In my readings over the last week or so, I've had a lot of people come through with information about their dream visits which left my clients with many questions, so I thought I'd take a minute to explain what I've learned from our loved ones on the other side.
When you've lost a loved one, they're allowed to come to you in dreams to let you know they're okay, that they made it to the other side. I've also learned through my readings that it takes a lot of energy for our deceased friends and loved ones to come through this way. This is just a sampling of what I heard just this week in readings,
"Tell her I'm trying to build up enough energy to come in a dream."
"Please let him know I'm trying to come in a dream, but his grief is preventing me."
"I'm sorry I scared her in my dream visit. I didn't mean to."
"Tell her that really was me in a dream. She doesn't believe it."
In order for them to visit us in a dream, they have to get permission from their guides and angels, they have to learn how to build their energy and align it with ours during our dream state, and they have to learn how to recreate themselves because on the other side, they don't have a body. They're just pure light. They have to use their energy to build or create everything in the dream -- the scenery, the clothes, the weather, the furniture.
If you're grieving, your energy puts up a dense barrier and your loved ones can't penetrate that barrier to come through in a dream visit. Be patient with your grief and ask for signs instead until you're ready to receive them in a dream.
Give them time to come to you. I was sitting with a client last week and her loved one apologized for scaring her in a dream. I relayed this information to my client and she said, "He did! I woke up in my dream and saw him walking toward me with his limbs going every which way; it was like he had no bones! I told him to go away. Stop scaring me." She felt terrible about that, but the dream truly frightened her. I explained to her that since he'd only recently passed, he hadn't learned how to use energy to recreate his body.
I've also been told by loved ones that they're only allowed to come to us in three dream visits. This doesn't always hold true; if something major is going on in your life, often they'll be given permission to visit you in a dream and offer comfort. But in general, they're given three visits. This is done to prevent the grieving person from holding on to their lost love and their grief. If they were allowed to visit us in dreams as often as we wished, we'd never get through the grieving process and our loved ones on the other side would never be allowed to move on.
When we die, as I've said before, we're not assigned a harp and a cloud. We have work to do. First there's the life review process which can take awhile. Then there's the rest period where we come to terms with what we did and didn't do in our lifetime on earth. This is followed by our job assignment. We're all given different tasks. Teachers will often continue their work by either teaching young souls who've recently crossed or by inspiring and guiding teachers on earth. Doctors will administer to newly arrived souls or assist souls ready to return. Psychologists and counselors will work with troubled souls who are having a hard time dealing with the karma of their actions. I've been told by suicides and people who've died through overdosing that their job is to work with suicidal and addicted souls on earth to prevent them from going down the same road. Some people are given the task of watching out for family members still here on earth. One client had a brother who passed. He showed me a fire he'd prevented and said that was his job -- to keep the family safe.
If we continue to hold on to them, pulling them here with our thoughts, our sadness, our needs, they'll never be allowed to progress through the many levels of their soul development. That's why the dream visits are limited.
I've also been told that if your loved one is able to hug you in a dream, that's a big deal. It takes a lot of energy for them to create this scenario. Be grateful for this experience.
If you're blessed with a dream visit, I suggest you do a few things:
1) acknowledge it. Don't doubt it. You'll know it's real because you'll remember every detail of it.
2) say thank you. As I've pointed out many times already, it takes a lot of energy for them to come to us this way.
3) write it down. You'll be surprised how much comfort you'll receive months and years down the road from reading about your dream visit.
4) be careful who you tell. Don't enthusiastically share your dream with naysayers. Our loved ones come to us in dream visits to offer us comfort and hope. Telling a non-believer and possibly dashing your hopes is not what your loved one on the other side wants for you.
If you haven't received a dream visit, be patient. Ask for one and then wait patiently. They will come to you. If you have any questions or dream visits of your own, please share them here.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
You Are Never Alone
"Do you see this pit of despair in my stomach leaving me?"
"Will I ever be blessed with a family?"
"Why can't I find someone?"
"Why did he leave me?"
"Will I always be alone?"
In my office and over the phone, people of all ages and backgrounds have poured out their innermost fears to me, and so often it comes down to that core question: "Will I be alone?"
I've seen women stay in horrible marriages to avoid being alone and conversely I've seen people run from relationships, instead choosing to live like martyred hermits rather than risk their fragile hearts getting broken again.
