This fine Saturday morning I will be taking a walk with Guinness the Therapy Dog. We try to take a walk every day. He loves all the smells and the cool air. I love the walk. Soon, I’ll take him to the mountains to play in the snow.
I’ll post pictures!
Have a wonderful Saturday doing whatever it is you want to do. I hope you spend a little time with a book and then with someone you love. Sonja
What are you most excited about this week? What has you jumping for joy?
I would love to hear from you! Sonja
Since today is ‘Get to Know Your Customers Day’, I wanted to say hello!
I hope you are able to take a look at my books and can see a little of yourself in the story or in one of the characters. I know I do!
I think the best books are based on real-life emotions and I try to add that to each character’s thoughts and actions.
Tonight is also pet therapy night with Guinness the Therapy Dog! We’ll be playing with a group of kids as a part of Gabriel’s Angels, which is an organization that links up therapy teams with at-risk kids.
We get so much out of these visits!
I hope you have a chance to meet-and-greet with your favorite people today! Sonja
It has been three days since Christmas, we’re still celebrating Hanukkah, and gift day for Kwanzaa is still four days away.
That’s a lot.
I hope you found everything you wished for under the Christmas tree and that you will find what you hope for as a Hanukkah gift or on January 1.
Today is also National Call A Friend Day and Card Playing Day.
What a great reminder to call those who are right next door or too far away. You could invite your neighbors over to play a nice game of whist or Hearts!
Poker?
Or you can play solitaire.
Let me ask you, what is the best part of the holidays?
Enjoy your day! Sonja
Not only is it Humbug Day, but also Look On The Bright Side Day. They seem diametrically opposed. But if you are familiar with Charles Dickens’ ‘A Chrismas Carol’, you know that Ebenezer Scrooge began as a humbug type of person and by the end embraced the Christmas spirit.
I hope that wasn’t a spoiler!
I recommend reading the book. If you can’t manage that, then watch one of the many movies. I love the older black-and-white version, someone else I know likes the Muppets’ Christmas Carol movie, while others like the Bill Murray-helmed ‘Scrooged’.
Every one of these stories tells a story of redemption. It’s never too late to make a change in your life. It doesn’t matter your age or your history. Embrace the good and reject the pressure and the bad of this season, no matter which holiday you celebrate.
It’s a time of remembrance and hope. Don’t get so caught up in your ‘to-do list’ that you forget the importance of slowing down and enjoying some time with your thoughts and family.
Slow down! Sonja
Whichever form of faith you follow, this is the season of giving–the season of charity. My hope is that you give and offer throughout the year.
There are those who have little need of actually ‘stuff’. Give of your time.
There are those who are in need of love. Give your love.
There are those who are in need of food. Consider giving to your local food bank.
There are those who are in need of transportation. Consider giving your time and drive them where they need to go–if you are able.
Anywhere you look, you will find someone in need. Try to determine what it is they need without asking. Most people will deny having any need, but a few minutes of your time or a plate of cookies or small token will do wonders to bring them joy.
Give of yourself. Sonja
Just one question for you this holiday season: what have you done to share joy and happiness?
It doesn’t have to be a monetary gift. It only needs to be time spent with you or a homemade gift made with love.
This is the time for you to spread your own brand of happiness.
Take the time to recognize someone you love. Sonja
“We make a living by what we get,
But we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Every good act is charity. A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.”
Moliere
I hope you find inspiration in at least one of these quotes. ‘Tis the season of charity and giving.
Be the person who helps people smile. Sonja
Giving doesn’t have to mean spending money. The best gifts come from you or ARE you. The people who are happy to see you, who are happy to accept a gift from you, are the people who merely want to spend time with you.
The time this season to give yourself as a gift to someone special. Visit a friend or relative at their home, wherever they may live. Guinness the Therapy Dog and I like to visit people at the library, the hospital, and a transition home.
Wherever they are, that is home–at least, for them. Help them feel special and visit them where they are. Do they need a candle or a wreath? Bring them one. Every time they look at it, they will think of you and it will be another warm and happy memory.
Celebrate your ability to give. Sonja
Be True to Your Work, Your Word, and Your Friend. Henry David Thoreau
Mr. Thoreau has it right. There’s nothing more important than those three things. Whatever your work, whether for school, job, or hobby–do it well and with all your heart. Your word is who you are–never say something you can’t support or hurt someone. Words can be like daggers. Your friends are your support system. Have friends you can count on, not simply people to have around you.
Work, word, and friend–the trifecta of a good life. Sonja