When the world feels heavy, here's one place to start... home.
The news is hard. Life can be challenging. It’s hard to stay focused on the good when you’re inundated with the ugly. (Did January feel like it was 500 days long, or was it just me?)
I'll be honest, the start of the year has been hea-vy. Heavier than I remember feeling for a while.
I’ve been thinking about what I (and maybe you?) need more of right now. More community. More love.
Probably similar to you, I do these little things throughout the year for my family that feel meaningful, thoughtful, and intentional. And I often think how fun it would be to do them with more people. So this year, somewhat last minute, I’m taking a family tradition I’ve done for years and inviting you to join me. In person or in your own home/community.
This is about "doing a small thing with great love" (thank you Mother Teresa)... spreading LOVE and doing it IN COMMUNITY.
HOW IT WORKS:
For the week leading up to Valentine’s, I post love notes on the wall for each kid everyday. Last year I started posting them for my husband too, and it definitely made him feel good.
They’re notes of gratitude. Notes of what I love about them and how that shows up in my life in the best way.
~“I love your smile! It’s so bright and contagious it makes ME smile!”
~“I love how much you engage with the books and characters you read about… it takes me to a whole other world!”
~“I love playing basketball with you and watching you practice your moves to get better!”
~”I am so grateful that you take care of home tasks and chores when they need to be done. It relieves stress before I feel it so I can stay focused on other things.”
I put them on hearts of different colors and hang them on the wall before bed so when the kids come out in the morning, they find another note full of love waiting for them that actually fills THEIR heart! By February 14th, there’s a friggin wall of love notes (!!), and even from a distance it make us all feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s hands down one of my FAVORITE traditions.
What doesn’t work is when it’s last minute, when I haven’t cut out the notes or written them yet, and I'm tired and ready for bed. Then it feels like a chore and to-do. Ugh. The exact opposite of my goal. No, nope, not gonna do it.
What does work is when I pause to make this a priority. When I do it in advance, invite my husband to write a few notes too, and then the unfolding of the love notes is easy... I feel excitement at end the day for the note my family will find the next morning.
So… yes, this invite is last minute but it's to help build momentum so the rest of it is easy and fun!
I’m going to host a little love-note making party this Friday, 2/6 (4:30-6:30), OPEN TO ANYONE IN SANTA BARBARA who wants to swing by for 30 min or the whole time. Email me back and I’ll send you the details. And if you’re not local but want to do this yourself, I want you to too! Get in touch with me and I’ll tell you how.
This is LOW lift. This is EASY. This is about paying close attention to the people around, pausing to show them love in a special way, and getting a little serotonin boost along the way. All we are doing is cutting out colorful hearts, writing some love notes, and maybe adding some sparkles and stamps… done and done!
BONUS: I’m making extra hearts for the kids to write to each other and to the people who show up for them… teachers, grandparents, coaches, neighbors. Teaching our kids how to love and express that love generously feels like work that matters.
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world”. ~Howard Zinn
Loving You!
Abbey