I don't have all the answers; I hardly have any answers. What I do have is faith in something much greater than us that, if we just believe, will never leave us, will always sustain us and will strengthen us all the days of our life. I also know that the best antidote to loneliness is self-contentment.
I should have grown up a very lonely child. Whenever my dad was offered a better job, we'd up and move. Between the ages of 5 and 11, I switched schools every other year. This made me a bit shy and hesitant to meet new people.
I say I should have been a lonely child but I wasn't. I had myself and because of that often difficult childhood, I had to learn to entertain myself. Wherever we lived, my dad chose a house bordered by woods and either a creek or a pond. I would spend hours getting lost in these woods and playing in the creek. I'd take handfuls of aquarium stones and my mom's cake pans to the banks of the water. Pouring the stones into the water, I'd pretend to pan for gold. Sometimes, I'd pick pounds of moss and leave it at the base of a tree where I "knew" fairies lived. I figured they could spin the moss into blankets to keep themselves warm throughout the winter. I wrote stories for my stuffed animals and illustrated them, stringing them into little booklets. On cold or rainy days, I'd make a blanket tent in my bedroom, grab a flashlight and pretend I was camping in the woods.
I'm grateful for these experiences because they've taught me to always enjoy my own company. That's a gift I've learned some people don't share. But it's a learned gift. All you have to do is discover what makes you happy and do it, even if you're not good at it. I have a client who taught herself to knit and was horrible at it for a very long time. Now, just a few years later, her intricate work is being sold on Etsy. There's a gentleman in Boston who loved to paint fun, uplifting pictures, but no one would buy them. So he started leaving them all throughout Boston -- in subways, bus depots, office lobbies, park benches -- with a simple message: "If this picture made you smile, take it and pass it on." Now he's got a website, a ton of sales and supposedly a book of his work in the making. I know a woman who loves to play the piano. Every Saturday morning, she drives to a local nursing home and plays for the residents. My good friend had a hard time meditating, so she starting stringing beads as a way of counting her mantras and prayers. Now she's a well known jewelry artist.
Find your passion, discover your true heart and find solace in the fact that wherever you go, there you are. There is no escaping yourself; so you'd better fall in love with you! It's better than the alternative I see so often in my office: staying in bad relationships, hopping from one relationship to the next or worse, closing yourself off from the possibility of love. You are a child of light. You are loved and good and whole just as you are. Just because a few bad people and a couple of nasty experiences have darkened that light doesn't mean you can't dust yourself off and shine more brightly than ever before. Make a commitment to yourself this year -- to fall in love with you, to spend time with you, to embark on a journey of you. And pray. Ask for guidance and help and you will find it.
"Not long ago a very wise man told me that souls who do not practice prayer are like people whose limbs are paralyzed. Even though they have hands and feet, they cannot command them. And so there are souls so caught up in worldly matters that there is little hope for their recovery; they seem to be incapable of entering within themselves. The entry door to this interior castle is prayer and meditation."
-- The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
"Will I ever be blessed with a family?"
"Why can't I find someone?"
"Why did he leave me?"
"Will I always be alone?"
In my office and over the phone, people of all ages and backgrounds have poured out their innermost fears to me, and so often it comes down to that core question: "Will I be alone?"
I've seen women stay in horrible marriages to avoid being alone and conversely I've seen people run from relationships, instead choosing to live like martyred hermits rather than risk their fragile hearts getting broken again.
I don't have all the answers; I hardly have any answers. What I do have is faith in something much greater than us that, if we just believe, will never leave us, will always sustain us and will strengthen us all the days of our life. I also know that the best antidote to loneliness is self-contentment.
I should have grown up a very lonely child. Whenever my dad was offered a better job, we'd up and move. Between the ages of 5 and 11, I switched schools every other year. This made me a bit shy and hesitant to meet new people.
