful to feel that he was sending me little signs to let me know he has made it to a beautiful place. Give me more rainbows. Love you, brother.
I just got back from the funeral of the unexpected death of my younger brother. My heart broke as my parents called and told me that my brother, Scott had died the night before. It was an emotional roller coaster of questions—- how, where, why, who was he with…
I have written many posts about my anger, love, frustration, relationship and exhaustion about my brother, Scott. We are 15 months apart and we have been there for one another our whole lives. He called me, “the closest person to me in my life.” So, to lose him so quickly was a sincere blow and heartache. It has taken me weeks to process and try to understand what happened—-was there foul play, how did it happen so suddenly…on and on your mind tries to process the emotional toll of loss. Especially a loss that has such a tie to my heart. This was my little brother that I have walked through life with. I was the one person he remembered after he hit his head and was in the hospital in a coma. I was the person he confided in and told how he would end his life as a teen. At one point I cried and begged him not to try to take his life as a teenager before he drove a car off a cliff. Another period of his life, I remember him in the hospital after trying yet again to leave this world after overdosing on pills. He has had an up and down struggle with this life and it has been hard to watch him spiral. He had not been a drug user or abuser of any type of substance until the last probably 8 years of his life. He began drinking to numb the pain, to find “clarity” in what he would say to others. He kept being tricked into believing he was more honest with his feelings when he was drinking. He quickly became an alcoholic and the disease took over.
He has two, beautiful children who are at the very beginning of their adult lives. They are now and always will only be able to want or wonder about the relationship they could have possibly had with their Dad. Their Dad always loved them, but was unable to truly give love. He was always afraid of rejection and the fear was real for him. He would leave tulips and cards for his daughter without seeing her in person. It was too much for him to possibly feel any type of rejection or shame. He desperately wanted a relationship with both of them and would reach out in his own way to try to connect. On a good day he may invite them for a hike, or if he was drinking, no one would talk to him.
Boundaries became a very real thing in our families. Scott would call and cause havoc in conversations. He would spout off about religious views, tell people to F-off or share his latest conspiracy theory. Alcohol was not his friend and it began to create giant wedges between Scott and everyone around him.
The last time I saw my brother alive was 9 months ago, when my little family drove 14 hours to Utah and we did an impromptu intervention with Scott and his daughter. We wanted to be there for him. We wanted to get him help. We wanted to help him see where he was and what he was doing to the relationships that were closest to him. It was so hard to see my brother treat those he loves with such a selfish, no-care attitude. It honestly took me back to him as a teen and seeing the checked-out glare in his eyes when he was talking about driving a car off a cliff to his death. It scared me. It angered me to think that he was there again and that his life meant so little. BUT, the thing that angered me even more, was how he disregarded and didn’t care about his daughter and her feelings. It broke my heart to see this young girl desperate to help her Dad, wanting to build any type of relationship with him and he just walked away.
I did not talk to him for months after that. I was so disappointed and angry for how he would choose his selfishness over his beautiful daughter. There was no excuse.
My brother was spiraling deeper and deeper into the bottle. My whole family began to see the chaos, the verbal destruction of conversations that would lead no where good, so one by one everyone began to build walls of boundaries and no one would talk to him when he was drinking. His anger began to get louder and then the sadness began to become more prevalent.
One of my last calls with him was him asking me, “Who would even care if I died?” My emotions welled up inside and I cried, “I would. I would care.” Then my broken brother cried, “I know you would. It means so much to me to hear your emotion and know you care.” We talked for awhile. Both of us in tears as he expressed how tired he was of feeling so low. Being so alone. Feeling so alone. He was so broken and my heart broke trying to know how to help. I begged him to get some help and begin again.
One of our last texts, which made me laugh and cry—that I shared at his funeral
One of the last interactions I had w Scotty—-we were texting back and forth….checking in..life happenings…he kept spelling my name wrong.
I teased him, “you alright? You keep spelling my name wrong”
He did a silly smiley face emoji and said,
Heather is gone
I said What?
He sent another silly smiley face
[He kept spelling my name, Hearther]
I questioned…what, am I now Hear and There with a laughing emoji
I like Hearther . HEART HER
Awww. That is sooo sweet. LOVE THAT
I will LOVINGLY take that!!!!!
He sent me a heart emoji
That was the Sweetest text message from him
HEART HER💜🦋
My brother had a service heart and I wish that part of him would have prevailed in leading his life. He had a fun sense of humor. He sincerely LOVED his children. He had so much to give this world, but he got lost. He fell in to the trap of his LOVES BECOMING OUT OF ORDER.
__________________
LOVES OUT OF ORDER STORY
At age 19, Augustine Aurelius – later to be known as Augustine of Hippo – read a dialogue by the Roman philosopher Cicero in which Cicero stated that every person sets out to be happy, but the majority are thoroughly wretched. Truly, no one dreams as a child of one day growing up to be miserable, and yet many people’s lives are characterized by conflict, frustration and unfulfilled longings.
Augustine Aurelius set out to discover why it is that most people are so discontent in life. His conclusion was that for most of us, our loves are “out of order”; we have disordered loves. [nickcady.org]
Disordered loves means that we often love less-important things more, and more-important things less than we ought to, and this wrong prioritization leads to unhappiness and disorder in our lives.
The first time I read about Augustine and his out of order loves it hit me with such truth. When people get disillusioned with any type of addiction (sex, money, food, porn, gaming, selfishness, etc) their loves are out of order. They are choosing the addiction over something else in their life that should be of greater importance. [ie: alcohol addiction over relationship with their family] It makes so much sense.
___________
That was so my brother. His LOVES (his children, his best friend, Michele, his family) were all so important and valued to him, BUT the alcohol had such a strong hold in his life that he could not correct the order and put people before the addiction. His REAL LOVES WERE OUT OF ORDER.
So, as I ponder on life and the short time we have, please evaluate where your life is, where your LOVES are and where they sincerely need to be. I think our LOVES can get lost in the hustle and busy of life, being present can get set aside and other pursuits can rush us by that special moment in someone’s arms, a loving conversation could get missed because of a work call… THINGS can begin to become more important or raised to a higher standard than the people in front of us. Life can become trivial or thoughtless. Create a personal awareness of where you are in your life, what you value, what should be important and where you are in relation to the LOVE you desire for your life.
Do this exercise: Evaluate how to help put your loves back into an appropriate and healthy order for your best life.
“It’s useful to sit down and just say, ‘What do I love? What are the things I really love? And in what order do I love them? Am I spending time on my highest love? Or am I spending time on a lower love?’” Brooks says. “[Time], or your attention or your energy — all that stuff.” -Brooks [Huffington article]
PLEASE give LOVE today. Hug those you LOVE and put them as a priority. Life is short.
xoxo. LOVE YOU, SCOTTY. May you find the PEACE, LIGHT and LOVE you have desired. YOU deserve that.
