gentle spirit

Gentle spirit
Brave
Free
Shining a light
Leading the way

Gentle spirit
Unafraid to take the leap
Reaching out
Holding hands
Encouraging others to fly

Gentle spirit
Showing up
Vulnerable
Heart on her sleeve
Sharing the world

Gentle spirit
Quiet and big
Kind and powerful
Gentle and strong
Rooted deeply in the earth

Gentle spirit
Reflecting back to you how beautiful you are
Nudging your forward
Guiding you home
Working together to infuse kindness into the world

letters across the miles

Letters written between friends seems to have become a thing of the past.  But it shouldn't be.  Which is why Kristine and I are bringing it back in our own online version.  We are writing back and forth to each other every Tuesday. 

You can find my first letter to her HERE

And read the response she posted today HERE

I am loving this project and look forward to responding next Tuesday. 

the first moment

I want to go back to that first moment
To the feeling inside when you walked through the door
I spotted you and instantly knew this was going to be so good

I want to go back to those messages passed back and forth
To the red leather interior
And that moment outside the bathroom

You and I
We have this way of being together
That feels easy, and right

There is deep laughter
Hand holding
And cheering on during life's difficult moments

We have an understanding of one another
Knowing there is me, and you
And then there is us

I am forever grateful you walked through that door
Altering the course of my life in the very best way
Making that day and all those ones that followed, so good

happiness

We stumbled upon this place unexpectedly
A wrong turn that ended up being so right
The stillness of turtle pond, the light breeze, the sun shining
Each of these elements brought such peace and calm
The conversation danced in between deep comfortable silence
Each of us savoring the moment, sinking deep into this space and each other

We ate delicious cookies and laughed with one another
Taking in the beautiful canvas that nature creates
We soaked in the simplicity of life and what is really important
Going back to our roots
Remembering what is true
Speaking from the heart

It is so easy to get caught up in the moment, dragged through the hustle
Spending money in hopes of feeding our happiness
But it is the small moments that matter most
The spaces of time where we slow down
Drink each other in, share the truth of our heart, and be with one another
It is in this space where true happiness exists

letters across the miles

Dear Kristine,

I am excited to begin this new adenture with you.  I look forward to watching it unfold. 

Recently I have been giving a lot of thought to perfection and how I tend to not begin something because I feel like I do not have all of the pieces perfectly together to start.  Therefore, the idea, project, or moment sits there on the shelf never given the chance to see where it could go.  But nothing in life ever begins perfectly.  There are growing pains, messy pieces, and beautiful ah-ha moments. 

Life is evolving and we are constantly expanding and growing.  Where we begin is never where we end up and so much is learned along the way.  The pieces do not have to be perfectly alighned.  We can pick them up as we go and see how they fit together. 

I am glad that we decided to just begin and see where this naturally evolves.  Had we not jumped in, it would be just another thing sitting on my shelf waiting for the perfect moment.  And nothing great can come from an idea collecting dust on a shelf. 

This lesson of beginning has recently been presented to me often.  I have been shown time and time again that what I see as a final stage was never what it looked like in the beginning. 
I see the final project, all polished and clean and I am in awe.  But what I do not see is the hundreds of drafts that were tossed and the miles treked to get to that polished piece. 

Do you remember in grammer school when you had to "show" your math?  This was so the teacher could see how you got to the final resolution.  What if we had to do that in life?  What if we had to show all the stumbles and failures we endured before getting to the final resolution?  I think we would see that each of us are human and it all takes us work to get to where are.  We may even begin to be kinder to ourselves. 

What is sitting on your shelf that you are wanting to begin but have yet to start?  I have a whole bookshelf worth of projects and ideas.  I think I may start to dust some of them off, give them a whirl, and put the pieces together as I go along. 

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead.  Look forward to hearing from you soon. 

xo
Jennifer
(01)

be sure to check out Kristine's site next tuesday for her letter response

Letters Across the Miles : a virtual collaboration

 Photo by Thea Coughlin

Growing up I had a pen pal.  We would write letter to one another, spilling the secrets of our heart onto the page.  We had never met, but there was so much excitement that washed over me each time a letter would arrive in my mailbox.  With the digital world being so prominent today, it feels as if having a pen pal is long gone.

However, it does not have to be that way.  Kristine and I are coming together to create a virtual pen pal.  We will be corresponding with one another in letter format through our blogs each Tuesday. The topics of the letters will very depending upon what is living in our hearts in that moment.  You may find us telling a funny story that happened at the grocery store, sharing our inner most dreams, or dishing on the latest things we are crushing on.

Kristine is a photographer, a creative, and a writer.  She is working on her first poetry/photography book in between being out in nature, exploring the world around her, and traveling with her husband.  She has a wide expansive heart and even though we have never met in person I can feel her warmth through her words.  You can find Kristine over at Living in the Moment.