I say I should have been a lonely child but I wasn't. I had myself and because of that often difficult childhood, I had to learn to entertain myself. Wherever we lived, my dad chose a house bordered by woods and either a creek or a pond. I would spend hours getting lost in these woods and playing in the creek. I'd take handfuls of aquarium stones and my mom's cake pans to the banks of the water. Pouring the stones into the water, I'd pretend to pan for gold. Sometimes, I'd pick pounds of moss and leave it at the base of a tree where I "knew" fairies lived. I figured they could spin the moss into blankets to keep themselves warm throughout the winter. I wrote stories for my stuffed animals and illustrated them, stringing them into little booklets. On cold or rainy days, I'd make a blanket tent in my bedroom, grab a flashlight and pretend I was camping in the woods.
I'm grateful for these experiences because they've taught me to always enjoy my own company. That's a gift I've learned some people don't share. But it's a learned gift. All you have to do is discover what makes you happy and do it, even if you're not good at it. I have a client who taught herself to knit and was horrible at it for a very long time. Now, just a few years later, her intricate work is being sold on Etsy. There's a gentleman in Boston who loved to paint fun, uplifting pictures, but no one would buy them. So he started leaving them all throughout Boston -- in subways, bus depots, office lobbies, park benches -- with a simple message: "If this picture made you smile, take it and pass it on." Now he's got a website, a ton of sales and supposedly a book of his work in the making. I know a woman who loves to play the piano. Every Saturday morning, she drives to a local nursing home and plays for the residents. My good friend had a hard time meditating, so she starting stringing beads as a way of counting her mantras and prayers. Now she's a well known jewelry artist.
Find your passion, discover your true heart and find solace in the fact that wherever you go, there you are. There is no escaping yourself; so you'd better fall in love with you! It's better than the alternative I see so often in my office: staying in bad relationships, hopping from one relationship to the next or worse, closing yourself off from the possibility of love. You are a child of light. You are loved and good and whole just as you are. Just because a few bad people and a couple of nasty experiences have darkened that light doesn't mean you can't dust yourself off and shine more brightly than ever before. Make a commitment to yourself this year -- to fall in love with you, to spend time with you, to embark on a journey of you. And pray. Ask for guidance and help and you will find it.
"Not long ago a very wise man told me that souls who do not practice prayer are like people whose limbs are paralyzed. Even though they have hands and feet, they cannot command them. And so there are souls so caught up in worldly matters that there is little hope for their recovery; they seem to be incapable of entering within themselves. The entry door to this interior castle is prayer and meditation."
-- The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Stay Happy!
Brace yourself. I’m going to brag about my kids, but just for a moment. Or two. Okay, so I have great kids who teach me every day how to be present and enjoy each moment. My seven year old is our little earth angel. Victoria wakes up happy and she goes to bed happy. Everything rolls off her back. I promise I’m not exaggerating. In seven years, she’s never had a temper tantrum or a time out. She’s just this amazing soul who makes everyone smile. Her mantra is “Stay Happy!” When guests leave our house, she runs to the door, waves and says, “Stay Happy!” She writes it on her pictures right next to a smiling sun wearing sunglasses.
I love the message in her mantra. It’s not “Be Happy” nor is it “Hope you’re happy.” Her message assumes that we’re already happy and she’s asking that we maintain that present awareness. I remember last year when my kids waited for weeks for a new movie to open at our local theater. While driving there, I told them I’d take them for ice cream after the movie. But when we arrived and discovered the movie was sold out, sadness ensued. I comforted my two other children and said to Victoria, “You okay honey?” She shrugged, smiled and said, “Of course mommy! This just means we get to the ice cream part quicker.”
My oldest daughter signs her notes and papers “Shine On!” in fancy curly letters reminding us all to fully embrace our inner light. She’s my religious wonder who always asks us if we can pray. When she was two, she took to wearing her rosary beads like a necklace and by the time she was five, she’d memorized all the prayers for the rosary. She sees her angel a lot, believes strongly in fairies, and will set aside toys and clothes to give to the poor almost every month. My youngest little curly top doesn’t have a mantra yet. She prefers to sit on her throne and let us make her happy; luckily we’re all willing court jesters. She’s taught me how to be fearlessly joyful. Nothing scares this kid. This past Thanksgiving, she watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time. I kept her close to me, ready to dart into the kitchen with her when the scary monkey scene came on. But instead, she hopped off my lap, pulled out an imaginary sword and said, “Back off Mr. Monkeys. I am a musketeer and I will fight you!”
