It Only Takes A Smile

This month I decided to send my husband a creative valentine.  It’s come to a point, where I realize there’s no more need to buy anything.  We are blessed to have everything we need, and almost want.  i reflected, how could I show my husband I cared in a way that he would appreciate, keep, and use frequently.  I created a jar of memories.   It’s slightly borrowed from a post regarding inputting accomplishments into a mason jar each month, which my friend posted on my page during the new year. Instead of posting my accomplishments this year, I chose to write down over 180 funny memories, inside jokes, one liners, and moments shared only between my husband and i.  In preparation for this, I spent one week primarily focusing on these different areas: places we’ve travelled to, our support system, food we have cooked together, random strangers that impacted us in some ways, things that always will bring a laugh to us.  It’s interesting what this can do to you.  After we’ve been with our partners for awhile, we tend to focus on negative aspects that may brood between us.  Lingering hostility of a petty argument, may turn into a nag about an additional chore, and perhaps a full out fight. But what if you purposefully just spent sometime remembering the special-ness between you two.  We do this when we first get in a relationship or about to get married, but try it for no special reason at all. I chose to write these down on backs of ladybugs which hold special value to my husband.  Ladybugs were spiritually significant to his mother, who he lost several years ago to cancer.  Whenever he sees a ladybug, he knows his mother is closeby.  Everyday, he now will have the opportunity to pull out a ladybug memory.  His kickstarter mantra for the day can start with a positive reflection between us, versus an irritation. Try creating a variation of this for someone, or even yourself.  By taking the time to focus on the positive, and having it stand in a prominent place in your home, you’ll be sure to be surrounded by contagious smiles.