Sunday, March 22, 2020

SOL 22/31: Party Time at the Spring Fling for Self-Care!

Returning for year nine of writing daily in March with my Slice of Life writer friends! Check out Two Writing Teachers for more slices of life occurring every day in March.

My invite to Leigh Anne's party arrived Friday.
She invited us to share three best self-care ideas.
You can read Leigh Anne's post here

 Here are my three self-care contributions to the party. 

1. Gather inspiring thoughts 
Some of my favorite places to find inspiration include scripture, poetry, friends in the blogosphere, and Facebook.

When I need comfort, I turn to these words in Isaiah 41: 
6 They helped every one his neighbour; and  
every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.  
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: 
be not dismayed; for I am thy God: 
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; 
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 
 13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, 
saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

"Without poetry, we lose our way." - Joy Harjo 
The poem "Everyday Grace" by Stella Nesanovich
celebrates how "an ordinary day becomes holy ground."
". . . anywhere we share stories,
and grace flows between us."
Remember there are many ways to share stories
without being physically present with one another.
Pick up the phone or the pen. 
Increase connections and everyday grace.

What a gift it is to have the support of a community
of bloggers as we navigate through our days. 
I jotted these words in my notebook 
from Poetry Friday friend, Michelle Kogan
"Do something every day that brings you happiness."

A favorite FB find: 
 When I went in search of the source, I discovered a video by 
Faith Bernstein which attributes the post-it note list 
to photographer, Brooke Anderson.

2. Get outside
 Daily walks provide much needed solace and
opportunities to revel in the beauty of our world. 


3. Giggle
"A giggle a day keeps the stressors away."
My first Zoom meeting was Friday night with our film club.  
Here's how our fearless leader, Shannon, summed up the evening: "This is a hard time for all, but laughing with friends 
made it just a little bit better." 
Never underestimate the power of FB to make you laugh. 
I find some of my best giggles on Facebook. 
This one was posted recently by BFF Jan.

And my hostess gift for Leigh Anne?
A bar of my favorite chocolate! 

Come join the party!
You still have 10 days to RSVP. 

7 comments:

  1. Thank you Ramona! Thank you for shring the verse and the poem - there is comfort there! Beautiful pictures, but we are still so much behind here! Jut started seeing daffodils this week. And yes to the giggles! FB has had some funny stuff. Some times you can't get through the day if you don't find some huor. Thank you for coming my dear friend!

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  2. I am loving all of these self-care posts! And your chosen Scripture, especially because it emphasizes the call to help one another, God's hands here on earth. I am going for a walk outside soon, despite the gloomy weather, and having a bite of chocolate today, too!

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  3. Ramona - these ideas are both inspiring and fun. Isaiah 41 - few words are so comforting and reassuring. And poetry - I predict we'll see a great rise in the writing of it during these times. It's a reminder of the beautiful around us; it does indeed help us find our way ... the flowers, just stunning... the quarantine photo is something EVERYONE needs to have up where they can see it each day. And the roll -!! I laughed aloud. Thank you for these self-care ideas and all this brightness today. :)

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  4. These are great, Ramona! I've been collecting words and thoughts in my notebook too. And I've been sharing funny things, inspiring things on Facebook. All of it helps. Thanks for sharing your pictures and ideas!

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  5. First, as I was reading #1, I thought “this has to be the best thing she brought, then I got to #2, and, oh those photos! And # 3 fit in perfectly with what one of our group in our Zoom Bible study said this morning, “Don’t forget humor.” So thanks for some great contributions!

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  6. Ramona, there is such a bond between slicers that fills me with happiness. People are sharing what's inside their hearts now more than ever. Tips are flowing from slice to slice and friends are providing some humor for getting through these trying times. Thanks for adding your party treats. I hope Leigh Ann shares her chococlate.

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  7. So great that you joined. And for those who can't go out - some beautiful nature photos will bring joy.

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