This past weekend my little family drove to a nearby lighthouse to take photos and spend Memorial Day together. It was a wonderful coastal drive that took us by a tiny shop that seemed to scream eclectic mess of treasures! We had to stop!! You never know what you will find in a shop like this. We were welcomed by the cutest, little lady who was buzzing around the yard, in and out of the shop. She smiled a big, wide smile and said, “I have chocolates for you inside!” We walked through the shop full of giant sea stars that sat on a window, bowls of shells, trays of rings, vintage clothing, strands of jewelry hanging from tree branches, antique kitchenware, elephants, mermaids, every kind of whimsy, along-side inspired signs or worry dolls. It was an eclectic shop full of tiny touches that Lex had made herself…lessons from Native Indians, wisdom from the ocean…it was sensational in all its wonder. Our eyes had endless things to see, but the cutest was the homemade brownies that Lex makes every day for any store visitors. She chimed in, “They are free. I make six batches a day!” The brownies were placed in old, Whitman’s chocolate boxes and the delight was real!
I mean, really. Who does that? Lex of Netarts does!! She was such a delight and you knew from listening to her that this tiny store gives her such life purpose. She shared how a man had just come in the other day and was telling his son about this shop and remembering the free brownies he was given as a boy. Lex lit up telling us about the sweet moment. She then lit up, “Did you see my changing room? I had a 100 year old woman in here who told me it looks like a brothel.” She laughed and then shared how she has been there 20 plus years and that she told herself, “I will keep going until I am 80. Well, 80 has come and gone, so now I am shooting for 90, I guess.” She smiled her happy, joy-filled smile and quickly shuffled away to the front of the store.
There are people doing small things—like making six batches of brownies a day to bring smiles and joy to those she comes in contact. What can we do to find or create a little more purpose in our lives? How can we be more like Lex?
Thank you, Lex for your beautiful example of how to just bring JOY to the world. Even if its just a little free chocolate!
From Old French divin, from Latin dīvīnus (“of a god”), from divus (“god”)
Hebrew meaning of the name Divine. A modern name meaning literally ‘divine’ or a variant of the name Divina from the Hebrew for ”beloved’ or ‘friend’.
I LOVE the idea of a beloved friend watching out for us through a divine existence.
I am not here to say this religion or that religion is truth. I am here to say, that no matter what you believe, there is a divine existence that plays out in miracles, guidance, dreams, directions, inspirations, etc. We are all given gifts of grace, quiet moments of inspired whispers, physical nudges, people who come into our lives to share something we need to hear, books that pop up that we are in need of their messages, miracles that catch our attention, stories that stop us cold, faith affirming experiences that are ours and ours alone. We each have a journey and the deeper directions are there, we just need to seek the divine and have faith in it. We need to pay attention. We need to look for what we seek. We need to notice beyond the ordinary and know the divine moments are for each one of us and have faith in that.
I wanted to share some stories to inspire and help you see and believe the greater need—the need to know and understand a deeply divine connection that seeks you.
GODWINK’S is another one of my favorites! Squire Rushnell has been collecting, inspiring and sharing books of miracles, coincidences, divine connections that are “Godwink” collections of incredible stories.
One of my favorite Godwink stories: [taken from belief net.com]
Mavis had driven past the Crystal Cathedral every day for 20 years on her way to work in Anaheim. And every day she said, “Someday I’m going to go there.” One Sunday morning she arose and announced, “Today’s the day.”
She arrived early and found a nice spot in the center of the 3000-seat all-glass structure. She marveled as the choir and orchestra filled the cathedral with beautiful music and the glass ceiling rolled back so that even the birds were allowed to come into the sanctuary. At the end of the service she stood, bursting with joy, and turned to the young woman who’d been seated next to her, saying, “I’m so glad I came today!” Then added, “Are you from around here?” “No,” said the young woman. “I’m from the Midwest. I’m here on a mission…to find my birth mother.” There was a pause. Then Mavis said, “I know how you must feel, I once had to give up a little girl for adoption…I didn’t want to, but I had to.” There was another pause. The young woman looked deeply into Mavis’ eyes. “Do you…remember her birthday?” “Yes,” said Mavis, “October 30th.” (gasp) “That’s my birthday!” said the young woman. In a matter of moments they were able to establish, that through some incredible miracle…an extraordinary divine alignment…that they were mother and daughter reunited! And they knew that Mother’s Day would never be the same again.
For years, this story was told by the pastor of Crystal Cathedral, Robert Schuller.
The reunion of Mavis and her long-lost daughter reinforces that you and I are each on a grand GPS…I call it…God’s Positioning System. Through divine alignment…and His small still voice…He nudges us to do something, go somewhere, to take an action. And what a comfort it is to know that He is always directing our paths. -Squire Rushnell
A Divine gift–MEDIUMS We can all be skeptical, but my sister-in-law was in need of some connection with her father. He has been dead for over 20 years, but she has been going through some of her own life struggles. She ended a 30 year marriage, broke her family apart & all of her six children have been struggling deeply. She had issues with connecting with her Dad when she was younger, so she wanted to see if there would be any hope of connection with her father on the other side. She called her son to tell him that she was going to talk to a medium & he responded with cynicism and questioned her motives. She knew her son had a connection with her Dad, so she wanted his support. The medium mentioned that while she was preparing for the reading that two males came up–one who has been deceased for a long time (her father) and the other, her son (in his twenties) who is still living. My sister-in-law was intrigued because she did not tell this medium about anyone she wanted to hear from, so she was excited that her father wanted to come through. During the conversation there were some very sweet things shared, but to me the most wonderful moment was when her father told her to continue to keep praying because he could hear her prayers and he enjoyed those connections. He then said, “and please tell Will (her son) that I enjoy hearing his prayers especially” My sister-in-law felt a bit deflated because she knew her son did not believe in anything and has been agnostic. When she called her son to tell him about the whole experience, she then proceeded to tell him that her Dad especially wants to hear his prayers. Will, paused and proceeded to share with his mom that although he does not believe in anything, for some reason he feels the need to pray every night. He said, “I usually just pray for other people, but I pray every day.” To me that was so powerful. The thought that we have these sweet connections with others on another side somewhere and that they can hear our prayers. Wow! how special. How beautiful. How divine.
My other experience with Mediums is the show, “Life after Death” with Tyler Henry on Netflix. Many would and could be skeptical, but I found the show to be very comforting and powerful. What a gift. What sensitivity. What a journey. Highly recommend if you have any interest. There are definitely some stories that are more powerful than others, but a great show.
