Today I’m grateful that my youngest son turned 2 years old.  I’m grateful that we had an “intimate” party for him that was SO much fun.  I’m grateful that we were able to buy him lots of gifts, had a fabulous dinner (I made chicken with spinach, pears & feta – yum!), that my mom-in-law joined us, and that we were all together.  I’m grateful that we’re all healthy, happy & enjoying each other.

I’m so grateful to have my children in my life.  They have brought me so much joy.  They mean the world to me, and I’m so grateful that I’m responsible for them.  They have taught me patience, compassion, how to let go and how to be more present.  They show me what’s truly important.  And, they have taught me that love is infinite!!

I can’t thank you enough!  I love you, Max & Miles

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So I didn’t skip out on day 6 of this 21 day gratitude challenge.  The assignment was to call someone and tell them how much you appreciate them.  I did.  I called my mom.  Made me feel good and I know I made her day!  Thanks again, Mom.  I truly appreciate you.

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I was recently approached, via email, by a girl named Apryle.  She has some friends (Tiffany & Zach Pifer) that have been trying to conceive for 3 years now.  Still not pregnant, they have decided to visit a fertility clinic.  According to the Pifer’s blog, “Fertility clinics are not cheap and unfortunately my insurance doesn’t cover a dime for infertility treatments.”  However, they are fortunate enough to have 2 great friends, Apryle & Ashley.

What Apryle & Ashley have decided to do for the Pifer’s is to set up a fundraiser to help them get the funds they need for infertility treatment.  How awesome is this?  So what they’re doing is selling bracelets and key chains that say “Growing in Faith”.  Everyone that buys a bracelet &/or keychain is entered to win fabulous gifts that have been donated by different people.

Here’s where I step in!  I have donated a pair of pearl & turquoise earrings.  I get approached like this quite often and I rarely say no (maybe not a good thing to tell everyone )!  But the reason I said yes to Apryle and the “Pifer Bean Fund” is because I have been blessed with 2 beautiful children and they have enriched my life so much.  I want to give what I can to help another family experience the pure joy of a child (or possibly 2 or 3 with treatment…haha).

So, if you’d like to help the Pifer family as well please click on this link!

You can click here for the Pifer’s actual blog!

You never know, you may win these earrings!

Thank you so much to Apryle & Ashley.  You guys are such beautiful people!

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I get a daily email from Ester & Jerry Hicks.  They send out excerpts from workshops they’ve done in the past.  Here’s one that I received last week.  I wanted to post it because I think it’s really important, and it’s something that I haven’t really thought about in this way.  Check it out:

What true patience is, is knowing that you want it and knowing that it’s coming and actually enjoying the unfolding along the way. Understand that you never get it done. So you might as well be patient. You never get it done, because every time you want and receive, you also receive a new perspective from which to want. Life is a constant unfolding of new desires and then a constant alignment to those desires.

Excerpted from a workshop in Larkspur, CA on Saturday, August 30th, 1997

So to be truly patient is to enjoy what you’re experiencing in the moment.  I’m sure you’ve experienced this…you really want something and then you get it.  You love it, enjoy it, and then a little while later you decide you want something else, probably something that you consider to be better.  But as you’re focused on your new desire, you forget about how great you have it now.  This applies to relationships, money, success, everything!  I believe there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting more or wanting something else  AS LONG AS you truly appreciate what you do have now, and  AS LONG AS you truly enjoy it in the moment.

Having true patience is really to have faith, because when we have faith we aren’t worried about how we’re going to get what we want.  When we have faith, we can sit back and enjoy the moment and all the things we have in the moment.  When we live in this state of joy, that’s how energetically we align with our new desires; which is how we’re able to have faith and patience.   We know that the things we desire are on their way.

To be patient is to appreciate and enjoy what you currently have, and to keep enjoying while you are waiting for your new desire.  The more faith you have that your new desire will arrive, the easier it is to be patient!