Before God gifted me with my little pumpkins, I was happy when things were going well, and I was sad when they weren’t. But they’ve taught me how to be happy in all the moments that comprise our life, to be grateful for the smallest things, to share my light with others, to laugh in the face of fear and to always, always shine on and stay happy.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful new year's celebration and are ready to start the new year with renewed commitment to achieving your goals, dreams and desires. I just got my children off to their first day of school in the new year, and I feel a bit sad. We had a wonderful, relaxing two weeks of sleeping in, playing with friends, visiting family and playing with all the new toys Santa brought us. But I've made a commitment to try and keep that festive feeling with us all year long by saying "NO" more often. Can I bring 24 cupcakes to school on Friday? No, actually, I can't. Well, maybe I can buy some cupcakes at the grocery stores, but I will NOT bake them and I certainly won't do the time consuming rainbow cupcakes with seven layers. See? Easy.
Alright, so as you can see change comes slowly. But when we set our mind to something, change DOES come. We just have to be patient. And what better time to make these changes than at the new year? A special energy of manifesting swirls around us twice a year -- at the new year and around our birthday. Plus, astrologically speaking, ALL planets are moving direct for the first several weeks of January. Yes, you read that correctly. No planets are in retrograde for the new couple of weeks. That's fantastic and hasn't happened in a really long time.
So where do you see yourself in the next six months? Where will you be on January 1 of 2012? What will your job, your family, your relationships, your self-esteem, your spirituality look like in one year? Imagine it, visualize it, be it.
There's a wonderful story I read in the first Chicken Soup for the Soul Book. It's called "Glenna's Goal Book," and it details how to create your own goal book. It also talks about a magic formula:
I x V = R
Imagination times visualization equals reality.
If you can imagine it, visualize it, feel it, see it, taste it, know it and believe that you deserve this success and MORE, then you will manifest it.
Take hold of the steering wheel of your life. Don't let your parents' desires run your life, don't allow your friends and family members to control your decisions, throw away your fears and doubts. You are a child of God's divine light. You have not only a right to shine your brightest, but a responsibility too.
Happy New Year. Thank you for following me on this blog journey. I honor you all and keep you in my good thoughts.
Alright, so as you can see change comes slowly. But when we set our mind to something, change DOES come. We just have to be patient. And what better time to make these changes than at the new year? A special energy of manifesting swirls around us twice a year -- at the new year and around our birthday. Plus, astrologically speaking, ALL planets are moving direct for the first several weeks of January. Yes, you read that correctly. No planets are in retrograde for the new couple of weeks. That's fantastic and hasn't happened in a really long time.
So where do you see yourself in the next six months? Where will you be on January 1 of 2012? What will your job, your family, your relationships, your self-esteem, your spirituality look like in one year? Imagine it, visualize it, be it.
There's a wonderful story I read in the first Chicken Soup for the Soul Book. It's called "Glenna's Goal Book," and it details how to create your own goal book. It also talks about a magic formula:
I x V = R
Imagination times visualization equals reality.
If you can imagine it, visualize it, feel it, see it, taste it, know it and believe that you deserve this success and MORE, then you will manifest it.
Take hold of the steering wheel of your life. Don't let your parents' desires run your life, don't allow your friends and family members to control your decisions, throw away your fears and doubts. You are a child of God's divine light. You have not only a right to shine your brightest, but a responsibility too.
Happy New Year. Thank you for following me on this blog journey. I honor you all and keep you in my good thoughts.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Gotta Love My Job
Yikes, I've had a crazy week of readings. Non-believers, total skeptics and then the best yet: a client who called me a sinner. This is what she said, "Before we begin Samantha, I think you should know that I think what you do for a living is not of God, and I've already scheduled a confession with a priest from another parish. I sure don't want my priest to know I've consorted with people like you." Holy cow! Do you know what's crazier than that? This: I actually read for her. Even after she told me she'd gotten a reading with Sylvia Browne and John Edward and was sure they were both hacks. Even after she said to me, "You know Samantha, you need to listen to me. If you ever tell a falsehood, that will lie on your eternal soul."
What is wrong with me? If I had told her how she spent her last ten birthdays, or what she was doing and where she was sitting at the exact moment of our reading, if I could have pulled out the nicknames for all the pets and stuffed animals she'd ever known and loved, none of it would have been enough to convince her that what I do is real, that God really does exist and her loved ones really are safe and happy and heaven.