INSPIRED DREAMS that changed the world. Is it Divine guidance? From the theory of relativity, the atom, the sewing machine, Beatles songs, to the book Twilight. Read about 13 world changing dreams https://www.rd.com/list/ideas-that-came-from-dreams/
DIVINE INSPIRATIONS“Inspiration” is something GOOD that moves you to encourage others and you share it with them”…htt. [Facebook]
I hope you are able to find a story here that inspires you in some way. There are beautiful messages sent through music, poetry written in the winds, dreams filled with stories and ideas, people who have gifts to share with messages to heal…their is divinity in the symmetry of nature, the details of science, the notes of music. The gifts abound if we look, listen and seek to see and hear them.
“My mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me.” ― R.J. Palacio, Wonder
To me that is a beautiful sentiment. The best kind of all…how we make our kids FEEL. The greatest gifts we can give our children is the knowing that we are there, we care and our love is lasting. When they leave us, hopefully they know how deeply our love goes. When just a smile can help get them through anything. LOVE that.
It is that time of year where we get to celebrate some incredible people…our MOM’S!!
I know it is a couple weeks out, but I thought everyone may need a little time, preparation and great ideas to make this year a bit more memorable. Life is short. Take the time to GIVE YOUR LOVE.
My Mother is in another state, so I need some extra time to make things special, so here are some ideas, gift suggestions, and traditions to help get you moving in making moments really count this year.
Traditions, Unique Gift & Gathering ideas to incorporate from around the globe:
I obviously cannot do every country, so please understand I am just doing various places.
Peru: They celebrate for a week!! Oh, YES. That sounds like an incredible idea to me. Who doesn’t want at least a week of your favorite foods, family time, free entry to places like museums and festivals. I think Peru has the right idea of making the moments really count as a family. Mother’s are adorned with flowers and gifts throughout the week. Who can get too many LOVE notes, really? Right? Another one of their traditions is gathering at cemeteries of those beloved women who have passed on. Families socialize, eat, drink, clean and decorate the grave in honor of them.
My Idea: Make something Peruvian inspired by the fun, colorful patterns of the country. Create a bright card with detailed patterns, Cross-stitch something for Mom, give something llama themed, take her on a family hike, or make a handmade gift. Give your Mom a Rosado (Pink) flower and tell her she is bonita (pretty).
You could also go and decorate a grave of a beloved woman you have lost.
Philippines—Filipinos, who think of mothers as the ilaw ng tahanan (the light of the home), typically honor their mothers with flowers, chocolates, and small gifts.
My Idea: To remind her that she is The Light of the Home you could gift her with a beautiful candle or a decorative strand of lights, or a special lantern.
Australia–Very similar to the festivities in the US. Lots of flowers are given as gifts, primarily carnations and chrysanthemums are the most popular – chrysanthemums because mom is called “mum.”
Thailand—A traditional way that Thai children recognize their moms is with a gift of white jasmine flowers, which symbolize the purity of a mother’s love.
My idea: Gift a special vase of flowers with a ribbon tied to the vase that shares the meaning of the specific flower symbols.[ie: Rose is Love, Lily of the Valley–Return of Happiness, Calla Lilly for feminine beauty, Bellflower means gratitude] OR you could gift them their birth month flower. [ie: April is Daisy] You can google these lists for specific details.
UK calls it Mothering Sunday: Simnel cake– a light fruit cake layered with marzipan are given, breakfast in bed. Families who had moved away would return to the original church they attended. Today, the holiday remains grounded in religion, with many churches handing out daffodils for children to give to Mom. Traditionally, girls also bake a fruitcake for their mothers.-scholastic
My idea: Bake one of her favorites. Whether she is a pie gal, cake or cookie lover–make her something to let her know how special she is to you. Personalize it with frosting or add her favorite fruit for flare. Bake her something yummy.
Italy: La Festa della Mamma [Mom’s Day or Mom’s holiday]—everyone comes home for the holiday OR you must call. Handwritten poems and letters are given with fresh flowers, heart-shaped cakes, the day off from any meals, and all about the quality time with family.
My idea: Give a gift of some kind in a heart shape, whether it is a baked good, a heart rock you find at the beach, a handmade, origami heart garland, heart jewelry, etc. Give a little love and create a quality family memory.
France: Pull out the awards and medals. haha. The idea of a Mother’s Day in France originated during the Napoleonic era when families with a large number of children were presented with medals. Some localities still honor this tradition and present moms with medals on Mother’s Day. The French gift flower bouquet cakes, have intimate, family dinners with everyone bringing handmade gifts, flowers and poems.*
My idea: Well, this would be what I am doing this year for my Mom—vintage flower cards adorned with the specific meanings of each flower and then a personal list of the flower sentiments I would hand deliver in a bouquet (if I were in the same state).
You could also do a family award night & give each family member some type of award–[ie:The funniest in the family, The best at family tree.com, The last to be early, etc.] The awards can be fun and light-hearted or you could make it a sincere evening with loving roasts and quality, family time]
Japan:Japanese dishes associated with mother’s day are the Tamagoyaki (a rectangular omelet) and Chawanmushi (a savory egg custard). Younger kids make handmade gifts or draw portraits of their moms. Calligraphy gifts are also popular.* Thank the moms in your community who help your family by writing notes of gratitude. Tie the notes to white carnations and leave the flowers on the moms’ doorsteps. -scholastic
My idea: Do an omelet bar or sushi night for family. Have everyone bring specific ingredients and enjoy the meal together. You could also draw a portrait or make he a handmade origami garland or card. OR gift her with a special set of sushi utensils and have everyone eat with chopsticks. You could also buy bulk fortune cookies and have everyone share what their fortune reads. fun!!
Some countries create and dedicate songs to the women in their families. Other countries dance to specific music with friends and family. Some give cake over flowers. In Canada it is customary for husbands to give their wives and mothers a rose. China makes handmade cards, while some take holy baths in Nepal. There are so many various traditions to keep families closer and to ensure Mother’s feel loved and appreciated.
75 Gift Ideas (all sorts of DIY projects to make a great gift for MOM) https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/g2412/mothers-day-homemade-gifts-crafts/?slide=33 (Some of MY FAVORITES from the list: Lip scrub, Salt gift set, Garden herb planter, Wrapping paper bouquet, New Mom, Floral bath bombs, Bath tea, Floral pots, Marbled dish, Rope basket, Monogram clay Keychains (or you could make into tiny charms too), Stamped tea towels, arm knit blanket)
Thoughtful and unique gift ideashttps://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/mothers-day/g511/mothers-day-gifts/. (Some of MY FAVORITES from the list: Bucket list book, hummingbird feeder, Cloud slippers, “What I Love about Mom” book to add your thoughts and sentiments–these are great! Silk pillowcase [many swear by them], Tabletopics are always good for family gatherings (like Mother’s Day), Petite lemon tree, A small purse to fill with some of her favorite things & tiny notes of love hidden throughout, A 5 yr Q&A journal (Could be a priceless gift to have filled by your loving Mom)
60 DIY Gift Ideas from HGTVhttps://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/holidays/diy-mothers-day-gifts-mom-will-love-pictures. (Some of MY FAVORITES: Love the Cozy Night In Gift Basket idea, Gardener Tool box, Wildflower seeds, Twist gift basket, Paper flowers, Lip & Body scrubs, Stamped napkin, Tabletop fire pit, cupcake bouquet, handmade cards, Macrame plant hanger)
(MY FAVORITES from her list: Warmie Slippers (I want to try some), Oprah’s Love & Happiness Journal (I may want this too), Meditation app, Softies hooded lounger, Mindfulness deck, Barefoot Dreams (love them), Succulents trio, Cooling blanket)
Mom’s Happy Box: I did this for my Mom recently. She was feeling a bit down because of the weather, so I made her a Happy Box and filled it with everything BRIGHT–socks, a couple movies, cut out paper hearts, quotes written on all the sides with happy messages, stuffed plush teddy bear, some of her favorite things. Anything that helped brighten a day!