Keep wanting, keep learning, keep enjoying, keep in the present moment, keep the faith –

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Through the greatness of Facebook I reconnected with a friend from high school.  In 2003, Peggy Hudson, wrote this beautiful note.  She just recently shared it with her FB friends and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.

I thought it would be great to share her writing with you.  Enjoy~

It’s a beautiful day! It’s inherent for me to notice the beauty all around
me. Sometimes my mind refuses to operate with my soul. That’s when I must
re-mind myself. It’s fascinating to me the control the mind can have over
the mind. Or is that some other aspect of myself that can execute authority
over mind? What is really operating here? And if we’re all connected to
each other & everything – universal energy – what is that driving force? We
categorize into “individuals” – & say I’m like you or I’m not like you -
when in “reality” we are all connected. I think most of us usually forget
this. We see each other as separate entities. Yet we all take up space on
this planet. We are like the cells of Mother Earth – moving about – part of
the life force. How come there is hate? Why would we want to hate what is
connected to us? If we remember the connection, will we learn to love one
another? My hope is that we would.

My heart becomes heavy when I hear of sadness in our world – when I hear the
hurt in my patients’ voices – when I feel disconnected from others. The connection is vital to my survival. Sure, one could exist without it – yet
a failure to thrive would be evident. We need each other. Most of us just want to be acknowledged – appreciated for who we are – & love seems rather simple. So … why is it so hard to give? Why is it sometimes difficult to receive? What blocks people from opening their hearts & being love?

I think most of it centers around fear … fear of being vulnerable … fear of
being hurt … fear of being rejected.

So … most people want to be loved & respected. & most people fear being
hurt & rejected.

What would happen if all of us loved & respected ourselves & others?

Peace! Joy! Love!

So simple: an open heart of love!

And FEAR gets in the way – creating chaos & havoc. Is fear really necessary? I mean, seriously? If we extended more love, don’t we think we could create a more beautiful world? Fear does not seem the way – love does.

It seems imperative to me that we all need love – the song was not amiss – what the world needs now is love.

One huge beating heart! Pumping life in all of us. Just like in our individual bodies. We must keep it healthy in order to live & survive & thrive. We will become sick & infected if we do not take care of ourselves. Fear is a toxin. Our immune system is becoming more & more depleted. We need to renew ourselves – replenish ourselves. & LOVE seems like the tonic.
That magical elixir that can restore our balance. We need the equilibrium restored. How can we move forward if we have become weakened? We need our strength. We cannot function if we have no genuine power. We will be deficient & unable to give our best. We will experience the feelings of illness because we are not tending to each other. Mother Earth needs our
nurture & we need to nurture her & each other.

And it can begin. It is possible. All we need to do is re-member (we are all members) that with love anything is possible. Anything! We can create a better world. A better place for all beings – a better place for our children.

I am willing to make my contribution to the whole. I am willing to be a part of the magic. I am willing to touch the divine. I am willing to extend the mysterious energy of love.

My eyes are open. & when I look through eyes of love with a hint of compassion, I see clearly. The light helps us to see. And the light is available to all of us every single day. We must take advantage of this light. It’s as simple as flipping a switch – or igniting a flame. The fire is a part of our system. Without the light, all becomes dark – we cannot see – & this can induce fear – fear of the unknown – the unseen. We just have to remember that night can befall us yet the sun will always rise – it never permanently sets – in reality, the sun never fades. It is always burning brightly. And even when we feel it is dark, Mother Moon lights Father Sky & reminds us we are never, ever alone. We can always see if we just open our eyes – open our hearts – open our minds to this marvelous universe.

The light is here – it is there – it is everywhere. Before life – after death. And now – if we remember.

~ by peggy hudson
(written april 28, 2003 after the start of the iraq war –
thought it was just as timely for today)

Wow…how we’ve grown up!

Thank you, Peggy.  You and your words are beautiful.

Peggy and I would love to hear your comments!