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Thanks For New Opportunities

Monday, February 2nd, 2009 by Alyice

It’s been hard to think of the positives when we’re finding our lives affected so strongly by the recession—lost contracts, lost hours, lost insurance benefits, loss of income, higher cost of living. After having gone through a stock market crash, 2 lay-offs and 3 job relocations over the past 9 years, we’ve depleted our savings. Coming to South Dakota, we had hoped things would get better. And for awhile, they did.

This past year, however, has proven to be difficult and the past month really difficult. But therein lies the irony. Though we’ve had to make some cut-backs in our budget and get more creative with bringing in an income, we’ve also learned to do with less, to finally let go of the “some day” things, to seek the companionship of each other versus electronic devices, to find time for the no-cost/low-cost hobbies we’ve been putting off, and to learn to say no to things we never really wanted in the first place (the distractions) and yes to the things that we really want—the things that bring us contentment and joy and peace-of-mind.

Give thanks…

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | 1 Comment »

Hearts – XOXO

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 by Alyice

When I was a little girl, my aunt signed all her cards with x’s and o’s. It was her special way of making sure I knew that no matter where she was or what she was up to, she was wishing she could be right beside me—that she loved me, no matter what. I don’t know what it was about those simple letters, but they brought far more comfort to me than any of the text written on those cards.

So when I had children of my own, I wanted to carry on that tradition of x’s and o’s but soon discovered that there just weren’t enough occasions for all the times I wanted to share those sentiments. That’s when I came up with a cute song that went something like this: “Hugs and kisses, Kisses and hugs, I’ve got a pretty girl” (or boy). I’d sing, I’d wiggle and dance, I’d squeeze and hug, and I’d sing some more. The kids loved it. Now that they’re older, however, they’d much prefer the x’s and o’s.

May this card remind you to cherish the small things in your life, to love more, to hug more, and to not be afraid of change—should you, too, need to tone things down or spice things up to meet someone else’s personality.

Keep Creating

Posted in The Cards | 1 Comment »

Show Love

Monday, January 26th, 2009 by Alyice

In today’s society, love is used interchangeably with the word “like” in an effort to show great pleasure for an item, an event, a situation, or even a person. For instance, “I love my new car” or “Oh my gosh! I love that band” or “I loved it when we went fishing off the coast of Maine”. And while perfectly acceptable, the word “love”, when used with its original intention, conjures up such a depth of emotion that it can convey an entire range of emotions, feelings, and attitudes.

Whether you care about a person romantically or platonically may this card remind you to take time to not only say, “I love you” but you take the time to actually show it in your actions. Remember, love is selfless, giving, unconditional, non-judgmental, forgiving, kind, non-restrictive, and so much more.

As to how you can show love to the ones you care about, try these simple tasks:

Cook their favorite meal.
Bake their favorite dessert.
Play one of their favorite games—even if you find it boring.
Watch one of their favorite movies—even if you feel it will kill your brain cells.
Take over their chores for the day—even if you’re exhausted from a hard day at work.
Create a memento of the special moments you shared together.
Buy tickets to their favorite event.
Pick up a trinket on one of your errand runs then write a note on a greeting card explaining why that trinket brought them to mind and mail it—even if you live in the same house.

Keep Creating

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AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

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