Little Flowers

Sometimes the core of who we are gets lost along the way.  It’s good to remember the freshness of youth.  One day I was sitting at the kitchen table.  My five-year-old ran up to me, grabbed me around my shoulders with all her might, and buried her nose in my hair.  It smelled of lavender.  I often put lavender oil in my hair after washing and conditioning because I love its scent.  I am amazed at the lovely smell from such a small flower.   She breathed in deep, with the whole of her little body and what she said next made me smile and cry.  She said, “Mommy, I want to live in your hair!”  She seemed to be elated and described at length how she would live in my hair and what that whole experience would incur.  A child’s mind is so beautiful.  They often say what’s on their minds with no inhibitions, no motive, and no rehearsal.  They are 100% in the moment and often wonder why we are not.

There have been several times in life where the hustle and noise of life made me stop and think about the little girl I once was.  I remember our family was going through some difficulties.  At the time I was about ten or so.  On this particular day I was fed up with my ten year old life.  I remember going outside.  We lived in a huge apartment complex.   So sometimes I would just walk around, think, and explore.  It was windy that day; really windy.   I remember looking up a lot.  At the blue and the clouds I wondered to God.  After a while I returned home.  Determined, I wrote a letter on a plain sheet of white paper with a red Sharpie marker because it was all I could find.  I folded it up, addressed it to God with a handmade stamp in the upper right corner.  Confident, letter in hand, I returned to the wind outside.  Standing in the middle of the parking lot I remember raising my arm straight up to the sky, closing my eyes and opening my fingers.  I remember standing there watching it blow up and away through the air.  I felt satisfied.  I went back inside.  A few months ago I found myself asking where is THAT girl.  Did she still exist?

What is it about children that make them fierce and delicate at the same time?  They are bold, uninhibited, precious little people with huge hearts…literally walking oxymorons.  Such a beautiful scent from such small flowers!  Have a wonderful day!

Breakers

Ah, Friday!  We made it!  This late afternoon I will pick up my not-so-little ones and we will begin our retreat away from school. Spring break!  Though there will be no palms trees or breaking waves we can all sleep in past 6am and I am SO looking forward to THAT!  To further commemorate Spring here's a poem by Robert Frost.  Have a wonderful weekend!

 A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

 Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today,

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day; like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird,

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above,

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fufil.

Fresh!

Fresh!  And I'm not talking about the funky get your groove on type either.  It's officially Spring.  Every season is a new beginning.  Let the flowers bloom and the trees bud!  Yay!  In April we'll be dedicating our blog to posts about children, kids, and all the knuckleheads we love!  They are ornery, wonderful, ever changing and there's always something fresh happening with them.  We will explore, what it's like to greet babies for the first time, interview teachers about what they see in the kids they teach, parents and their experiences and challenges, etc.  We'll keep you posted!  Sorry, I couldn't resist...Have a wonderful day!

The Little Things

Those insignificant moments we share with one another are like little greetings.  They are small knocks upon the doors of our hearts that remind us why we love our spouses, children, and friends in the first place.  I found this poem and thought I would share it with you.  Have a wonderful day!

(Originally posted Valentine's Day 2015.)

 

Windchime

By Tony Hoagland 

 

She goes out to hang the windchime

in her nightie and her work boots.

It’s six-thirty in the morning

and she’s standing on the plastic ice chest

tiptoe to reach the crossbeam of the porch,

 

 

windchime in her left hand,

hammer in her right, the nail

gripped tight between her teeth

but nothing happens next because

she’s trying to figure out

how to switch #1 with #3.

 

 

She must have been standing in the kitchen,

coffee in her hand, asleep,

when she heard it—the wind blowing

through the sound the windchime

wasn’t making

because it wasn’t there.

 

 

No one, including me, especially anymore believes

till death do us part,

but I can see what I would miss in leaving—

the way her ankles go into the work boots

as she stands upon the ice chest;

the problem scrunched into her forehead;

the little kissable mouth

with the nail in it.

Hello #5...M&Ms

Sometimes love greets us with a steady, light build.  It comes softly, gently, but with confidence.  This is the case concerning Michelle and Michael.  They were two people comfortable with themselves that happend to cross paths one day.  Michael, the new postman, delivered mail to an office Michelle worked at.  She literally had him at hello.  He said her hello was authentic.  "She put 100% of herself into it.  She looked into my eyes, put out her hand and introduced herself."  This was no ordinary greeting, it was real.  Michelle acknowledges it too.  She admits having a sense of peace about it all.  There was no weirdness between them.  She knew it was meant to be.  Michelle, bright, bubbly, confident, and not one to quit easily, raised a wonderful daughter and graduated into a new phase in her life.  She made many sacrifices for her family, which included taking care of her parents.

