❤️What Do You Do to Creatively Support Love? (1 Viewer)

[Krena]

It feels like it is time to aggressively support love in all its forms. Let us share our secrets to elevate its frequency and encourage its constant pursuit.

I am hoping to hear about all kinds of creative acts -- from the sublime to the mundane -- for all kinds of love.

For me, though it is so very sweet to receive flowers, my husband's doing the dishes when I was fatigued to the max over the weekend felt so utterly romantic. While we share most chores, I know this is not his favorite, and he was tired, too. On the other end of the spectrum for over 35 years, we have created Valentines for all our friends and family members. Many of them were so complex, we eventually had a gallery exhibit of them. In another example, I just sent handmade cards and messages to the water protectors at Standing Rock as part of an initiative a friend created (from a request generated by a Native American friend of hers on the front lines).

I want to hear about surprises, gifts, favors, healings, random acts of kindness, communications, hugs, thoughtfulness, donations, and actions as subtle as a wave or smile.

Please feel free to tell stories about not only your actions but experiences of love that someone bestowed on you.

I dried these roses that were a surprise gift to me.

 

[Krena]

For seasonal love, head over to Vickie's thread, Merry Christmas, in Universal Discussions.

 

[Stargazer]

Great idea for a thread, Krena!

My son and I occasionally and entirely unexpectedly declare it "We Love You, Mama Day". We'll surprise my wife with flowers, cards, and gifts when she gets home from work.

 

[Linda]

I have one that happened several years ago, but every day I am reminded of that act of love and compassion.

Years ago, we took in an elderly boxer (Emmitt) who obviously had a rough life before. He had arthritis in his hips, and it was difficult for him to use the steps from the deck to the yard. He discovered a place in the railing where several balusters were missing and the deck was a few inches above the ground. That became his path to the yard.

That part of the deck and railing were in bad shape, and we decided to have them replaced. I asked the crew to leave out a few balusters so Emmitt could continue to use his walkway. As I was explaining, he walks up and deftly crosses through all the tools and power cords to use his doorway. The light bulb went on, and they understood. When I checked a few hours later, I saw that they had framed a doorway for him and put some stepping stones on the ground. I was so overcome with their generosity of spirit that tears welled up in my eyes.

Each day that I see the doorway, I think back to that time. As I went outside just now to take a picture, a single dove feather was there. Love is the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Krena]

Creating the Space for Love:

During my open house weekend (just passed), three young people arrived with their mothers (one pair of fraternal twins, one daughter, all 11). They were all quite sophisticated, polite, and they met while I was creating a small tea tasting for them. Turns out, they all fell ... in the love of instant friendship.

They changed plans and spent the night together when they left.

That was the best thing that happened all weekend (among many other heartwarming small moments). Totally unpredictable. Totally charming. Made me very happy.

 

[Lila]

One 'love event' that comes to mind just now happened when I was very big and pregnant with my first child...

I was in the grocery shop attempting to do several things at once when I dropped something. I must have taken a moment to analyze how I was going to approach the looong bend down to pick it up when a lady, a total stranger to me, seemed to sweep in out of nowhere. In one swift move, she bent down and brought up the item with a flourish, saying "Happy Mother's Day" with a big smile.
At that point in my life I'd never been one of the mothers celebrated by the holiday, so paused to ponder the thought that I would, indeed, soon be a mother, and that I must have looked really ponderous and slow for her to be able to so gracefully swoop in and help before I'd even managed to fully plan my bend down, and why did this happen at just that moment? since I'd most definitely felt ponderous for a while already, and did I get that card off to my own mother yet, when could I give her a call and...
She was gone.

Happy Mother's Day to me
Such a beautiful way for the idea of motherhood, my motherhood, to be brought to my attention
Such a simple act, so full of love

 

[Angela]

I love love love doing random fun things in love! about once or twice a year I'll pick one of my friends and mail a full love package to them. different things they would like. personalized.
For one person, i made a mulled spices mix, biscotti, and i ordered harry potter scented candles (among other things). for another, i got a couple small herb books, a ring with a bee on it (she kept bees for a while), and some else.

