“Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.”
The past week has been a reminder to me about the importance of facing literally into the sunshine and absorbing the genuine, positive vibes it produces.
My wonderful friend Cheryl and I have had some great conversations over the years and especially the past few weeks. That is not a big surprise because Cheryl is one of those people I have known since college and we have a special bond. She is one of my “kindred spirits”.
A few weeks ago she had Covid and I tried to stay in contact with her on a daily basis. I asked her to share with me, in our conversations this past week, her memories of her incredible father, who I only had the opportunity to meet once, yet he had the ability to make you feel like an old friend…He was a great man…and I asked Cheryl to write a summary of his “sunshine philosophy.”
“Today I went out in the sun to take a walk… first time in 22 days… and I did pause to smile into the sun and thought of Donald… not sure if he ever articulated it as such, but it was his most important pursuit the last year of his life… to be out on his deck, smiling into the sun… he would watch the wind in the trees and watch the birds flit from perch to perch… one of the last times we were on the deck together he was watching the wind in the trees and he said to me “look… look at those trees… look at that wind… isn’t that beautiful?”
I think my Dad had more pain that last year of his life than he let any of us know… smiling into the sun was a way to affirm life… and when you smile into the sun you can actually feel the warmth on your skin and it does make you feel alive.”
It seems like something so simple and yet in our busy world it only takes a few minutes to stop and face the warmth, and embrace all that it offers.
And when you think about it, we ourselves can resolve to be more like the sun…
How?
When we know someone is going through challenging times, we can provide comfort, love, encouragement and sometimes, we can just sit, be there…and listen…and not judge…just provide warmth and reassurance.
I think Donald’s sunshine philosophy is beautiful… remembering that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always a new day, a new dawn…
And like the daily ritual of the sun rising, hope rises too…with the promise of a new day…
We just need to take more time to stop, face the sun and absorb…the beauty is there…
Waiting for us to smile, lean into the light and spread that sunshine whenever we can…
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
When 20-year-old Abbie Rutledge was pulled over for speeding two years ago by an Alabama state trooper, she had no idea how their conversation would change the trajectory of her life. Steve Hartman has their story in "On the Road."
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
What I am reading…
This week I read the first four chapters of Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Our WISE readers group has started up again this summer after a short break and this book is definitely packed with great thoughts and inspiration.
The Amazon description is as follows, “Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, MSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.
Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: “When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”
Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena—whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.
This week’s TED Talk
Barbara Fredrickson discusses how positive emotions broaden our awareness of the world, allowing us to become more in tune with the needs of others.
Autobots, roll out…to the library!
Whether you’re upgrading your skills, scouting for knowledge and information, or connecting with other heroic readers, a library card is your key to an arsenal of resources. Spark your creativity as a builder or programmer by tinkering in your library’s makerspace; mine the library’s stacks and databases for new stories and adventures; kickstart your critical thinking skills to defeat the Decepticons of misinformation lurking online. Hitting the road? Use your library card to fuel your mind with books, e-books, audiobooks, and museum passes.
ALA is teaming up with multiplatform entertainment company Skybound Entertainment and leading toy and game company Hasbro to encourage people to roll out to their libraries with the TRANSFORMERS franchise, featuring Optimus Prime, as part of Library Card Sign-Up Month in September. Read the full announcement.
Ways to Celebrate
1. Visit your library.
Visit your library to see what's new and take part in the celebration. Libraries across the country are participating. Do you have friends who don't have a library card? Invite them to sign up during September.
2. Try something new at your library during September for a chance to win.
I Love Libraries is challenging everyone to try something new at their library during September and share their experience. Whether it’s exploring a new service, picking up a fresh skill, or even getting your very first library card, they want to hear about it. Everyone who participates will be entered in a random drawing for a chance to win some great prizes. Help spread the word in your community with these social media graphics:
Facebook Share | Instagram Share | Instagram Story Share | X (Twitter Share)
3. Help Spread the Word
Follow I Love Libraries, the American Library Association, and your library on social media, and share the social media graphics below to join the celebration.
#LibraryCardSignUpMonth
I Love Libraries: X (Twitter) @ILoveLibraries | Facebook @ILoveLibraries
American Library Association: X (Twitter) @ALALibrary | Facebook @AmericanLibraryAssociation | Instagram @americanlibraryassociation | Threads @americanlibraryassociation
Podcast picks…
Welcome to Novel Pairings…a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. Each episode we’ll discuss one classic book and share some recommendations for more contemporary reads that feature similar themes. As two nerdy bookworms, we appreciate the role of classic lit, but we won’t get too academic about it. We’ll talk about the books we love and the books we loath, and help stock your TBR pile with old and new reads for every literary taste.
Mind/Body connections…
This gentle guided meditation helps to connect to breath and come more fully into the present moment. When we allow ourselves to just BE, beautiful things happen. If you need to relax, find a little more calm, and just breathe, this meditation is for you.
This meditation is beginner-friendly, great if you're just learning to meditate and comfortable for those new to meditation or deepening their practice.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Sometimes you just have to get up and dance and this song does it for me. Here’s Katrina and the Waves with Walking on Sunshine ...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….
You inspire me to be a better person and I really need that. Especially trying to be kind to others close to me on a daily basis. Thank you!