 

Before that special day and that special hello there was Michael, in another part of town kind, quiet, contemplative, and real.  He was also caring for his mother.  How wonderful it is when hellos come together at a special time and place.  This was the case between these two.  Michelle and Michael got to know each other.  Their first date was at a Sizzler Steakhouse on her birthday.  He wore shorts, a hoodie, and flip flops.  She was all dressed up because she was coming from work.  Michael says he didn't remember per se what she was wearing.  He looked more at her eyes and found out more about her heart.  He knew pretty much that day that she was someone he wanted to pursue long term.  Michelle also never doubted that he would be there.  Both of their families approved of each of them.  A year and three months later, they were married.

 

When asked what hello means to Michelle, she states, it is a nice greeting, but one can definitely tell when it's meaningful or not.  If you genuinely mean it, you'll look people in the eye.  Of hello Michael says it depends who's saying it.  It has to be a genuine feeling instead of a courtsey.  These two M's don't consider the candy coating but what's in the middle.  Have a very Happy Valentine's Day and a wonderful weekend!  Remember, hello could be the start of something bigger than you are! (Originally posted Valentines Day weekend 2015)

 

(note: Had me at hello  was taken from Jerry Maguire,1996.)

Hello 40!

Hey there! In January I celebrated my 40th birthday with great joy to say the least.  I had ultimately thought over the years leading up to this that I would hate it's arrival.  It would be like an irritating relative who comes to visit and never goes home or a small snowball bearing down a mountain with no way to prevent it's momentum.  Part of it is shock.  I thought to myself, I don't feel 40...but then again what is 40 supposed to feel like?  While pondering I'd thought I would share with you.  The major milestones in our lives whether turning a special age, facing a new year, thinking about retirement, or maybe just starting something new can be taxing.  We'll have some "Walking Hellos" in the near future that will give a glimpse into birth, beginning new realtionships, and retirement.  How did the people being interviewed face their changes?  Guess you'll just have to keep checking in with us!  Have a wonderful day! 

Three Wise Men

(I decided to repost this because each of us are gifts to be given away if not only to encourage others at the very least.  Enjoy!)  I remember being fascinated with the magi on their way to bring gifts to the baby messiah.  I thought about their regal garments and how they travelled from far away lands by faith looking for and following a star, the rhythmic sway of the camels as they walked.   What were they thinking as they moved forward.  I thought about how special the gifts were that they carried to the King of Kings.  To this day at Christmas time they still show up and warm my heart.  We have a beautiful porcelin ornament, a wise man.  His garment is white, trimmed in green ivy, gold, and is also slightly bejeweled with amber rhinestones.  His posture is that of someone who is about to take a careful step forward...lightly.  He knows his feet tread holy ground.  It is as if he is just about to kneel.  The gift he bares is precious; he holds it close.  He also knows the Gift that is before him.  Inscribed on the lower side of his garment is Ephesians 1:8, "And he has showered down upon us the richness of his grace, for how well he understands us and knows what is the best for us at all times.  Happy Three Kings Day!  (Originally posted 1/15/15)

Hello #3...She'll manage.

When Moses was called to lead by the peculiar Voice in the burning bush he had no idea of the events to come.  At first he could only see how unqualified he was.  His speech wasn’t the best.   He took matters into his own hands that lead to his flight from Egypt.  He also tried to forget the bondage of his people while in the dessert.   The call to lead still found him.  Management is not an easy task.  To manage is more than the act of supervising.   Another great definition of manage I found: it is the act or process of deciding how to use something.  Our decisions in approaching the hand we are dealt determines where we go.

 

Delicia did not know that five years into marriage and two beautiful children later she would find herself handling much more than she could ever bargain for.  Her husband died tragically, suddenly, and life became profoundly changed.   She could have sat down on the matter…stopped.  Moving forward even now it is still one foot in front of the other.  She recalls for a time after her husband took his life not necessarily wanting to be bothered with people.  She found it hard to keep going because of the need to be selfish (in a good way) to take care of herself, so she could take care of others.  Having experienced what she did, she has more compassion for others and is more empathetic.

