Truly Meaningful Gifts

The idea of meaningful gifts has been on my mind and in my heart for a good long while. December 13, 2015, I shared a talk about the subject when I was guest speaker at Pilgrim Congregational Church. As usual, none of my pre-thinking did anything to inoculate me from enough tears to sink a battleship over the exchange of v-e-r-y meaningful gifts with family on Christmas day.

I love that our daughter and her kids draw names and make hand-crafted gifts. Witnessing this exchange has been such a joy in the past, last Christmas we decided to get in on the fun this year. A few of the truly remarkable gifts from this year included: arm-knitted infinity scarfs; a metal American flag; personalized bulletin board; a kitchen herb garden; colorful crayon art; and a year of monthly snacks! 

For six-weeks this past summer I attended Write2TheEnd focused on learning self-publishing skills. I was combining skill development with the creation of my gift for grandson, Bradley—a book of memories!

Beyond my wildest imagination, Bradley was at the same time creating an audio of words of love and affirmation from family and friends he put over special relaxation music, including some by my dear friend Pamela Chappell.

I loved each contribution, and I love every one of you who helped make this very meaningful gift. I hope you will enjoy Grandson Adam's words (based on the second "M" in G-A-M-M-I-E):

My Gammie, My Grandmother, My Hero, My Role Model, My Go-To, My Advice Giver, My Friend, My Family, My Guardian, My Laughter, My Fat Camp Instructor, My World Traveler, My Picture Taker, My Massage Therapist, My Healing Touch, My Counselor, My Helping Hand, My Sous Chef, My Cinnamon Toast Maker, My Supporter, My Biggest Fan, My Moon, My Red Balloon, My Minister, My Mentor, My Author, My One and Only Gammie.

OK, I admit I cried so hard my eyes hurt as I opened my heart and let the love flow in. Fortunately, we recognize how cathartic tears can be.Thank you, everyone, for giving and receiving truly meaningful gifts!

(You might appreciate knowing Bradley and I giving these gifts to one another this year was a total "God-thing." I did not draw Brad's name, nor did he draw mine! We each ended up with the others name because two other family members initiated a trade. The  resulting in our having this magical opportunity to express our deepest love for one another.) 

10-Year Itch

OMG - I just finished listening to Marie Forleo's interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. In the interview, Gilbert is talking about Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. As a writer, I want to steal so many of her lines, but as a human being with a past littered with broken dreams, and crippled by feelings of failure, I want to curl up in her message and suck my thumb.

Ten years ago this month, we closed the doors at the Holistic Alliance. I knew letting that dream of a holistic center here in my home town of Saint Joseph, Michigan, go had been horribly painful, but I realized listening to Elizabeth that I had let what she calls the "murderer of all good things" stop me in my tracks: perfectionism. 

Gilbert called perfectionism a serial killer, saying it goes around killing joy, spontaneity, wonder, grace, and humility. She said perfectionism is fear in high-heeled shoes….

I wonder what I would have written had I been blogging at that time of my life. Something therapeutic occurs when you put your innermost tender parts out there for the world to witness.

It is much different to suck your thumb in public.

After listening to the interview, I asked Joel (Joel Bowman is the co-creator of Subtle Communication Systems) if Big Magic had helped him forgive us for not having our dreams for SCS come true. His reply was somewhat sobering: "I never had a sense of blame for SCS. My blame is more for things I haven't tried, or perhaps what we haven't tried, rather than things we did that didn't succeed." 

Gilbert said all love eventually becomes help and quoted her own mother's advice: "Done is better than good." 

Today, with Big Magic, I am more courageous about looking back. The dream of weaving together the threads of body, mind, and spirit is still alive in my heart—and every day you can look around in the world and see how much progress has been made. Fortunately, hearts only break in one direction: open. 

My heart is more open to celebrating each and every one of the many who came through the doors at 100 Church Street and found something meaningful there. I am thinking about those who studied energy medicine and the power of language with Joel and me. I love you all.

I vow to let my heart once again have wings and I am willing to stand tall and dance again with inspiration. Lets see what comes from that in the coming year. And so it is...

Sunset of Life

Time is such an odd commodity. Some moments seem like days, and some years seem like moments. Without a doubt, my heart is tender right now with the passing of so many of late. 

This morning, I posted a controversial commercial on Facebook about an elder man who faked his death to get his family all together for Christmas. You can take a look and decide for yourself if you think it extreme, cruel, or crazy, but making time to be with those you care about is none of these—it is vital.

This month a term insurance policy I have had for over a decade has ended and the cost of the coverage has skyrocketed. I remember thinking last year, "If I am going to die soon, let it be while we have this policy in force." Now, looking at the options, determining if it makes sense to pay this higher rate to keep the coverage, I said, "We know for sure we will collect at some point. Let's pay the premium." 

I am not depressed in the face of all of the recent losses. If anything, the losses have allowed me to be more aware of the gift of each moment. The taste of my favorite tea, crawling into a warm bed, the smell of a busy kitchen—these each feel like precious opportunities given for me to savor. 

If we were looking at chakra development, you might say we are intimately aware of the seventh chakra: the Crown. In, Anatomy of the Spirit, Caroline Myss writes: “Live in the Present Moment." Myss says this is the chakra of the spirit: extreme unction, Keter. We need to be open and attentive to the constant guidance we receive each day.

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, in The Palm Tree of Devorah, writes: "One's thoughts should be pure, one's forehead should display no harshness, one's ears should always turn to hear good, one's eyes should distance themselves from noticing evil, always looking at the good, one's nose should be free from the breath of anger, one's face should always shine, and his mouth should express nothing except good."

When is this guidance not appropriate? Goodness, it seems we want to honor this energy every day of our lives. Of course, it may take facing the sunset of life to remember how important letting our face shine each day of our lives actually is….