Special Family Recipes: Frame a special family recipe & share it with all the Mom’s in your family, so they all have a copy. I did this once with a digital recipe book idea. I had everyone share some of their favorite recipes & any special recipes they had from their Mom. Then I made it into a digital book & sent it to everyone in the family. Great gift idea.
MicroGarden: Can buy your home gardener mason jars for an indoor herb garden OR buy an indoor light system to grow herbs.
Intentional card decks: You could go a couple directions with this—you could buy a simple set of cards that are already made for mindfulness, creativity, meditations, affirmations…the list goes on with options. You could also buy a collage set of cards that have various designs, some have photos, some have patterns, styles, places (like beach)… and add your own quotes, personal activities, personal affirmations, date ideas, challenges to give your mom, Love notes from each person in your family, recipes, the options are endless of what to write on the back. Get creative. Give with intention.
Jewelry. Jewelry can be a great gift, but jewelry given with meaning…oh, the sentiment. Find a piece of jewelry that speaks or shares a simple message. Maybe you find something with her birthstone OR maybe you find something that has a special symbol of something she loves [ie: maybe her favorite flower is a daisy, so you find a sweet, daisy chain inspired necklace or ring] Maybe she collects something. Maybe she has a specific dream she is after. Think of a little charm that symbolizes something meaningful [ie: She wants to take more pictures, so you get her a tiny camera charm to accompany a new camera bag] OR maybe she loves the ocean, so you get her a simple, tiny shell necklace that you gift with a thoughtful ocean quote. So many options.
Personal pics: Pictures are always a favorite. To see cherished memories looping on a digital frame, hundreds layed out in a picture book or a simple video made to share with family and friends… Priceless. Pictures bring memories to life and help you hold those moments to be cherished forever. Just share—in some way.
Whatever you do in your family—just do it with LOVE. xoxo
Make heartfelt gifts, write handwritten notes, take the time to express your gratitude and sentiments to those dearest to you. It is one time a year, so take the time. Share your heart. Give with your greatest feelings. People need to feel, hear, be seen and cherished, especially our moms.
Well, I hope these ideas get you thinking of something very special you can create for your mom. Life is a great occasion, so do your best to make Mother’s Day a GRAND OCCASION. The beautiful women in your life deserve your very best!
INTERESTING: arousingcuriosity or interest; holding or catching the attention.
Make every day more interesting—-how?
There are soo many thoughts, ideas, actions, things to watch or read, learn….the list goes on. Yesterday we took our daughter and her current love interest out to dinner for his birthday. He is an incredible person full of potential. He has an engineer mind and likes to challenge himself, doesn’t waste a lot of time with video games or habits that don’t lead to something better. He has a lot of great skills: bilingual, plays instruments, draws, buys, fixes up and sells motorcycles, builds things, is always learning and doing. He has soo many great qualities, so I found it entertaining as we sat at dinner and watched his thought process. He looked at the Spaghetti Factory menu and decided to shake things up by finding the meal with the most calories and ordered it. [I was shocked that the Chicken Ceasar Salad was almost as many calories as his meat plate special that was a huge sausage, spaghetti and 3 large meatballs–what!] He is not a big guy, so we all enjoyed teasing and watching him suffer through his big meal. He then proceeded to add more items to his caloric challenge—finishing the bread on the table, my daughter’s ravioli and then his dessert. I smiled as he looked so full, ‘You okay? You look done!” He just surveyed the table and kept eating. We all teased as we evaluated how he could have made his meal worth even more calories…”well, you could have done the salad with more calories than the soup…as well as…” we all chimed in with our individual suggestions and just kept laughing.
He definitely found a way to make the meal more interesting! haha.
So, how can we take life day by day to make it a little more enJOYable, a little less serious, maybe a touch more challenging, sprinkled with depth and some spice to make everything pizzazzed with interest!
Well, here we go!! Here are some ideas to get you started.
Be Curious. Dream. Imagine. Always be looking for things you are curious about or that seem to catch your attention somehow. There are things all around me that I wonder about—who began learning from the stars? Why is it that some people literally have divine dreams that give them inspired ideas (Google came from a dream, so did various symphonies, the periodic table, the sewing machine, The Beatles song “Yesterday” and even “The Twilight” series), Why some people are more creative or genius…on and on my mind is curious about so many topics. To dream. To imagine. Just keep seeking out those things that grab you & your attention.
Think outside any norm: We each have unique strengths in the various areas of creativity, mental clarity, direction, ingenuity, skill, design, ability…We all have certain things we are inspired to bring and share with the world. Always be seeking those things that make you think outside your norm and are trying to catch your attention. YOU may be the way that an idea is born or realized. YOU may be the one who brings a specific inspiration into this world. Here is a wonderful example. Who would have thought…I saw this act and was so inspired by her imagination, determination, her fearless act to bring something so beautiful to the world. AGT extreme red balloon aerialist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUN61e68VF0
Learn interesting facts or new words daily: There are places like Word Genius, Word Daily, Interesting Facts, etc that send you daily emails with fun words to learn. Sign-up, get the emails or google fun words to find. I often share a great word or interesting fact with those I care about or I think would appreciate them. It is just a little, daily fun!
Convertible rides make everything better: After a health scare I had one of those moments where I genuinely felt life is too short, so I am going to go buy a convertible. I think at some point everyone wants to feel the freedom of feeling the sunshine, the breeze, the way a convertible seems to take you on vacation and away from your norm. I couldn’t agree more. I have said since the day we got my convertible that I will always have one. My little family has so many wonderful memories of watching the stars near the beach with the convertible top down, driving to see Christmas lights with hot cocoa & the top down, special drives with certain songs, having my daughter learn to drive, throwing candy from the convertible to kids at a bus stop, my Mom on parade for her birthday, cousins dancing in the back seat while the ice cream whipped across their faces & the laughter that erupted…every memory in the convertible just seems more memorable. They seem to make things better. Nothing beats a relaxing ride after a tough business call or a long winter…everything is just a little better. IF you have always wanted one—go get it! No regrets.