 

When asked what hello means to her she says, “Hello is an invitation.  It is a different way of shaking someone else’s hand.   It could be shallow or genuine.  It is just a matter of where people hear it.  It is a common courtesy or an invitation to start a conversation.”   When asked about the most difficult hello she’s ever experience she replied, “I don’t have a problem saying hello or getting to know someone.  When someone is comfortable it opens the doors to amazing conversations.  It is important to say hello purposefully."   Greeting others has helped her in management to learn about her associates.  It allows her to joke and have fun with them and customers as well.  It helps them let their guards down.  She states, “We have more in common with human beings than we give each other credit for.  Hellos allow for vulnerability."  When Delicia thinks of how the Lord greets her or reminds her of his presence she recalls observing a father and daughter shopping in the store she oversees.  The father was present physically but not really paying attention to his daughter.  The little girl was trying to get his attention but her dad was busy shopping. She said it was in that moment she realized God always has her attention.  She states, “God is constantly saying hello, trying to get my attention…we just need to acknowledge him.   With that, she will manage just fine.  (Originally posted January 3, 2015)

Hello #2...Pop up greeting

You never know who you’ll run into while you’re on your way through life.  I find this to be especially true when you’re a mother.  As a mom you have to make yourself available to walk through situations that come up instantly.  They seem to appear out of thin air.  Sometimes I’m like really!  You have to go to the bathroom now!  We’re at the very back of Super Walmart.  Or someone has dropped food all over their nice new clothes just before we’re about to leave for church.  Or, lately it seems as if I am the only one whose children (at least two at a time) seem to melt down in public.  We have five.  The latter was true on more than one occasion while dropping off my four year old to preschool.  She was melting down and so was my two year old.  This woman, petite with a cool short haircut and snappy looking clothes talked to both my girls and they stopped crying on the spot.  She smiled at me genuinely and moved on about her day.  In that moment I was so grateful because I had tried everything and came up short.  This woman had no idea of what it took to even get in the car let alone get to school.  She had no idea of the daily battle with my 4 year old to get dressed and wear clothes that matched.  No idea about how I had only gotten between 3-5 hours of sleep because someone was up with a bad dream, ill, or had to go to the bathroom.  Our two year old is freshly potty trained.  She seems to bypass the bathroom which is right next to her room; politely knock on our door and do the potty dance.   Anyway, the point is, it was this woman’s kindness that greeted me.  It was the hello I needed to breathe deep and say to myself, “we’re almost to the classroom”.  I think these are the hellos we need to be to our neighbors.  You never know what it took for a person to get where they are when they pass you by on the street or when they are standing in right front of you at the checkout.  I recently had the chance to share with this wonderful woman how her kind gesture got me to where I was going.  I still don’t know her name.

 

1/6/2015 UPDATE: Her name is Christine...Yay!  (Originally posted 1/2/2015)

Do over!

Hello all and happy Monday!  This week we will continue to repost some of the awesome stories we've found!  If you are new to our blog please enjoy and be inspired!  For those of you who have read previous stories you can read some of your favorites again!  Last Friday we enjoyed Hello #1, a wonderful story about Michelle who battled bipolar as a teenager.  Tomorrow will be Hello #2.  Some of the best things that happen to us are unexpected.  Have a wonderful day everyone!  Remember breathe deep and say Hi.  You never know what a simple greeting can lead to! 

On your mark...

How long before I get in?  Before it starts, before I begin?  Before I know what it feels like?  Where to, where do I go?  If you don’t try then you’ll never know.  That was taken from the first verses of Speed of Sound by Coldplay.  Beginnings are hard…Should I?  Could I?  It's like a constant pacing back and forth.  To begin is to do the first part of an action: to start doing something, to start to work on, produce, or give attention to (something); to cause (something) to start. 

 

When I was younger I ran track.  I always had an issue with the start.  I was a sprinter.  The start for a sprinter is so important because if you don’t push off the blocks with power you could lose precious seconds and jeopardize the whole race.  Of course you could catch up, but who wants to do that if you have an awesome start.  In some strange way I was afraid of the sound of the gun.  How would I do; would I stay in my lane?  I would either hold myself in the blocks after the bang of the gun or false start which resulted sometimes in being disqualified.   My coach would constantly have me practice starts until I was absolutely SICK of them.  After many days of working on them I was finally able to start with power and ended up having one of the fastest starts on the team.

 

When I first decided to make body products kept I procrastinating the start.  All the what ifs kept loitering in my mind.  When I tested my first recipe it felt almost theraputic.  Beautiful aromas surrounded me and I couldn't wait for the finished result so my family, friends, and I could test it out.  It still makes me smile to see my husband and five little faces after a batch of whip is made.  They would stand outside my lab as I call it and wait for a sample.  Is there a beginning calling your name...whispering to you "GET SET...GO!"

Hello #1...Always looking up.

