You are my Sunshine ☀

MamaBear Tribe,

Some days I need to pause and consciously think about what I am grateful for.  I need to remind myself of all that I have, of all that I am and of all the things that I am surrounded by that are good.  Right now I am grateful to be a part time nanny for a kind and generous family. Today, as I snuggled my little 20 month old best friend, while he quieted down for a much needed nap, I was comforted by the simple act of his arm around my neck.  He is such a busy little one that he often doesn’t have time to slow down long enough to get in a good snuggle.  Except for when he is really tired and ready.  So today, as he nestled his sweet, warm little boy head into my neck and put his arm around me, I knew that my world was still good.

Sometimes this world feels so dark and unbelievably scary, with bombings and shootings and other hate filled crimes, that our hearts hurt so badly even catching a glimpse of it.  I can’t even come close to putting myself in the place of someone involved in something like that, it is too much for my soul to even process.  I can barely force myself to listen to everyone else talk about it. It is so easy to focus on the bad things that happen in the world. Those are the things that spread like wildfire over the media.  It is so easy to believe that there are more horrible people in the world than there are good. It is so easy to listen to the world and think, the love is gone.

So, Instead of obsessing over the negative I want to put out a challenge to be a light in this world today. Shine your kindness so brightly that others might be able to break through the fog of tragedy and hate filled news and see that a little piece of it is still okay. Share your compassion so freely today that those around you will have no choice but to desire to work for the good of those they encounter. Spread your love so generously today that it will change the world, one little arm at a time.

Choose today to move forward with your heart a little more exposed and open to the universe. Move forward today with your eyes a little more open to those in need. Be that someone that makes another person see that there is still so much beauty and light in their world. Go out today looking for the rainbow instead of the clouds.  Be the sunshine to someone’s dark gray day.  You can’t take back what has been done, but you can continue to put positive, beautiful, amazing, wonderful things into the world, one lovely moment at a time.

Next time you log on to facebook or twitter, be an encouragement.  Next time you see someone doing something kind, find something that you can do to match their kindness.  Next time you hear of someone’s loss, ask what you can do to help them hurt a little less.  Find ways every day to have a bigger purpose than just getting through that day.  Find ways every day to make the world directly around you a little more full of hope and a little less full of hurt.

For ideas on practical ways to help in your community, think about homeless shelters, women’s and children’s homes, food banks, community outreach programs that cloth and give resources to those in need right in your city.  I am going to be calling my local community activists to find out what I can be doing right now to help make the sun shine a little brighter today for someone else.

Shine on.

Love,
MamaBear

I hope you will continue to join me on this journey of love, self-discovery, wholeness and purpose.

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