Friday, day 14, I I gave myself the gift of some peace at work. I took 30 minutes of my lunch break to go to the gym in my building and do a stretch and meditation.
Yesterday, day 15, I spent the day at home with my husband and we both enjoyed the gift of giving each other quiet time to get many online "adulting" tasks taken care of.
Today, day 15, I dropped a few things off at Goodwill and saw that there was only one employee working there. As I was checking out I asked her if help was coming, she said she wasn't sure. I told her I hope she had a good day and that things improved- there were several very snippy customers at the door when she opened the store because it was 2 minutes past opening time. I also rounded my total up to give to those with barriers to jobs and disabilities.
My mind is finally pushing back on this project. I almost feel like day 15 was a cheat day. Part of me feels like giving to myself or to my husband multiple time throughout the project shouldn't count. Working on letting that rhetoric go and just try to keep my mind in the giving mindset.
Yesterday, day 13, I prepared a tray of snacks for my husband after work. He tends to have low blood sugar when he gets home and has trouble waiting for dinner, so I made him a little snack to hold him over. We talked about doing this at first last week but I was resistant, I felt like he was trying to make me into his mom. I did some reflection about it and remembered all the things that he does for us at home and I felt good doing this act of service for him.
I started reading a Course in Miracles two nights ago, which has been a true gift to me. It's been very insightful and I feel like I am receiving so much each night when I do the work.
Yesterday, day 11, I gave $10 to my spiritual center. They hosted a beautiful burning bowl ceremony to let go of things from 2019 moving into the new year. I'm so grateful for such a lovely community of people to call my own.
Today, day 12, I scrubbed the bathtub in my husbands bathroom. His restroom is the only one with a tub in our house and I've been using it a lot over the last few weeks and I wanted to get it nice and clean for him since he enjoys baths too! I also shaved his back, which sounds silly, but he loves it.
Over the last 2-3 days I have also received several new paying subscribes to my website, a gift package from a fan in the mail, and this morning that someone unexpectedly made $250 worth of purchases in my webstore. Feeling grateful and excited to be moving into 2020!
Day 10- Today I mailed a package to one of my most beloved musical inspirations from 2019. She's inspired me in so many ways this year so I sent her some sage smudge sticks and herbal bath salts that I grew and packaged myself this summer.
Yesterday, day 8, I hosted a holiday open house at my home for 15 of our friends. I prepared food and punch for everyone and for the first time allowed our friends to bring their kids. Prior to this point I've never had any desire to have the children of our friends (mostly my husband's friends) come to our parties since we've gotten together. In the last few months I've realized that he often doesn't get to see his friends because of the obligations they have with their kids. I want his relationship with his friends strong so parents brought their kids and it they were so relived and appreciative to hang out with friends and have their kids be occupied playing with our 8 cats. I was reminded of how special and open minded kids can be. An unexpected gift to me! Also all of my cats being worn out from hours of play, woohoo!
Yesterday I also received several new paying subscribers to my website and some amazing vegan rosemary cranberry scones. Additionally, several creative opportunities to collaborate with some new folks for my website popped up this weekend unexpectedly and I jumped right in! Things are flowing!
Today, day 9, my husband and I slept in after the long evening last night and I snuck up before him and made us a quiche and we spent the morning cleaning up the house together (which we enjoy doing!).
This challenge is helping me to see that there are truly many gifts that flow into my life quite regularly but I just needed a shift in mental perspective to view it that way.
Yesterday, day 6, I put a card in the mail to one of my best friends and her husband as a close relative of theirs died after quickly progressing case of ALS.
I also received $20 for a video I sold on my website.
Today, day 7, I plan to give some homemade gifts to a good friend of mine that I've not seen in a long while as she has been living in Spain. We're spending the evening together, getting dinner, and going roller skating.
Today I received $75 for a video I sold on my website.
Yesterday, day 5, I gave a call to my dad. We hardly ever speak these days, much emotional and political distance between us. He usually texts me on major holidays, but it was around 2 PM and I still hadn't gotten a text so I decided I should check in on him to make sure everything was okay.
He was glad to talk to me, I think.
I'm working through emotions about having a relationship with my dad. He was a poor example of a parent and yet I am who I am today despite his flimsiest efforts as a parent and protector of a daughter.
Part of me feels ready to let go of the past. Part of me truly wonders what value he could add to my life at this point. As I'm typing this I'm literally thinking..."probably healing.........."
I didn't get a chance to share yesterday but for day 3 I gave blood and had a really nice, mindful conversation with the phlebotomist.
Today, day 4, I bought a large bottle of lotion for the shared women's restroom at my workplace. It's winter here and everyone's hands are so painfully dry! While walking to the CVS to get said lotion, I assisted a man in a wheelchair with no arms open a door into a building he was trying to get into and attempted to make eye contact and smile at everyone I passed on the sidewalk.
Today I gave a gift to my mother-in-law, I've posted a picture of it below. Earlier this summer I cut leaves of two plans that she loved and dried them with making her some kind of gift in mind. She loves Hostas and found a unique variety of Coleus plants that she picked out to match the paint on our porch.
I'm not going to see her on Christmas day as she will be out of the country so I stopped by her place today to give her the gift and she absolutely loved it. She has been sick for the last week, which is the first time in about 7 years, so it was so nice to see her face light up when she recognized the framed leaves.
Today I also received several gifts:
1.) An amazing potluck lunch at my church 2.)A compliment and meaningful conversation about the joys of rollerblading from a stranger that I probably would have typically avoided had I not been stuck in front of him in the grocery store 3.) A few hugs from one of the warmest, kindest, and best smelling women I know and I haven't seen lately
Hi everyone! Today is my first day of the 29 day challenge! I listened to 29 gifts this week during my bike commute and laughed, cried, and my heart was touched over and over again.
I have been volunteering for the last 3 years at a cat shelter in Columbus, Ohio called Cat Welfare. From the very start I gravitated to the "sick cat" rooms (FIV+, FeLV+). I started volunteering in these rooms because at the time I had 7 cats of my own and didn't want to bring more cats home (spoiler alert, it didn't work!). Over the past three years I've gotten to spend so much time with these special and almost always overlooked cats that live in their own isolated rooms in the back of the shelter. Almost a year ago a very sick fellow came in, "Charlie Brown". I've been obsessing over him all year because he had all of his teeth removed when arriving to the shelter due to the poor quality of his mouth and so his tongue is almost always hanging out! I LOVE when a cat does that. His health and personality have improved all year long and I've watched him blossom into a quiet, sun loving, senior kitty.
This year I've lost 3 of my cats, but I've have stayed steady at 7 cats because I continue to find special, older, overlooked gems at the shelter. So today, in honor of the solstice and the return to light, I have finally decided to give the gift of a forever home to Charlie Brown, now Gilbert. He's such a darling and I'm so thankful I'm in the position to bring him home (but this is the last one until we lose another, I swear!). So tonight Gilbert is settling into his room and I can't help but feel that this is also a little gift to myself too!