Find people who inspire and stand out: Hugette Montesinos-Rodriguez stands out with her bright style, positive vibe and way of inspiring. ProjectInspo.com I came across that shared one woman’s journey of living after her father passed away. She wanted to travel and live for him. You can find people all over the internet to inspire. Find a blog, a chef, an artist, a builder, an innovator…someone that speaks to you in some way with the work they do, the quotes they share, the products they put out into the world…the way they stand out & keep them handy to be inspired by. My daughter frequently finds wildlife photographers that she is inspired by & seeks to connect with them and share her feelings of how they inspire and teach her something.
Celebrate every day—love that most days will be…National Lighthouse Day or Pancake Day or….TODAY is National Zucchini bread day!! What! Go to https://nationaldaycalendar.com/what-day-is-it/. It reminds us of daily celebrations. Every day should be some sort of happy holiday. We have so much to live for…be grateful for..shout out to the roof tops that we are happy for. What would you like to celebrate? Just do it!! Life is to be celebrated. How are you living? Dancing, whistling, singing, cake eating, kind word sharing, get outside and joyously scream celebrations. Find moments, days, any special occasion or worthy something celebration and enJOY it!!
New Towns: Driving from Oregon to Utah—lots of tiny towns…Bliss. SNOWVILLE. Paul. Twin Falls. Gooding. Paradise Valley, Mountain Home, Sun Valley, Lime, Pleasant Valley, Etc. There are tiny towns across the globe awaiting someone to see. Take a weekend, look at a map and find a town that sounds dreamy, thought inducing, wander lusting and make your way there. Maybe there is a famous diner nearby that was showcased on a food show. Maybe just the name of Paradise calls to your heart. Maybe Paris, Idaho has something special. Explore and find something of interest nearby. There is so much to see and do.
Words. Names. Tattoos. Meanings. Give feelings, shares stories…I recently spoke with an amazon service rep Named “Common” . I Asked her about her name and the meaning…”Gods vineyard”. Then I met someone else named, Shanti “peace.” Do you know the meaning of your name? Is there a name of a friend or someone you may meet that has your attention. Ask. I also LOVE coming across and asking people who have tattoos what the stories are that adorn their body. Sometimes it is in honor of someone, or just a cool design, a favorite moth from a movie, a hidden part of themself, etc. There is so much meaning in symbols, names, artwork, it all makes people so very interesting. Be interested. Just ask.
A fun question for you…IF you were to get a tattoo or change your name, what would it be?
Theme it! Sometimes when we make a special meal we have music to accompany, table decor, a special light/lantern, a movie or date to match, etc. We have done Fond of You Fondu nights, Mocktails with a fancy movie, Card game with a night of ‘poker face’ episodes, Pasta with Italian music. Growing up my family would do spaghetti by candlelight. You could also learn a Latin dance from YouTube and have salsa & chips, any theme will do!!
More Variety: Like spices!! We are pretty plain chefs at our house, so when we have guests come & join in the kitchen they are always looking for our spice rack to add some flavor. haha. Spices add a little something extra to everything—just like life. Begin to add a little dash of variety into your day—a sprinkle of uncertainty by taking a road never taken or a walking path you have always wanted to stroll. Maybe have lunch up a canyon or a picnic by the bay. Go buy a used book that has a story line that draws you in. Try a new donut flavor every Friday and share it with co-workers. Maybe shake up your coffee habit with a twist of something unique. Whatever you do—add some flavor and shake in some spice for variety. Life needs shake ups and tiny changes that make big differences. They are the activities, the foods, the music, the necessities that keep us curious.
Seek something NEW to you: A new book, a new podcast, a new recipe, a new workout, a new shop, a new class, path, hike, sport, restaurant, etc. There are always new albums coming out, new thinkers sharing ideas, podcasts full of great information, so much out there to take in and super-charge your perspective, your brain, your creativity. I am always seeking something new to learn, even if it is just a fun fact or something I had no idea about. Another fun thing to seek—check out your old songs that you grew up with that have been re-made into something you want to hear today. [ie: A popular song for me growing up was “Forever Young” by Alphaville & I just heard a re-make of it by Undressd & Ellie May—great version] Seek out the old for something NEW!
Subject Matter Experts: Find someone that knows something you don’t. There are subject matter experts in all things. My daughter’s new boyfriend knows a lot about various subjects he is interested in. We walked an air museum together and he was showing me how the engine model works. It was fascinating trying to look at the metal parts and envision how they work and move. When you are around people who know different subject matter—you are bound to learn something you never knew even existed. I try to constantly be taking a new class from my community education to learn anything new. We can never learn too much.
A new perspective: This may sound funny, but try it. Sometimes you just need a different angle or perspective for your life. Like in photography–you may need to step back and analyze a situation from a new view; a different perspective. Maybe you lie down and look at the sky for a few minutes. Breathe and ask for answers. Maybe you need to swing in a hammock or playground swing to get in touch with your inner child. What if you were to sit under a tree or walk a garden to take in the natural, health boosting energy. We are all dealing with different situations, stresses, happenings within our life. Yesterday, my daughter was feeling very overwhelmed with school, boyfriend, stress, her new job, next year’s plans, a room mate moving out, the unknowns. I called her and told her to take a few minutes in her day and just find a place of peace and say a genuine prayer for herself. She has a little meditation book that she likes to open for answers after she prays & it is amazing how often it helps her whole perspective. She asked for security and the page spoke about being secure. It was a gift and answer. She just needed to find a quiet bench, under a tree to change her perspective from stress to seeking. It was a gift for her day.
Hope these ideas get you thinking of the little, interesting ways to enhance your day and make it brighter…better. We all need ideas to inspire—especially INTEREST. We need to constantly be seeking, challenging, learning, growing in all we do. Life is too short. Get after it!! Find the spices of life, savor them and utilize them for every occasion. Celebrate. Find JOY in the journey and be a gift to those around you with your wisdom, your words of the day, the perspectives you have, the stories you share. Be inspired and be someone’s inspiration. Be interesting. Be YOU. There is only ONE.
We are big fans of making small changes that can have larger impacts, so I thought this would be a good post to send out. Hope you can find some good tips, ideas and actions to help you, your family, your community make a difference.
Here are some BASIC TIPS from some of my previous years posts: Little things do make a difference: turn the water off while you brush your teeth, fix leaky faucets or running toilets, put cans and bottles in the recycle bins, clean your air filters to help with efficiency, turn down your thermostat when you go to bed, turn off your lights when you are not using them and unplug appliances, wash laundry on cold not hot settings, take shorter showers, even driving within the speed limit cuts down on gas consumption, which helps the planet.
