The wonderous eyes of a child!

Oh my gosh, I can feel stress building the second I step into work. It isn't because of people, it is because of obligations and the desire to please those that it affects. I work with a terrific bunch of people and love each of them for their wit, charm, intelligence, but most of all friendship. I know, I know, we don't "hang out" or socialize, or run in the same social circles, but the word of friendship is still meaningful in a way that is uneventful, but full of events! I know that I spend so much time at my job, and the momentum of the day sometimes brings us all to the cranky stage, or the overwhelmed stage, but through it all, when I see a smile from a co-worker, a gentle reminder comes over me and I know that the only place I would want to be is working with all of those great people. In my position, all the different personalities blend into a huge melting pot of diversity, which only brings us more of a view of life in general. I learn from all of them in their own special way, and that I am so thankful for.
Working with children is the ultimate experience. They come in all kinds, and their personalities can be somewhat of a test in such a restricted environment as a classroom that is overloaded with little bodies that aren't too in tune to the workings of structure! I just fell in love with so many of them, and sometimes when they come into the office, I look in their tiny little eyes and wonder what is going on in there that causes so much for them to react to! You have your little wonders that come from "stability" or do they, or the ones from "money" or do they...no one really knows from a few brief meetings or encounters. I see the parent rush daily to grab the kids from school because the price of day care is so intense that they cannot do that service for themselves or their little ones. Mostly, they are all doing the best they can, but now days, even that is not enough. The world is going at such a rate that the little ones are just running behind us adults all the time, just to keep up! That is at home, school, anywhere....always running behind an adult, who has created this monster of life for them to charge into. Unfortunately, the time to be children has pretty much left us, and now instead of growing up, we are always focused on them being grown....sad in ways....Which leads me to....
Daffodils....
We have a gorgeous teacher at our school who is bright, charming, classy and intelligent. Her beauty shines with her ability to deal with her children on an individual basis. She was given a student this year that was unexpected, but necessary. This little girl has stolen my heart, and the heart of many...No, she was not perfect, or behaved the way a little one needs to, especially for functioning in the classroom...but she did steal my heart. One day when she was sent out of class for disruption and there was no where else for her to "time out" than in the office. She sat for a time, but then she also reacted the way she had done so many times. Out of the chair she went and the blank look preceded her as she was coaxed to sit down and follow the "rules". I found from that moment there are no rules in a "Daffodil" world. After speaking to her numerous times, she walked over to a vase of flowers I had on my desk....she started pulling them off and throwing them in the air! Well of course, my thought was "Oh my gosh, she is ruining my flowers", but she was just as carefree and happy as could be. I ask her stop, and as she was running away with the torn flowers in her hands...she twirled and swirled and in the sweetest, little girl way...threw them into the air, and sang, "Daffodils...Daffodills...Daffodills..." all the while looking like a princess out of a Disney movie...it was amazing.
I love it...love it!!!!!!! Now, between my good friends at work, we utter the phrase "Daffodils", when the day becomes too much or our spirits are crushed by another! One tiny word, one tiny action from one tiny child...and my view of life was completely changed. Amazing isn't it, that we rush and hurry and get through the days with great triumph, but the inside feeling sometimes leaves us with failure. It isn't intentional, but the pace today leave no room for....
"Daffodils...Maybe as adults we could all use a little time to be carefree and throw flowers in the air as we dance away and rejoice in the beautiful daffodils, that steal us away from the hectic, hurtful pace of life we sometimes have to bare.
So my friends.....when the going gets tough, the tough won't get going...they will be dreaming of flowers in a field, and retaliate by rejoicing in "Daffodils"! What will it hurt to steal ourselves away with a new and perfect view! love...

Paper Paper Paper

It is amazing to me the articles of "things" we have, that go unnoticed until it is time to get rid of them. I was cleaning out my back room for the hundredth, millionth time and I came across a tote that was full and I mean full of stationary! Ok, ok, I admit, I have a thing for paper. I love writing paper, pens, pencils, anything at all to do with stationary. When the craze of journaling started to happen, you can only imagine how in my heaven I was. I love journaling. Back in the day in the time of high school, I took a creative writing class, and I was finished with the class about 6 weeks before it was over, all because I was a spiral notebook journaling junkie! I love to write, love to think of writing all kinds of things, so of course, what do you use to write on...........paper! In my tote, I looked at so many different kinds of paper. There are beautiful, antique looking cards, that have the yellow casted glow that makes them look vintage. There are the funny cards that make me laugh every time I read them, and I realize they are in the tote, because they probably aren't appropriate to give to anyone for fear of being not so politically correct. But the small cards, letter writing stationary, cards I bought for romantic times when I must of been newly in love and he was my everything, were in the tote waiting for me to pass on.

I looked at every single piece of paper in that tote, and realized as I was sitting in the 105 degree weather in Arizona, that the charm of a card or hand written letter is basically gone. We communicate with text message, email, and any other technical means we can, anything, as long as it doesn't take as long as putting the pen to the paper. You have to admit, there is something to be said for a birthday greeting in the mail from a friend that "remembered"! I don't knock the online way of doing things, but there was a source of comfort in knowing a friend thought of your birthday with a hand scribbled note on a calendar or a crumpled piece of a note in their wallet. I remember taking a newly given calendar that I received as a Christmas present and writing all of the birth dates on it, so it would be ready for me in the brand sparkling New Year. I bought my cards and organized them in the little pouches for the month, and at the beginning of the month, I would pull my beautiful, heartfelt cards out and make sure they were address and ready to go, stamp and all. Don't get me wrong, E-cards are wonderful and I use them all the time, but there is always something about the feel of paper between your fingers as you open the card and wonder what someone has to say to you on your special day. So many mementos exist for us, as we undo boxes full of child hood or adulthood memories from our parents, and the comfort of just seeing the hand written scribble, of "Love, Mom and Dad."

My obsession with stationary was multiplied to four or five totes, full of gorgeous envelopes, stickers for the envelopes, pretty decorations for the journals, and all the other wonderful things that come from old fashioned cards and letters. I sat in that back room for hours going through it all, and you know what came of those hours..........lids back on the totes with the stationary remaining there and a promise to myself.......That promise is to take myself, and others, back in time the old fashioned way. I bought myself a pretty new address book. I also pulled out my greeting card organizer, and got my list of birthdays. It is time for me to try and uphold an old and fading tradition........writ ting a letter to a friend, letting them know, in my own hand writing, that I miss them and cherish them. Birthdays this year for me are going to mean, I took the time a few days before, to write you a note, fill a fun card with confetti, and wish you a beautiful and wonderful birthday!

Did someone say recycle, reuse.........I say we recycle the old fashioned thought of a greeting card.....Can you feel yourself smile as you think of the friends that are thinking of you! Hugs