Christmas is also super fun to make things for friends. I've made a heating pad with flaxseed, a soft facial scrub with kaolin clay and herbs, mulled spices to name a few.

I work at a farm through the year and try really hard to share my produce with some people in town.

Oh, there are soooo many things to do to spread love!

 

[Krena]

Angela, how wonderful is your gifting spirit. Thank you for sharing. Your friends are lucky.

I do something similar which I call quantum gift giving. I give or send gifts when the time feels right to me: when the spirit moves me. I have trained my friends and family not to expect gifts when it is birthday or holiday time. What usually happens is that they receive gifts when they need them. They are always surprised.

It started when I made or purchased gifts in advance and was too excited to wait to give it to them. This was particularly true for my husband as he is hard to buy gifts for: he is not needy and wants nothing. I was never able to save his holiday gifts and more than once, he had a pathethic holiday gift cache because I was impatient. I finally saw the light: I was meant to be a gift contrarian. And that also means no malls at holiday time.

 

[Snowmelt]

I did something today, a small thing, but it bridges the language barrier, and I hope it makes the heart of the person receiving it feel warmer inside, living in strange Australia far away from her native China. It is my massage therapist, who is suffering an abscess in her mouth/gum which is painful and also means she has to stay for a short time in hospital. She has a Kiwi husband here, but I just dropped a card around to her business premises, and hope she receives it when she is back to work next week. Because she is a sole business owner, she tends to work 7 days a week. My card bestowed on her my wishes that it will be OK for her to take time off and recuperate, and have some much needed time for herself. Her English is not good, but I'm sure someone will read it for her.

 

[Krena]

Matchmaking: A Fairy Godmother Form of Love and Camaraderie

This post was inspired by the thread that Linda created called Camaraderie in the Articles from the Front Page forum. Head there for more stories.

There is some backstory about originally meeting the two friends I will include in this story. I met M., a documentary filmmaker some decades ago a little before she became engaged to a college friend, also a documentary filmmaker who both went on to being professors and continuing their craft. I met R., a composer, in a shamanic healing class, also decades ago. We all kept in touch, separately.

Several years ago, when M. was looking for someone to score her film, I strongly suggested R., an extraordinarily talented woman, who also happens to embed healing within her compositions. Fast forward a bit, they met and collaborated and went on to create an award winning film, and they are still collaborators. This was the first time my alternatively desired profession, being a fairy godmother, went into play.

They came to my home yesterday. We had many hugs of camaraderie. It turns out that I collaborate with them as well, as I edit their work (they both write), and they acquire my necklaces. It is rare that we are together like this as we live far apart, but it felt so deeply wonderful to connect in this way. A love circle built with professional sharing and subsequent friendship, once created, remains strong and precious: a special gift.

 

[Lila]

Probably the best thing I have done in this way is to help bring groups of friends together
I remember introducing school age friends who are still friends decades later. At work I started a walking group and all sorts of things were resolved, from weight lost to work issues sorted out to "yeah, I'll do that" reactions (that worked well) for personal problems, to folks starting to wear clothes and shoes that didn't hurt by the end of the day.
Then, a parents group that is still ongoing, though I have moved away and a group of friends who took a walk once a week and 'solved the problems of the world' starting with our own families who still keep in touch though we are dispersed around the world. The results ranged from resolving adult chest pains and relationship issues to addressing kids' homework barriers, shyness and all sorts of behavioural nasties. We still call each other up when really stuck

I think that is, to me, a really good argument that, together, we can solve just about anything!
Particularly if we do so outdoors, while exercising...

 

[Out of Time]

Often times people bring about a lot of positive changes into the lives of others without even trying hard. I have a friend on facebook with whom I got acquainted in relation to the interactive stories we both write. Since then, he taught me how to write the codes for the next books (they come out in the form of apps for mobile devices), I became vegetarian influenced by his zeal and compassion. And that was not even the most remarkable change he brought to my life, lol.

Love has the tendency to spring out and to let us be agents of its manifestation even if we are not consciously aware of that.

 

[Krena]

Hug Mobster Story:

The following link takes you to a story written by a friend of mine. She is in the midst of a public Free Hug Campaign. She writes about this in her blog post, which also appeared in her local newspaper.