So, one of my New Year's resolutions for 2011 is to grow strong enough in my own abilities and what I do so that the next time I come across a client like that, I can say what I should have said, "I don't think you're ready for a reading, and I'm not going to read for you."
Here's hoping we all learn to have faith in ourselves this holiday season, so that we can be the best we can be.
What is wrong with me? If I had told her how she spent her last ten birthdays, or what she was doing and where she was sitting at the exact moment of our reading, if I could have pulled out the nicknames for all the pets and stuffed animals she'd ever known and loved, none of it would have been enough to convince her that what I do is real, that God really does exist and her loved ones really are safe and happy and heaven.
So, one of my New Year's resolutions for 2011 is to grow strong enough in my own abilities and what I do so that the next time I come across a client like that, I can say what I should have said, "I don't think you're ready for a reading, and I'm not going to read for you."
Here's hoping we all learn to have faith in ourselves this holiday season, so that we can be the best we can be.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Three Important Words
Based on the title of this post, you're probably thinking the three most important words are, "I love you." Maybe. But, to me, there are three different words that are much more important and, sometimes, much harder to say. "I am sorry."
I write and speak so often about forgiveness -- how important it is to forgive others, to extend a generous heart, to be open to releasing past pains. But it is even more important to be willing to ask for forgiveness.
I'm lucky to meet some amazing people through my work. One of my clients is a lovely and beautiful woman who is 91 years young. Married to a successful and wealthy man, she's lived an exciting life. Yet now that he's gone, she comes to see me every six months with the same question, "When am I going to die?" She misses her husband, she's led a great life, she's ready to go. I always try to tell her two things: 1) that's not for any intuitive reader to tell you, and if one does, she's lying. Only God knows that. We're not meant to know that information. 2) I always see her happily celebrating this Christmas season. She leaves disappointed every time saying, "I thought last Christmas would be my LAST Christmas."
This last time that she came to see me, I really bugged my guides and her guides until I got an answer. "Why, please tell me why she is here when she's so ready to go home?" The answer I received came through very clearly. "She has unfinished business with her son. She needs to ask for his forgiveness."
Oh dear. This is when my job gets tricky. When I relayed the message, she was confused. "But I gave him everything. He had the best clothes, the best education, the best vacations, everything. I gave him everything."
I told her that he's felt it very difficult all these years to fulfill the expectations of his family, that he felt as though he could never fill his father's mighty shoes, that he was never good enough for her or his father.
"Well, that's ridiculous," she said crossing her arms.
"I'm supposed to ask you about 37. What happened to him when he was 37?"
She looked away for a moment.
"What happened when he was 37 is connected to what we're talking about now. Do you remember anything about that time in his life?"
She turned back to me and said quickly, "That's when he attempted suicide, but I don't see what that has to do with me."
I just stared back at her. I didn't know what else to say.
"Well, if it will help me move on out of here, I guess I'll give it a try."
I haven't hear from her, so I'm not sure if she gave it a try or if she's enjoying this Christmas season. But I know those were difficult messages for her to hear. As a mom, I know how hard parents try to give their children every opportunity. We're never going to get it right. I always joke that you should start two savings accounts for your kids -- a college one and a therapy one -- because you will make mistakes. And most of them will be completely unintentional. But those three words magically make all those mistakes somehow a little bit okay. "I am sorry."
Another woman came to see me recently. She wanted to know why her granddaughter was so mean to her. When I asked her guides for the answer, I hesitated. "I'm hearing that it's because of your daughter. She hasn't spoken negatively about you to her daughter, but your granddaughter senses the distance anyway and acts accordingly. What happened in your daughter's life when she was 12?"
The woman sighed. "That's when I left her father. I don't think she's ever forgiven me for that."
I sensed that this client needed to leave this man, but her daughter, at the age of 12, probably didn't understand all of that then and still held residual resentment all these years later. "Maybe you could write your daughter a card and tell her that you're sorry for all that happened then, that you love her and you're proud of her."
She shook her head. "I couldn't do that."
"Please understand, I'm not saying that you should apologize for leaving your husband. I feel that is was imperative that you did what you did, but your daughter may not have seen it that way."
"Well, a lot was placed upon her then. I relied on her to take over a lot of responsibilities."