Clean out your closet—I am sure you have something to donate. There are plenty of people who could reuse your items and be grateful for them. -[look below at the fashion article. Who knew our clothing industry causes so many problems. I knew there were problems, but Wow!!]
Change out your light bulbs for energy efficient ones. Even if you begin to change one at a time, the investment will pay for itself in the years to come. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy.*science
Sign up for paperless bills by paying them via the internet.
Ride your bike when you can, instead of driving your car.
If the weather is nice open a window or door and let the fresh air in & turn off your air-conditioning. This will help conserve energy & bring in a little breeze.
Some incredible DOCUMENTARIES and VIDEOS to get you inspired: Some of my personal favorites…
IF you have NOT seen “My Octopus Teacher” you need to watch it! It won awards. It is a personal, beautiful journey of a cinematographer finding his own inspiration in a relationship with an octopus. It is a wonderful film. Even if you are not an ocean person—worth the watch.
Any of “The Planet” videos take you on an exploration of wonder and beauty.
There are also so many documentaries online about Forests [Intelligent Trees–fascinating], finding balance in Nature, Big waves, animals, making a difference, etc. Find something that you are drawn to learn about, some topic that gets you excited to help you make a difference in your community.
There are also so many people on social media doing little things to make a big difference. Find their stories, share them with your communities. [One Malhar Kalambe The difference ONE can make. Young 24 year old cleaning up India]
OTHER WAYS TO TAKE CARE & CELEBRATE OUR PLANET
Pick up trash as a family or community—Spring clean your community. I am sure wherever you are there is some trash to pick up. Grab a bag, some friends or family and make it fun!! Turn it into a race to see who can get the most amount in a certain time.
SEND a positive MESSAGE to friends and family and invite them to jump in on making change—one person, one act at a time. Make a personal video about what you are doing for Earth Day and post it.
Cut down on eating meat: I am not against people eating meat, its your personal choice, but cutting down may help the planet. FYI The United Nations have concluded that meat production is responsible for around 18% of global CO2 emissions. 5,214 gallons of water are required to produce a single pound of beef, and the EPA estimates that more than 27,000 miles of US rivers have been polluted by livestock waste. *huffingtonpost
Start a garden or plant a tree—get outside and plant something!!
Give some LOVE to woodland friends—make a bird house, make some homemade bird feeders, my favorite is throwing out some peanuts (in shells) for our local Stellar Jays and squirrels.
JUST Get outside and go on a walk, a hike, a bike ride & turn off your television, computers, games.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt look for details out in nature.
ADMIRE NATURAL ART:
Check out the beautiful nature artist Andy Goldsworthy: Go to Google Images and type in Andy Goldsworthy—amazing. He also has numerous books. Inspiring Natural pieces he creates.
Ansel Adams is a favorite of mine. Probably because he helped preserve and save our parks with his photographs. One of the twentieth century’s most ardent champions of the park and wilderness systems, Adams also helped preserve additional natural areas and protect existing ones through his photographs, essays, and letter-writing campaigns.The famed photographer’s majestic landscapes were formative in establishing national parks across the United States.
There are tons of nature artists on social media—whether its rock formations, sand art, sand castles, snow patterns…there are so many talented people out in nature. Check them out and be inspired. Go out and make your own natural Mandela or natural sculpture.
GET EDUCATED. DID YOU KNOW?
Styrofoam takes 50-100 to begin to break up in the environment! Yikes. That is a long time. Make sure you think twice about buying this cheap stuff because it is really hard on our planet.
It takes 400-500 years to begin to break down water bottles, so make sure you recycle them. It takes 100-200 years for aluminum or tin cans.
Make sure you recycle glass bottles because it takes even longer for them to break down. They are like a manmade stone that never goes away. They have not even been able to determine how long it takes.
Did you know fishing line is one of the worst things we can leave behind. Fishing line not only takes 600 years to begin to break down, but many animals get injured by swallowing the line or getting tangled in it.
-learned about these things at a Las Vegas aquarium
FASHIONRecycle, Buy used Clothing to help the planet. Why? The Average US Consumer Throws Away 81.5lbs of Clothes Every Year. In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste – equivalent to 85% of all textiles – end up in landfills on a yearly basis.
The Fashion Industry is Responsible for 20% of Global Waste Water
Wow! It Takes 20,000 Litres of Water to Produce One Kilogram of Cotton Besides being a huge source of water pollution, fast fashion also contributes to massive quantities of water being wasted every day. If this is difficult to picture, just think that about 2,700 litres of waterare needed to make just one t-shirt, which would be enough for one person to drink for 900 days. Moreover, a single load of washing uses between 50 and 60 litres of water.
I just got a book that I am excited to read, 50 Ways to Yay! First off, LOVE that name. I started to skim through it and already found some gems that I wanted to share….here you go. I will go through and highlight once I read and share, but for now…a sweet little JOY SNACK!! YAY!!
Find any excuse to PRACTICE Random Acts of AWESOME!
Spend more time BEING INTERESTED and less-time BEING INTERESTING.
A high-quality LIFE has much more to do with what we REMOVE from it than what we ADD to it.
You’re an ESSENTIAL PIECE of this puzzle called life. Without the FULL EXPRESSION of YOU, the picture just doesn’t make sense.
It’s NOT what you do ONCE that matters, its what you DO DAY IN and DAY OUT that makes the DIFFERENCE.
Stay CURIOUS. Embrace the WONDER of LIFE.
No one can LOVE you like you can.
Turn your FAILURE into FUEL.
The most POWERFUL gift we can give anyone is our PRESENCE.
What MAGIC will you experience today?
One MOMENT can change the entire course of our lives.
NO simply means NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
Change your LANGUAGE Change your life.
You were born with it all, but its up to you TO CREATE the right conditions for GROWTH.
What would LOVE do now?
I AM what I say I AM.
Go forth with PASSION.
xoxo
It is always soo incredible to find little things that can have a greater impact in the way you think, the words you listen to and the way words can all be strung together to create something meaningful. Little, golden treasures of truth. I LOVE it when you don’t have to search too far for the good stuff!!
These simple lines peppered throughout this book—just lit me up!! Hope you can find some you can appreciate.
“Simply by changing your habitual vocabulary, you can instantaneously change how you think, how you feel, and how you live.” ~ Tony Robbins
“People with an impoverished vocabulary live an impoverished emotional life; people with rich vocabularies have a multihued palette of colors with which to paint their experience, not only for others, but for themselves as well.” ~ Tony Robbins
“Few activities are as delightful as learning new vocabulary.” ~ Tim Gunn
Words that have deep meaning….create a space and an appetite for inspired words.
I LOVE learning new words, opening emails with words of the day and sharing wherever I can with anyone who will appreciate a good word. Hope you find some here. enJOY!
Philocalist: [to me the pronunciation sounds like fill-o-ca-list] [‘philos’- ‘lover of’ ‘kalos’-beauty] LOVER of BEAUTY; finds beauty in all things.