She has a huge heart and does good things for others endlessly, but my favorite activity of hers is her Free Umbrella Project. She buys old umbrellas in thrift stores, piles them up in her car, and when it rains, she hands out umbrellas to those who do not have one.

In Yiddish, the word for doing good deeds for others is called a "mitzvah." I call her the Mitz
Queen.

Here is the story:

http://www.chestnuthilllocal.com/2016/12/16/free-hug-mobster-spreading-love-in-hill-and-suburbs/

 

[Linda]

In Yiddish, the word for doing good deeds for others is called a "mitzvah." I call her the Mitz
Queen.

What a glorious story - a free hugs flash mob!!

 

[Lila]

I love the hug mobster story with her four magic words!

 

[Vickie]

I haul this old guy around and believe me that's definitely supporting love. He's way older than his time at 19 years old and he's a cranky old man but he's clearly shown he wants to stick around. However, he needs lots of care which I happily give him.

 

[Krena]

This is a story about an impressive organization in our community of 20,000. Sometimes it only takes one person with a good idea and loving energy to make a difference.


"Headers helping Helpers"

January 25, 2017

Three simple words that represent a philosophy of spirit that we at All Marblehead hope to exemplify. Our love for our community drives much of what we do day in and day out.


Jocelyn and Adam Cook

Clearly, Jocelyn Cook, Founder and Executive Director of SPUR, knows the feeling. A wife, mother, and tireless volunteer, Jocelyn and the SPUR team are committed to finding ways in the everyday to inspire good deeds, connect the community and provide a platform to engage others in volunteerism to benefit our neighbors in need in Marblehead, Salem, Lynn and Swampscott.


Backpack Drive

In 2016 (only their second year in operation), SPUR mobilized 596 volunteers ages two and up; organized 26 volunteer activities; offered 1,500 servings of food at Lifebridge Shelter; held six enrichment workshops for children ages 3-10; prepared 642 personal care kits for the homeless; organized five drives, the two largest of which provided 587 local children with new backpacks and school supplies and 433 local children and 80 homeless adults with winter essentials and meaningful gifts; funded two seed grants which empowered local youth to carry out their ideas for community impact projects and successfully installed and maintained an organic, 540 sq. ft. garden which benefited the Marblehead Food Pantry. They were also, quite deservingly, named Non-Profit of the Year by Marblehead Chamber of Commerce.

Holiday Cheer Drive

If a need exists, and Jocelyn learns of it, she works tirelessly to find a way to help. Be it a child who might otherwise go without school supplies, an elderly resident with an icy sidewalk, or a homeless family in need of a warm meal, SPUR is there to make a difference – not only in the lives of those in need but, as importantly, in the lives of those who help. The saying “it takes a village” may be trite, but Jocelyn Cook and the network of helpers SPUR has inspired is proof positive that TOGETHER our communities affect change greater than anything we can do as individuals.

Learn more about SPUR and how you can get involved at http://www.spur.community/.

 

[Linda]

SPUR team are committed to finding ways in the everyday to inspire good deeds, connect the community and provide a platform to engage others in volunteerism

This is an example of something I've been thinking about. It does take a village, rather than an anonymous body. It does make sense to work from the bottom up, rather than rely on those on the top. If you think about important new products, you see many started in a garage or at the kitchen table. I think we get conditioned to think that someone else will take care of it. However, the very best ideas come from small groups of people working in their own area. So, my hat is off to this group!

 

[Lila]

Agree with Linda above!

It also strikes me that SPUR seems to be an example of how the personal touch can make 'the world go round', emotionally speaking.

Certainly, in any work that involves volunteers, or even helping, witnessing how one is able to make a concrete difference in somebody's life is generally what folks get the most jazzed about. This seems to be particularly if the helper got to look the helpee in the eye and observe their reaction. It's just the kind of joy that can make someones day/week/month... on both ends of the help... and bring a community together.

The reverse has also been true in my experience... when an organization loses its personal touch and individuals start to feel like a cog in a machine, then folks tend to get that 'just a job' feeling

Let's hear it for folks helping neighbours! That's got to be about the best cure for the blues that I can think of