"Maybe you could just apologize for that?"
"No, definitely not."
I don't know why forgiveness -- either offering it or receiving it -- is so hard for most people. But I do know that it's one of the most important acts we can do for our soul growth. When we block forgiveness, we block growth. We say no to joy, release, and peace. And we say yes to coming back to this Earth again and again to deal with these same people and these same issues until we can face the issue of forgiveness.
This holiday season, if there's someone you think is angry with you, offer the best gift of all -- an apology. You'll feel lighter, stronger and more peaceful.
I write and speak so often about forgiveness -- how important it is to forgive others, to extend a generous heart, to be open to releasing past pains. But it is even more important to be willing to ask for forgiveness.
I'm lucky to meet some amazing people through my work. One of my clients is a lovely and beautiful woman who is 91 years young. Married to a successful and wealthy man, she's lived an exciting life. Yet now that he's gone, she comes to see me every six months with the same question, "When am I going to die?" She misses her husband, she's led a great life, she's ready to go. I always try to tell her two things: 1) that's not for any intuitive reader to tell you, and if one does, she's lying. Only God knows that. We're not meant to know that information. 2) I always see her happily celebrating this Christmas season. She leaves disappointed every time saying, "I thought last Christmas would be my LAST Christmas."
This last time that she came to see me, I really bugged my guides and her guides until I got an answer. "Why, please tell me why she is here when she's so ready to go home?" The answer I received came through very clearly. "She has unfinished business with her son. She needs to ask for his forgiveness."
Oh dear. This is when my job gets tricky. When I relayed the message, she was confused. "But I gave him everything. He had the best clothes, the best education, the best vacations, everything. I gave him everything."
I told her that he's felt it very difficult all these years to fulfill the expectations of his family, that he felt as though he could never fill his father's mighty shoes, that he was never good enough for her or his father.
"Well, that's ridiculous," she said crossing her arms.
"I'm supposed to ask you about 37. What happened to him when he was 37?"
She looked away for a moment.
"What happened when he was 37 is connected to what we're talking about now. Do you remember anything about that time in his life?"
She turned back to me and said quickly, "That's when he attempted suicide, but I don't see what that has to do with me."
I just stared back at her. I didn't know what else to say.
"Well, if it will help me move on out of here, I guess I'll give it a try."
I haven't hear from her, so I'm not sure if she gave it a try or if she's enjoying this Christmas season. But I know those were difficult messages for her to hear. As a mom, I know how hard parents try to give their children every opportunity. We're never going to get it right. I always joke that you should start two savings accounts for your kids -- a college one and a therapy one -- because you will make mistakes. And most of them will be completely unintentional. But those three words magically make all those mistakes somehow a little bit okay. "I am sorry."
Another woman came to see me recently. She wanted to know why her granddaughter was so mean to her. When I asked her guides for the answer, I hesitated. "I'm hearing that it's because of your daughter. She hasn't spoken negatively about you to her daughter, but your granddaughter senses the distance anyway and acts accordingly. What happened in your daughter's life when she was 12?"
The woman sighed. "That's when I left her father. I don't think she's ever forgiven me for that."
I sensed that this client needed to leave this man, but her daughter, at the age of 12, probably didn't understand all of that then and still held residual resentment all these years later. "Maybe you could write your daughter a card and tell her that you're sorry for all that happened then, that you love her and you're proud of her."
She shook her head. "I couldn't do that."
"Please understand, I'm not saying that you should apologize for leaving your husband. I feel that is was imperative that you did what you did, but your daughter may not have seen it that way."
"Well, a lot was placed upon her then. I relied on her to take over a lot of responsibilities."
"Maybe you could just apologize for that?"
"No, definitely not."
I don't know why forgiveness -- either offering it or receiving it -- is so hard for most people. But I do know that it's one of the most important acts we can do for our soul growth. When we block forgiveness, we block growth. We say no to joy, release, and peace. And we say yes to coming back to this Earth again and again to deal with these same people and these same issues until we can face the issue of forgiveness.
