Inspiring Snail Mail

Well I’ve been sitting here at my computer for awhile trying to think of a way to share some inspiration & hope. Today, I got a small book “BE INSPI(RED): Words of Hope & Courage” in the mail from Jessie. I loved many of the words and entries. Instead of trying to say them in my own words figure I’ll just plagiarize them into my blog (please don’t turn me into the copyright police). Here is some of what I read:

(The Intro)
{If you ever doubt the power of language,
listen more closely. Witness the magic
the first time someone whispers “I love you.”

Watch a woman put on headphones,
close her eyes, and have her life changed by a lyric.

See a bad moment flipped upside down
by a well-timed joke.

Words propel us, empower us, make us human…
and more than human.

We constantly struggled to say what we mean
and mean what we say.

To “wrestle with words and meanings.”
That’s what T.S. Eliot calls it.

But as we whisper and shout, stutter and spin,
we create order out of the chaos around us.
We are built of words, and we live by them, too.}

(Favorite 5)

{Prepared:

Write your detailed lists. Make your impeccable plans.
But someday you will find yourself short of something.
Wanting. Desperate, even. And the only thing that will
get your through is humility. The ability to ask for help.
For directions. For a second chance. Chances are,
a fellow traveler will have just what you need.

Shared:

A touch. A glance. A smile.
Little moments that bind us to each other
in an instant of common experience.
They change us. They fill us with memories.
Embrace them.
It’s the things we share that remind us we’re not alone.

Aspired:

Sunflowers get their name
because they turn their face to the sun.
After a long time of doing that,
they start looking like the sun itself.
So KEEP LOOKING UP.
You are already becoming the person
you wish you could be.

Redeem:

Here’s the real secret: There is nothing-
absolutely nothing—that can’t be stitched up,
cleaned up, bound up, or brought back together.
With enough faith, strength, and love,
there is nothing—
and no one—beyond saving.

Unpredictable:

Okay, fine, history repeats itself.
Doesn’t mean you have to.
Why not give all who think they know you
a little surprise party now and then?
Dance when you should be walking.
Speak when you should be quiet.
Do whatever it’s gonna take for you to say,
“Did I really do that?”
Commit a few random acts of you-ness.}

I dare you to commit some random acts of you-ness. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile... start a dance party in the elevator... drop by a friend’s house you haven’t seen in awhile... sincerely ask a co-worker how they are doing today... smile at a stranger... break out your old stationary and write someone you care about a small note... leave a large tip on the table... give someone a big hug... bring in your neighbor’s trash cans. What’s the point of carrying around joy, love, happiness, or even a joke if you aren’t going to share it with others? I dare you to do one small thing today with great love as Momma T would say.
Love you and miss you all. KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!

Kate