From first glance you would probably notice her golden brown locks.  What a gorgeous head of hair. Underneath all those locks is a beautiful, witty, kind, and bright lady.   She seems to always look on the bright side of things.  She loves fall.  Her approach to thanksgiving and Christmas totally made me rethink how I will do things during this time next year.  Instead of the ba-hum-bug of the holidays that we sometimes find ourselves in without knowing how we’ve arrived there; she approaches the holidays intentionally.  Every day in November Michelle posted on Facebook what she was thankful for.  This act propelled her into what December is all about…giving.  She decorated the entire house…inside and out with festive lights, Christmas decorations, collections of animated stuffed animals, Christmas globes some of which were broken by her kiddos.  Taking that in stride, even the broken ones were on display.  I always look forward to answering the door in December because I know she and her family will be standing there with a plate of baked goodies.  All of this and one would never know the battle scars she has carried over the years.

 

By eight she had already been in therapy for being abused sexually by her biological father.  Her drama continued into an angry adolescence, a bipolar diagnosis, and 15 years of meds.  She truly understands that mental illness is in your head and one must be willing to confront the demons instead of run from them.  Through it all she is thankful for everything she’s been through.   She sometimes reflects on where she's come from.  Having gone through worse it strengthens her to keep moving forward.  There is always a godsend in our lives.  For Michelle it was her mother.  It was her mom who brought her to school with her for 2-3 months because she was suicidal.  She credits her mom for letting her and siblings be kids and was an active part of her childhood instead of it being separated.  This taught her how to pay attention to her own kiddos and explain to them what is happening around them. She says It enables them to be bold and ask questions.  Hello to her means friendship.  She said, “It opens you up to friendship.  It is a greeting to a new adventure.”  Through living she has learned that failure doesn’t define a person.  Her mom became the example she needed to propel her forward.   She learned that she can make it without; she learned about who she is and what she can do.  When faced with a challenge Michelle thinks about what she’s been through and having gone through worse she can do it.  Sometimes she posts beautiful pictures of the sky at dawn or at sunset. (originally posted 1/1/2015

Humility Unexpected

I think humility is having a great success or triumph and then returning to the grind again, dare I say gracefully.  I remember in the morning my Nana would get up before dawn to prepare her coffee.  She used a perculator.  The sound of this peculiar vessel would seemingly echo quietly through her house.  Sometimes I would get up just to see the coffee bubble through the clear top.   When the coffee was finished she would pour herself a cup; add sugar, powdered creamer, then take a seat at the kitchen table and sip heartily.  Her face seemed to brighten to an almost a pleasuring experience.  My grandmother was a stern, hard working lady who was very feisty.  My mother, younger brother, and I lived with her for awhile.  I couldn't imagine working a full time job, helping raise grandchildren, and having her grown daughter and son return home.   She also helped my auntie take care of my great grandma.  She was very active in many areas of her church as well.   Her great successes were not apparent until now.  She gave until she had no more and in tender moments like the one described above she unknowingly taught me how to take a break.   Now that I am an adult, I can appreciate tender moments of great success.  Still working on returning to the grind with grace.  How about you?  What is your definition of humility?  Please share with us!

Walking Hellos

Whenever I was running late my dad always used to say, "You better get to stepping".  I would kick it into high gear so I could get to where I needed to go on time.  I think the same holds true with hello.    In the last post we talked about being walking hellos.  One of the purposes of our blog is to insight thought toward action and change. Occasionally we'll introduce new products, etc.  The intention of our blog is to have a place to momentarily pause.  A selah if you will (that's hebrew for pause and consider).   We love to encourage others to be all they can be.  Visit this space often for stories on the hellos we've come across and their awesome experiences.  You never know what special story the person at the checkout has, or the person that accidently bumped into you in the hallway while you were BOTH on your way somewhere.

Hello...just passing you by.

The beautiful thing about saying hello opens up a multitude of possibilities.  "Hi" could be a smile, a nod, a wave.  It could be a stunning flower that caught your eye while on a stroll.  Hellos grab our attention, interrupt us while we are on our way.  When I first saw my husband I thought to myself "Hello!"  The first time seeing him was like hitting the jackpot!  His smile alone lit up the hallway he was standing in when I first saw him.  I was like Lord, are you serious?  11 years later when he smiles it's like the sunrise every time (giggle).  

Hello is more than just a greeting.  One of the definitions according to Merriam-Webster is to express surprise.  Staying with Mr. Dictionary, we continue. The definition of surprise is an unexpected event, piece of information, etc.  It goes on to say surprise can be defined as an unexpected gift or party, etc.  I think that's wonderful! Now we're getting somewhere.  We are literally walking Hellos...walking surprises waiting to pop open and capture someone's attention like those party popper thing-a-ma-jigs.  The confetti and streamers burst out and make you and everyone around smile.  Whose world will you burst into today?  In a good way of course...

(tee-hee!)