Category: Living My Inspired Life

A Week in the Life

A week in the life of..someone who graduated high school 50 years ago. I remember my mother’s 50th high school reunion and thought at the time, “Wow! Fifty years? Mom sure is old.” Oops! Now it’s my 50th reunion year, but I’m not as old is she was… right?

A Week in the Life of

Listening and Trusting

This week I listened to my inner voice, my intuition often. When a feeling was strong, I trusted the likelihood it might be important. One synchronicity stands out. Some background first…

50 Years or a Half Century

This year marks the 50th year since I graduated from high school. My older sister, Lila, graduated the year before me. Over the years, I was kind of envious that she graduated on a decade year. She would celebrate her class reunion at the turn of the century and her 50th in 2020. Furthermore, they’ve planned multi-year reunions since their 10th. Although I could have attended her class reunions, I never did until I signed up in January of 2020, expecting to attend my sister’s 50th reunion in June. Then plans went awry.

In the wake of COVID, the Class of 1970 rescheduled their 50th reunion numerous times. When it became apparent it would fall on the anniversary year of the juniors in their high school yearbook, they magnanimously formally invited my class to join in. That was convenient!

Now the Synchronicity

My letter with the ticket to the Class of 1970 50th reunion arrived late in June. The first thing I noticed was my last name was wrong on the envelope. Since Facebook has been the primary information hub, I used Messenger to let Janet, the organizer, know about the faux pas, mentioning that I wanted to insure my name was correct on the name tag.

She replied that my classmate, Vondie, was working on the reunion name tags for my class. Yet, the host class was planning to use handwritten ‘Hello’ name tags. Since I loved this type of work and I knew Vondie since elementary school I volunteered to make sure all the attendees had the same cool name tags.

The research frenzy began. I located two yearbooks of my own, picked up two more from Janet, and contacted another friend who had scanned yet another year book. As a perfectionist, I was in my element!

By July 4th, I finally took a close look at the calendar.. there were exactly twenty days before the big event. Yikes!

It Takes a Village…

Two days ago, I posted the current list of reunion attendees on the private Facebook account for the reunion and asked for corrections in spelling, class year or missing names. The village chipped in and the list both improved and grew. Of course, seeing who else is attending upped the excitement of all. And now the list is so much better!

This weekend, I have my part of the name tag project clear in my mind. I’ve left the best for last… scanning the class of 1970’s year book. Oh, and of course clipping over 100 photos. Today marks one week I’ve been working on the name tag project. It’s been fun and rewarding. By the time I see my classmates, I’ll know their names and faces by heart… of course they may have changed in fifty years!

A week in the life of a retired and somewhat homebound caregiver has grown even busier, and I love it! What an opportunity to contribute to the success of the Class of 1970’s 50th Reunion.

Go Hornets!

Love,
Dawn

Where IS that Newsletter?

Where is that newsletter? I know I signed up with my Gmail account!

Where is that Newsletter?

Gmail – Most Popular Choice

Gmail is often on the top of the list of free email recommendations. After all the Google Suite includes the ability to store contacts, chat, video-conference and share files. But is Gmail the best choice to receive newsletters?

My answer is an emphatic NO.

How many times do you look beyond the Inbox tab on your Gmail? It is a rare occurrence for me, unless I’m hunting for a ‘lost’ email, especially a newsletter. The photo above illustrates that my test emails from my newsletter app, MailerLite, end up in Promotions. That astounds me. Albeit, it’s a different email, but it’s from a name that is my name.

Also, you can see that I haven’t opened all those other emails that DO have a promotional ‘feel’. You know, companies letting you know about their latest deals, things you simply must buy. Indeed, sometimes I could have used the information. What is the solution for always finding my newsletters?

Another Free Email?

I really try to keep up with my inbox. But I have too many different email accounts. I’ve tried to reduce them and have made some progress. At this point I have five active emails compared to eight a year ago. Nevertheless, there is one additional email I value highly. It’s my newsletter email, Yahoo!

Why do I love Yahoo? There is ONE Inbox. Yahoo doesn’t decide where my incoming emails belong. Rather, they are all right there on the left column, waiting for me.

A Specific Email for Newsletters

Yahoo and one inboxI can’t take credit for my decision to create an email just for newsletters. Dan Blank suggested this in one of his social media marketing classes. And as usual, he was right.

Advantages for multiple emails:

  • Compartmentalize my time
  • Avoid wasting time on trivial emails
  • Focus my attention
  • Easily unsubscribe when needed

Other Email Suggestions

Perhaps you wonder why I have kept five different emails. In agreement, I’d like to rid myself of an older one, but it’s like old phone numbers. They are tied to important areas of my life that aren’t easy to extract. Still, I work toward organizing my electronic world thus:

  • Email associated with my website for business
  • Mail.com for my Mom’s needs
  • Gmail for personal (2 for now)
  • Yahoo strictly for newsletters

If only I had hard and fast rules for Gmail and Mail.com… someday.

Have a stressless day!
Dawn

Finding the Right Mother’s Day Card

Finding the Right Mother’s Day Card

Finding the right Mother’s Day card has given me a headache in past years, especially if I waited too long and the selection was getting sparse. This year is different.

A Chance Meeting

Earlier this week, I was in the Hallmark aisle at Publix, selecting a Mother’s Day card for Mom. As I approached the section, I noticed a 30-ish young woman who seemed mildly exasperated.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find the right one,” I said.

”Yeah. My mom is a Strong Mother. All these gushing messages don’t ring true for me.”

”Don’t I know it!”

”The Strong Mother cards are near the bottom,” she added.

We said goodbye behind our colorful, handmade masks and I started my quest.

A Strong Mother

Her phrase, a strong mother, had made an impression. Rather than feeding a judgement about her mother, she had given our shared reality a positive spin.

Now I was in a different mood, focused on the best thing about my relationship with my mother. Laughter. We share a lot of wholesome, good-natured, joyful, loving, laughter. It was easy to find a funny card to make us both smile.

How Did My Mood Change?

Finding the right Mother’s Day card is a shared experience, especially among women. That was evident when the lady on the card aisle had two cards in her hand; one for her mother and one for her mother-in-law. In this shared energy, we were both open to share our feelings.

Be open to accept positive energy

Additionally, I have taken many small steps toward forgiveness in regards to Mom. She did the best she could do. I did the best I could do as a human being and a mother. And you are doing the best you can do.

Forgiveness of others opens up forgiveness of yourself

Finally, realize that forgiveness is incremental in nature. The relationship between a mother and her children is complex, taking many small steps to unravel until the last trace of hurt and anger are gone. Along the way, find ways to bring joy into the relationship right now.

Live in this moment with joy

Enjoy Yourself!

Whether or not you are a mother, you deserve happiness everyday, including Mother’s Day. Start the day with some deep, cleansing breaths and welcome joy into your life. Regardless of who raised you, thank your birth mother for bringing you into the world. Then continue to thank her or whomever cared for you… They helped you arrive where you are today.

If this is just too hard, take one step toward forgiveness by writing out your feelings on paper. Keep writing until you feel better, until the tears come less, until your body says, “That’s enough for today.” Repeat this tomorrow.. or next week.. whatever feels right to you.

Love and blessings,
Dawn