We will be starting tomorrow and we hope that you will follow along on our journey as we correspond with each other each Tuesday.

warrior canine connection visit

I have been honored to spend some time at the Warrior Canine Connection (WCC).  An organization dedicated to teaching Service Men and Women with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the skill of training mobility service dogs to be partnered with Veterans with mobility impairments.  The organization believes whole heartedly in the healing power of the human-animal bond.

The work that Molly and Rick are doing is incredibly inspiring.  They have dedicated their whole lives to this cause and are changing the lives of Veterans, Soldiers, and all the individuals who watch along through the live Puppy Cam.  A countless number of individuals also come through the center to pet the new puppys before they go off to be trained with the soldiers.  This helps the pups get acclimated to human interactions.

The whole program was run out of the home of Rick and Molly until recently.  A special letter was sent to Home Depot asking for donations to help renovate the Garage.  Home Depot went above and beyond and renovated the entire garage to create an Enrichment Center and provide more room for the pups to romp around.

Everything about this program is inspiring.  And the individuals who run it are full of heart and love for their work.  It is amazing to see in person.

If you have a moment check out the Puppy Cam, but I must warn you....you may become addicted to it.   And if you are in the Maryland area I advise you to book an appointment to check out these precious pups and meet them in person.

celebrating love

Today let us celebrate love.  Let's raise our glass and make a toast to the love that blooms around us and that which is infused in everything we do.

Love can be found in the passions we hold dear to our heart.  The colors we choose as we spread paint onto canvas.  The feeling of our feet hitting the pavement as we rack up the miles running.  The way we yell and scream cheering for our favorite team.

It can be seen and felt in our daily tasks.  The way we prepare a meal, make the bed, tend to the garden.  We hold love in our heart for our pets, our home, the moments we are deep in laughter.

Love is not just a feeling between two individuals.  It  is everywhere in life.  It lives within the greeting we receive when we arrive home.  The hug from our niece and the sound of her voice when she says your name.  The comforting feeling of curling up under the covers and drifting into a deep sleep.

Love is infused in the friendly wave to your neighbor or even a stranger.  The bread you bring to feed the ducks and the way you break it up into bite sized pieces, just for them.  The small flower you see emerging after the long dark days of winter.

Love can be felt through a simple touch.  A friend resting her hand on your arm as she tells you a story.  A deep embrace from your lover.   A high five given after crossing the finish line.

Love is everywhere.  Even when that "special someone" is not in your life, love is swirling around.  It is in everything we do an it ripples over to those we interact with and the way we show up in our work life.

Love is there, it is always there.  Spilling out into the world.  Bringing comfort and ease.  Spreading laughter and kindness.

Today on this day of love, let's celebrate the love we hold deep in our heart and the love we share with others.  Love is the glue that holds this world together.  Let's keep spreading it.

fears

I am not good at peeling hard boiled eggs
And am pretty bad at returning things to stores when I should
This is easy to admit

What is tough
Is hanging it all out there
Letting the world know what I am personally terrible at

I don't do great at showing up in public spaces
I have a fear of making a fool of myself
And rarely allow space to laugh at myself while unknown eyes are watching

I have a fear of the public
I shy away, back down, do not let myself have fun
It is as if they are going to choose my destiny for me

I am terrified of being embarrassed
Afraid of this unknown moment that may occur
I lock up

Even when I am out in the world alone
I think someone may be watching
I tend to dig deep into my introverted self

I want to let go more often
Play, laugh, have fun
Embrace the moment of goodness that I am in

So I am here
Stating my fears
Starting in this public space

My hope is that I will expand my wings
Take my fear to the streets
Let go and not worry about others

the writer

Being a writer can be a lonely adventure
Sitting solo on the bench
Entering through door to the coffee shop alone
Sitting with your thoughts by your side
Pen and paper your only company

The camaraderie of brainstorming with others
Creating together in a group
Laughing and giggling as it all unfolds
This rarely occurs for the writer
There work must be done alone

At times it can feel daunting
Sad and terrifying
Wondering if all this sweat and tears is for anything
Inner demons creeping in
And taking over

It can be a struggle to start
Words swirling in your head
But coming out all wrong on paper
The emotion is there
But the means to pull it out has disappeared

The writer must struggle through
Show up day after day after day
Fighting their way through
Sifting through the nonsense
Drilling down to the heart in the words

From on lookers it may seem torturous
They wonder why the writer continues to show up
Why do they not choose something where they do not have to be alone
They do not realize that within that solitude hearts heal
Minds expand and gold flows from their fingertips

There are brief moments when a writer is transported
Words flowing that she did not even know where there
For that moment the world around her disappears
She is deep in this other place, this different time, this lost world
And this makes it all worth it

beauty

Beauty
Filling the sky after the storm subsides

Beauty
Staying safely tucked into our heart as we get pulled in many directions

Beauty
Keeping us grounded, taking us back, moving us forward

Beauty surround us
Always there at the ready if we just seek it out
A reflection in a puddle
The giggle from a child
The sound of your favorite song

Beautiful moments pull us into another world of possibility
We must be open to letting them in

Seek out the beauty around you
Capture it in your heart
Hold close in your pocket for that rainy day

~~What beautiful things are in your world?