Aliferous: having wings
Saudade: a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent
Epiphany: A life changing realization
Redamancy: [to me the pronunciation sounds like read-a-mancy] the act of loving someone who loves you back; a love returned in full. Redamancy is what happens when the feeling is mutual.
Crestfallen: discouraged
Querencia: sanctuary where you feel safe. Querencia means “a place where one draws inspiration or strength from,” or “the place where one feels most comfortable and true.” Querencia is a Spanish word that has no direct or perfect English translation.[taken from daunter]
Reverie: A daydream; you are lost in your own thoughts.
Scrumdiddlyumptious: extremely tasty or delicious
Eudaemonia: State of being lucky
Metanoia: the journey of changing your mind, heart, self, and way of life. [ie: spiritual awakening]
Flimflam: Trick or deception
Euphoria: A State of extreme Happiness
Snuggery: a cozy room
Sobriquet: nick name
Felicity: Happiness
Mellifluous: Beautiful Sounding
Thalassophile: Lover of the Sea
Quintessence: Perfect example
Sanguine: Optimistic and Positive
Scintilla: A trace or spark of something
Serendipity: Chain of events that occurs in a favorable way
Surreptitious: Clandestine (keep a secret or done secretly)
Wistfulness: Yearning or desire
Snazzy: stylish and attractive
Zenith: The highest, most successful point of a situation
Frangipani: a perfume imitating the flower of a tropical tree or shrub
Kismet: Destiny
Raconteur: a person who is skilled in telling stories in an amusing and skilled way.
Splendiferous: splendid; magnificent; fine
Verve: Enthusiasm or vigor
Ineffable: too great to be expressed in words
Limerence: The state of being infatuated by another person
Sonder: the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.
Eunoia: [greek word for good will] beautiful thinking; healthy mind.
Hope this list gets you learning and including new words into your day to day. It is so enJOYable to learn how to pronounce words, use them in a sentence, quiz family members, etc.
Learning new words is a great way to challenge yourself to stretch and grow. Because if you are not growing…you are dying. Reach beyond your normal and take on little challenges each day that help you aspire to be your best self.
Cheers to you. Yay You! Peace. Love and Light to you. xoxo -H
Well, we are all about holidays and fun at our house.
You should have special days, or dare I say, any day into a holiday (which means holy day) to make memories for those you love. Last weekend my daughter had a new boy friend come for a visit, so I put on my creativity brain and quickly made a fun message in a bottle(s) scavenger hunt on the beach. I filled a couple glass, wine bottles with a few inspired quotes and about 4 or 5 messages done in morse code. My husband and I ran to the beach to hide them and left giant arrows made out of drift wood to help them find them. So FUN!! We even found a wood 2 x 4 piece of wood and propped it up on a large tree that drifted out of the sand and looked like a large walking plank. We told them, “look for the 2 x 4 wood plank and walk the plank!” The two of them found a different piece of wood (probably a 2×3) barely off the ground & they took a video of one another walking back and forth on this tiny piece of wood. My husband and I laughed really hard & told them, “Wrong plank!” The two of them kept looking for the other plank and message in a bottle. They finally found both bottles, but in the end had the morse code messages upside down (imagine how I missed that detail 😉 Morse code upside down can be confusing. They finally figured out the messages and had a great time!! LIFE IS A GREAT OCCASION FOR FUN!
Another FUN time this weekend!—St. Patrick’s Day!! Why?? Here’s why…wearing green, Lucky Clovers, Blarney stones, Irish jigs, many would say the Pubs, the Irish stew, leprechauns, the rainbows, the pot of gold…Oh, my. Here is what I have learned about the traditional holiday, how to celebrate it and all the fun you can create!!
Ever since my daughter was a wee pup we would make traps in our house to catch the leprechauns. She always LOVED anything mythical and magical, so everything was very FUN and memorable at our house.
LEPRECHAUNS, GREEN, RAINBOWS & pots of gold, Oh my: apparently, somewhere down some line of time, wearing green was magically suppose to make you invisible to the crafty, naughty little leprechauns who like to pull pranks and steal a pinch!! Now, for the rainbows and pots of gold story…Folklore depicts leprechauns as mistrustful creatures who detest humans. According to legend, leprechauns found the abandoned gold and buried it again so no human could ever find it. The old folktales tell us that there is a pot of gold hidden where the end of any rainbow touches the earth.[chandlerchevcad]
ST PATRICK:St. Patrick’s given name was Maewyn Succat. It wasn’t until he became a priest that he adopted a new name – Patrick, after Patricius (which relates to the Latin root meaning father). St Patrick was NOT a Saint and was also NOT Irish. St. Patrick was born in Britain in either Scotland or Wales (accounts tend to vary on that point) BUT Apparently, as a teenager, St. Patrick was kidnapped by a pirate raiding party and sold into slavery in Ireland. As a slave, he looked after and herded sheep for many years before fleeing to a monastery in England. While there, he became a devout follower of Christianity and ordained a Bishop, after which he returned to Ireland as a missionary. [gocity]
Poor kid. I already love him a little more after learning his history and the life he came from. Imagine being kidnapped, sold into slavery, finding a closeness to God after all that and then going back to the country where you lived in slavery and trying to teach the people. Wow. He must be a saint.
THE LUCKY SHAMROCK: Is more a religious tool than something lucky. As the stories go, St. Patrick supposedly used the iconic shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity while preaching. With each leaf representing Christianity’s Holy Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it was a symbol that showed how they could be three different spiritual entities and yet all part of the same whole.
SHAMROCK & Four-leaf CLOVER: Though shamrocks and four-leaf clovers are both associated with St. Paddy’s Day, the two are not, in fact, the same thing. The important difference: a shamrock is a clover that only has three leaves, which is far less rare to find than a four-leaf clover and therefore not as lucky. In fact, there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover, so shamrocks are much more common. However, four-leaf clovers aren’t just considered lucky because they’re so rare.
Interesting facts: The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck.
Abraham Lincoln always carried a four-leaf clover with him but reportedly forgot it at home the night he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
The word shamrock comes from the Irish word seamrog, which means “little clover.”
St. Patrick used a three-leaf clover as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland, which is why shamrocks are associated with the holiday.[womansday]
THE BLARNEY STONE:
‘There is a stone there, that whoever kisses, OH! He never misses, to grow eloquent’.
The term ‘blarney’, meaning beguiling but misleading talk, gained currency during the 16th century as the MacCarthy of the day attempted to fend off the demands of Queen Elizabeth I.
Legends about the Stone’s origin emerged, each as plausible as the next. It was said to have been the stone used by Jacob as a pillow when he dreamed of the ladder extending up to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it, and that it was brought from the Holy Land after the Crusades.