This holiday season, if there's someone you think is angry with you, offer the best gift of all -- an apology. You'll feel lighter, stronger and more peaceful.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holiday Frazzle Dazzle
I can't believe how long it's been since I posted, and I apologize dear bloggers. The holiday frazzle dazzle has me surely in its grip. I completed all my Christmas shopping the first week in November, so you think I'd be good to go, right? No, of course not. There are Christmas parties, elf-on-the-shelf duties, cookie swaps, school programs, Christmas cards to get in the mail and all that decorating. Why can't they make Christmas lights that actually work year to year?
I have, however, made a promise to myself and I hope you'll join me because it's made all the difference. Every night, if I have nothing else going on, I stop everything at 9 pm. No emails, no phone calls, no wrapping, no addressing envelopes, no elf tricks, nothing. I just sit, make a cup of tea and either read a book or watch a good Christmas movie. It's the only way I can de-stress and get ready for the next day of holiday "must dos."
To all you moms and dads out there, I read in Family Fun magazine a great idea to incorporate the true meaning of the holiday season. I bought three glass jars, wrote one of my child's name on each and then cut out 24 pieces of paper. On each, I wrote a good deed and tossed the 24 pieces of paper in the jar. Now each morning after we open our advent calendar, the girls happily reach for the good deed jar. Every day that they complete their good deed, they put the paper in a fancy box I bought. Then on Christmas eve, we'll put it under the tree as our gift for Jesus. Here are some examples of good deeds:
Choose a toy or book to donate to charity
Set and clear the table
Tell your sisters why you love them
Call an aunt or uncle and tell them you love them
Write a card for nana and pop pop
Hold the door for someone
Tell your teacher she's a great teacher
Do something nice for someone in the family
Pick up a piece of litter
I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season and all the blessings it can bring. While this time does often remind us of painful memories -- loved ones lost and family members we haven't spoken to -- it does offer us an opportunity to enjoy the subtler gifts of life -- peace, love and charity. Spend some time this week relaxing. Don't let the holiday blues get you and steer clear of the holiday stress bug. Take a drive after dinner, play Christmas music and admire the holiday lights around your neighborhood. Bake cookies. Watch a fun Christmas movie -- Hallmark and ABC Family are playing them nightly. Choose an angel off the angel tree in your local mall or church and practice anonymous gift giving.
For those of you celebrating Hanukkah, as you embrace the light and love of these remaining days of this important time, I hope the light of the season stays with you all year and that we can all be mindful of the miracle that light can bring us with faith, hope and prayer.
I have, however, made a promise to myself and I hope you'll join me because it's made all the difference. Every night, if I have nothing else going on, I stop everything at 9 pm. No emails, no phone calls, no wrapping, no addressing envelopes, no elf tricks, nothing. I just sit, make a cup of tea and either read a book or watch a good Christmas movie. It's the only way I can de-stress and get ready for the next day of holiday "must dos."
To all you moms and dads out there, I read in Family Fun magazine a great idea to incorporate the true meaning of the holiday season. I bought three glass jars, wrote one of my child's name on each and then cut out 24 pieces of paper. On each, I wrote a good deed and tossed the 24 pieces of paper in the jar. Now each morning after we open our advent calendar, the girls happily reach for the good deed jar. Every day that they complete their good deed, they put the paper in a fancy box I bought. Then on Christmas eve, we'll put it under the tree as our gift for Jesus. Here are some examples of good deeds:
Choose a toy or book to donate to charity
Set and clear the table
Tell your sisters why you love them
Call an aunt or uncle and tell them you love them
Write a card for nana and pop pop
Hold the door for someone
Tell your teacher she's a great teacher
Do something nice for someone in the family
Pick up a piece of litter
I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season and all the blessings it can bring. While this time does often remind us of painful memories -- loved ones lost and family members we haven't spoken to -- it does offer us an opportunity to enjoy the subtler gifts of life -- peace, love and charity. Spend some time this week relaxing. Don't let the holiday blues get you and steer clear of the holiday stress bug. Take a drive after dinner, play Christmas music and admire the holiday lights around your neighborhood. Bake cookies. Watch a fun Christmas movie -- Hallmark and ABC Family are playing them nightly. Choose an angel off the angel tree in your local mall or church and practice anonymous gift giving.
For those of you celebrating Hanukkah, as you embrace the light and love of these remaining days of this important time, I hope the light of the season stays with you all year and that we can all be mindful of the miracle that light can bring us with faith, hope and prayer.
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