About

I came across the quote in the header by Mother Theresa, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. There are just so many things one could choose to fret about in life – this job or that job or no job, this house or that house or no house, relationships, money, time, food, clothes, school, friends, charity, priorities, God, children, the future, the past, happiness, love, suffering, health, bees, meteors, the proper fold for a pocket square – who can possibly order it all?

Or maybe I’m making it all a bit too complicated, and a little practical advice from Mother Theresa is just what I need to bring it all back to a simpler perspective. What would happen if I made it a priority to show love (the patient, humble, protecting, trusting, not self-seeking kind) to everyone I meet, starting first and foremost with my family and friends closest to me? What kind of a day would I be having if everyone I met left happier? What if that day turned into weeks and months and years, into a lifetime of spreading love and therefore happiness?

Ok, I admit: that’s a little dreamy. And I’m not saying the practicalities of daily living can be ignored (I have a husband and several children who definitely would not tolerate being ignored). It’s just the opposite, really. What if making the grocery list and the weekly schedule and the daily meals were done in genuine love? What if potty training was another opportunity to show love (you know, the “patience” part) to my little peanut? What if I gave an honest smile more often than not, used the infathomable fussy baby hours to shower my precious bundle in extra love instead of seething in frustration, and saw cleaning the bathrooms and a day at the workplace for what they really are: acts of loving and caring for my family?

And what if the attitude adjustment required by all these things actually resulted in a serious dose of joy and happiness in my day?

Maybe it’s foolish. Or maybe it’s genius. I think it’s worth a shot, and I’m going to do my best to bring this atmosphere into my life by small, simple changes and everyday acts. This is where I’m keeping track of it all (check out the “Reflections” category).

I also plan on spreading the love here, so that when you visit, I hope you leave happier, and since you’ll be happier, you’ll spread the love also! So I’ll be sharing things that I hope help you to leave happier and I’ll also be sharing how I’m working on spreading love to my family and children everyday, and how I – and you, and we – can spread love through food. I’ve also found that implementing a wise spending strategy in our family is a big part of giving love and taking care of them, so I’ll be including tips and whatnot about spending wisely.

It’s an odd little conglomeration of this and that, but I hope when you stop by, you leave better, and leave happier!

Amber