Category Archives: communication

Love Notes for Kindness

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Friend and I shared our stories of stress, struggle, and adversity today. We’d neither planned nor avoided it. The conversation flowed organically in connection and mutual understanding, shared empathy and a desire for each other’s well-being.
Friend reminded me that no matter how we look on the outside, we’re all going through our own things on the inside.
In college I walked to the subway looking apparently unhappy. As I approached a homeless woman on the sidewalk, she said, gesturing to herself and her panhandling spot, “Oh come on, whatever it is, it can’t be as bad as this.” I took it as a sign to be more aware of self and others and grateful for perspective.

So as we begin another work week, let’s see if we can dig a little deeper for that loving kindness, yes?

  1. Every person has our struggles… Most don’t show on the surface, so others likely have no idea. May we take an extra breath before judging, eh?

2. Stick close to the kind people in your life! The best possible outcome is that they rub off on you and the world gets better and better for it! 😀

3. What’s your kindness gesture? I think mine is either hugging or blowing kisses… Or maybe profanity… Or some kind of face… Depends on the situation!

4. That small kindness you were shown just now. Did you notice? Did you acknowledge? Isn’t that just a great practice for connection?

5. Hey hi! Friendly reminder: Being kind definitely includes to yourself! I hope you have many who can keep reminding you – so you never forget!

6. Even people we disagree with and who vote differently from us are actually kind. We can reconcile all of these things – if we ourselves make the kind assumption.

7. What’s an act of big kindness that someone showed you that sticks in your memory? Powerful, no? This is power we all possess and can wield for good!

8. Kindness is love, duh. It’s not flashy, mushy, or headline newsworthy… Or is it? Don’t you feel better when you see stories about it? So let’s go out and love loudly!

9. I’d rather regret being too kind than not kind enough… Sometimes the latter still happens – but less and less. 🙂

10. I think kids are naturally kindn because the innate human trait that seeks connection has not been beaten out of them yet. Be childlike.

11. Food. Stickers. Pretty paper. Whis is how people show me kindness. Oh and quality time. How about you? Who knows this and shows up for you?

12. So many examples of genuine human kindness all over, friends! We can open our eyes and hearts to it all and follow with glorius (and unhinged) abandon!

Trying to keep a little lightness in these love notes from now on. 😉

Love Notes for Making Friends

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SO FUN! I went to my first industry dinner since before the pandemic. Heard a couple of informative talks while enjoying salad, pasta, fish, steak, and then the best tiramisu I’ve ever had! But the best part was talking to my new friend E. We had met before and we have mutual acquaintances, and tonight was our chance to know each other better. We talked industry, parenting, the pitfalls of corporate culture, topics of extemporaneous talks we’d give, and what we like about ourselves, as well as what we’re working on.

How often do you walk away from random conversations feeling uplifted, connected, intrigued, and reflective? How awesome would it be to have this every time you met someone, anyone, anywhere, under any circumstance? It may not be realistic, but hey, aim for the sun, right? Let’s see if I can inspire this attitude in tonight’s twelve, shall we? I’m excited for this challenge:

  1. Food, music, sports, activism, travel — Whatever helps you connect meaningfully to other lovely humans is what I wish for you. Books, nature, insects– Whatever! 😀

2. What do you wish people would ask you about yourself? What do you want to know about other people that’s related? Why not connect around either? Could be fun!

3. Who will be your next great friend? You never know, right? May you approach any new-to-you human with the spirit of potential and utter possibility!

4. May your openness, curiosity, humility, empathy, generosity, and kindness be rewarded at least ten times over, today and all days — May the positive reinforcement fill your tank!

5. Where in your body do you feel the first inklings of a new wonderful friendship? May that part positively vibrate on a daily basis! No such thing as too many friends! 😀

6. What part of you really wants to be seen? May you find yourself surrounded by folks who really want to see it, and may you have the courage to show them.

7. I may not know you but I know you are worthy of attention and love. May all you meet today prove this to you, so you may never doubt or question again.

8. May you see in every person you meet today someone who is loved and admired by someone else. May that perspective lead your psyche in your own interactions, and may you be rewarded for it.

9. We have something in common with every person we will meet. How fun would it be to find out the most interesting thing we share with anyone? 😀 Wanna try with your next stranger? 🙂

10. You have fun and interesting things to say! Look around. Take a deep breath. Read the room. Be kind. Then let the interesting out!

11. What’s on your mind? Who can you share it with who will meet you there, ask you more about it, and take it farther with you? Why not reach out?

12. Oh, my dear darling. There are so many lovely humans everywhere, I know it. Not all folks are out to hurt others. May the next human you meet prove me right!

Ooo, that was fun! Writing them is the easy part–taking, cropping, and uploading the photos is the rate limiting step! I think I could keep going with this theme for a while yet… Maybe for the Ethos jar. 😉 Onward, my friends!!! xo

NaBloPoMo 2025: Love Notes For November

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“If it’s safe, tell people you love them… Even if it’s not safe, do it anyway.
Because what is love if not brave? onward! :)” cc, 5-21-2025

OH, I love how ideas emerge, evolve and execute!

After my tenth year doing the 30 day, daily blogging challenge that was National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) last year, I thought I might stop. Ten is a nice, round number, a milestone achieved, a good ending. But then I had a light bulb moment.

I’ve written jar smiles, we could call them Chenger Cheers, most days for about 18 months now. There are now 29 jars out in the world, across the United States and one overseas. Some have been refilled multiple times. Every note is hand written and all but a handful are my original thoughts in real time. I cannot express how fun and loving, connecting and joyful it feels to write them, and occasionally actually see them bring smiles.

Originally for this year’s daily blogging challenge, I thought I’d write for individual people I know: 30 notes, one person a day. I’d make it anonymous but identifiable, with nicknames. For instance Hubs would be The Provider. Then I thought, ‘that note could apply to any/all providers.’ Then I thought, ‘I could write a note for any role. The friend. The parent. The advocate.’

30 roles or identities. Love for each.

I could invite readers to try on each identity, see how it fits. Can you relate? Step out of your own perspective and receive others?

I could include identities that I myself would not readily claim, like anti-abortion advocate! How could I see opposition as an identity to love? How would I love it? How do I love it already? Love THEM? Hmmmm…. This thought progression occurred all in the space of a few minutes, and I saved these notes as a draft earlier this month.

***

Then it all evolved further yesterday, as I bounced Book ideas around with loving friends. What if I wrote ten notes a day, each around a certain theme, like courage, fun, fear, leadership, and laundry? What if they could be printed into a little booklet with an index at the front, so someone could turn to the page for the love they seek for that reason, that day/hour/moment? What if each note were perforated, meant to be torn out and shared, fortune cookie style? What if a carbon copy of each note remained in the book, with space underneath to record the date, the recipient, and additional love notations by the giver? 300 love notes, pocketbook style, that could be carried around at all times, ready to drop a little love on any unsuspecting human who could use a smile. If I could manage to write twelve decent ones each day in November, that’d make 360, almost one for each day of a year. Then I could just add five special, maybe surprise ones, to round out 365.

Twelve love notes a day, each day a different theme. I feel butterflies of challenge and anticipation in my belly already. This could be fun. Let’s see how it goes, yes?

Please feel free to request a theme, dear readers! I’m open to almost anything, I think, and of course I reserve the right to decline or defer. 😉

T-minus 2 days, my friends. Let’s go.