For over 200 years, world statesmen, literary giants, and legends of the silver screen have joined millions of pilgrims climbing the steps to gain the gift of eloquence. Among those said to have kissed the stone are: Sir Winston Churchill, Stan Laurel (while Oliver Hardy waited for him downstairs), Ronald Reagan, Sir Walter Scott, Sir Mick Jagger, Katherine Jenkins, Eddie Redmayne, James Nesbitt and Joe Manganiello. [blarneycastle.ie]
More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes of gaining more eloquent speech. [sacredsites]
So many stories, possible origins of the stone…Did Moses, Jacob, the Scottish Kings or St. Columba first use the stone? Probably this will never be known. The most commonly accepted story of the stone is that, in gratitude for Irish support at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 (a Scottish defeat of the English), Robert the Bruce gave a portion of the stone to Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster. Installed at Cormac McCarthy’s stronghold, Blarney Castle, it became known as the Blarney Stone. A century later, in 1446, King Dermot McCarthy then installed the stone in an enlarged castle he constructed. [sacredsites]
ACTIVITIES to bring out some IRISH LUCK:
Lots of family crafts and games for a younger family—there are tons of sites for these. In this post I am digging deep to find alternative activities and games for an older audience. We don’t drink, so if you are looking for drinking games—you can find plenty of those on other sites. Here are some ideas to spark a fun St. Patrick’s holiday at your home.
PLAY IRISH MUSIC: Some singers to put on your St. Paddy’s Day playlist: Hozier, Enya, Niall Horan, Bono, Sinéad O’Connor, and Van Morrison, to name just a few. [WomansDay]. For a late-night singalong, there’s nothing like belting out the early aughts hit “Breathless” by The Corrs, but if you’re looking for traditional Irish songs, we found the most beautiful renditions of classics including “Danny Boy” and “Molly Malone.” Queuing up tunes to dance to? Bangers from Celtic punk bands The Rumjacks and Flogging Molly will get you moving, as will upbeat pop hits like “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran featuring Celtic folk band Beoga (fun fact: Sheeran’s paternal grandparents are Irish). [CountryLiving]. “Hall of Fame” by The Script featuring will.i.am. Also Cranberries. “The Ballad of Ronnie Drew” by U2 and others. Snow Patrol. “Try a Little Tenderness” by The Commitments. The biggest hit from the biggest rock band to ever come out of Ireland With or Without You U2 Or Beautiful Day “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice. Don’t forget Enya. “C’est La Vie” by B*Witched
GAMES
Irish games: Rings, Croquet supposed to have come from a game called Crookey in Northern Ireland, Quoits, Darts, some other games that came from Ireland…Hurling and Gaelic football, but the games below could also be played at your family party.
Road bowling: an unusual and exciting version of bowls that it particular to Ireland. It is played with a steal shot, which is tossed under arm by the player down a twisty road. The player who gets to the finish line with the least shots wins. The whole course is called a score. It only really survives in Cork and Armagh, but there are pockets in other countries. [masterofgames].
Rounders: the American games Baseball and Softball are both descendants of a game played by Irish immigrants. Today in Ireland it’s modern form is called rounders and it’s a very popular activity. [masterofgames]
Find the gold coin: hide a specific number and invite guests to go on a gold coin hunt. Whoever finds the most wins the grand prize! Make it a pot of gold, some green cash, a green artichoke…anything green and great!
Irish Slang Words: Break into teams and give each team a “Irish Slang” word to see if they can decipher. If they get the word, then the team gets a number of points. Whichever team gets the most points wins. Here is my list. Bad dose (Severe illness) . Bang on (Right, accurate, correct) . Banjanxed (broken) . Boyo! (male, juvenile) . Bucketing down (raining hard) . Bunk off (skip) . Chancer (lighthearted Irish insult for someone who takes risks) . Craic (Fun, gossips, goings-on) . Crack on (Continue on) . Delira and excite (Delighted and excited) . Deadly (Brilliant, fantastic, great) . Dosser (Someone not working or is messing about) . Effin’ and blinding’ (Swearing and cursing) . Fine thing (good looking man or woman–attractive) . Gaff (home) . Gammy (Crooked or odd-looking) . hames (complete mess) . Holy show (disgraceful scene) . Howya (hi. hello) . Jacks (toilet) . Jo maxi (cab or taxi) . Kip (dump of a place and also a sleep) . Knackered (exhausted or tired) . Bangers (drunk) . Manky (dirty, filthy, disgusting–my hair feels manly) . Minerals (soft drink) . Mot (girlfriend) . Savage (common term for great, brilliant) . Scarlet (very embarrassed) . Shattered (exhausted) . Thick (extremely stupid) . my personal favorite….GRAND. [taken from Irelandbeforeyoudie]
Irish Jokes for some standup comedy time together.
Bono and the Edge walk into a bar in Dublin. The barman exclaims, “Not U2 again!!!”
What do you call a fake Irish stone? A shamrock.
Did you hear Ireland is the fastest-growing country in Europe? Its population is always Dublin.
After examining him, an Irishman goes to the doctor and says, “You have some problems with your heart, but if you take these tablets, I think it will be okay.
“So the doctor gives the man the tablets, and the patient asks, “Do I have to take them every day?” No,” replies the doctor, “take one on a Monday, skip the Tuesday, take one on Wednesday, skip the Thursday and go on like that. “Two weeks later, the doctor walks down the street and sees the patient’s wife.” Hello Mrs Murphy,” he says, “how’s your husband?”
“Oh, he died of a heart attack,” says Mrs Murphy.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” says the doctor, “I thought if he took those tablets, he would be all right.”, “Oh, the tablets were fine,” says Mrs Murphy, “It was all the bloody skipping that killed him!”
Some fun Puns too! Irish you were mine. I’m Dublin over with laughter. That dance was a jig mistake. When the dance is over, the jig is up. That’s a bunch of ba-larney. You’re my lucky charm. Irish I may, Irish I might. Don’t give into beer pressure. You shamrock my world. I’m a clover, not a fighter. Drink happy thoughts. I’m pure gold. People are always after me lucky charms. Gold riddance. You’re my pot of gold. Get clover it, babe. Let’s have a shamrockin’ good time tonight! Shamrocks and shenanigans for all! Burst into cheers!
GET CREATIVE: Color doodled shamrocks, create or find coloring pages with Irish patterns or words. You could also paint rocks from a river or beach and make your own Blarney Stone in hopes of finding your own voice and being able to speak eloquently. [like the Irish tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone] OR maybe you take some time to make a special poem like some of the great Irish poets.
FOOD: There are a zillion recipes for the traditional Irish brunch or big meals of Stew and Soda bread. Find something that your family will enJOY. Whether you do Irish eggs, potatoes, hashes or stews…create it with love and it will all turn out to be the best occasion. LOVE is the key ingredient in anything you make. Make it with LOVE.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! Make every day an occasion. Life is too short!
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