Love

Pay attention.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

attention

Have you ever looked for someone in a crowd? A sea of faces, none the one you’re looking for until…..Pop! She is there- that nose, that hair, those eyes, those mannerisms, that laugh. You would know her anywhere, no matter the size of the crowd. Why is that?

Perhaps it’s because you’ve paid attention to that person. You know her as someone distinct from everyone else. She has become an individual to you. Paying attention, seeing an individual in the midst of the crowd, requires focus. It is easy to look past the individual to see the person before you– even if it is someone in your own family, school, church, city, whatever– as just part of a group. To discover the real person, that individual standing there, you have to zoom in your focus and pay attention.

In this heart-warming video, a teacher greets each of his students with a unique handshake custom-made  for that child. How can the students not see the special place they each have in his heart? What a warm and welcoming classroom that must be!

Zoom in your focus and give generously of your attention.

 

Remember whose you are.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

cleanheart

The days before Christmas can be frantic. We sometimes find our tempers short, our tongues loose, and our wits frayed. We think of Christmas as something in the future, speeding toward us, that we need to hurry around and prepare for so that we can enjoy His coming. But a birthday, like Christmas, is a celebration of something that has already happened. And, in the case of Christmas, it is a celebration of a whole new world order that is here. We are His now, not just at Christmas. We need to shine with His love now and everyday. Particularly when the world is harried. We need to reflect the joy and peace that comes with knowing that love conquers all.

Pause. Breathe. And remember whose you are.

Take a moment.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

moment

Got a minute?

The rush of holidays and year end can be powerful. So much to do. We can’t stop bustling. Something might get dropped.

We don’t have time to see the look of wonder on a child’s face, or hear the kitten-soft whisper of snow beginning to fall, or breathe in the musky scent from a neighbor’s chimney. We don’t have time to drop to our knees with gratitude for being in this place and time, with these people to love, and these hands to serve, and these eyes to soak in the beauty around us. There is so much to do we simply don’t have time to pause and pay attention to the blessing of it all.

Or do we?

Open your eyes.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

meanttolove

Do you have any disagreeable people in your life? People you avoid, maybe?

What if they are the ones who need love the most?

Most teachers will tell you that the child who acts out is the one most in need of love and attention. but those kids have learned to ask for it in all the wrong ways. And those children grow up, sometimes into disagreeable adults who still ask for love and attention in all the wrong ways. Maybe they have been disappointed so many times, they’ve learned to strike first, to reject you before you reject them.

Do you know anyone like that?

It’s no particular challenge to love the people who love us. But the ones who rile us, who ruffle our feathers, who are caustic and rude? That takes some serious patience and humility. But, perhaps, that is a place you are desperately needed.

Lead your children well.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

children

None of us knows what the future holds. But we do know the values we hold dear–honesty, integrity, love, compassion, empathy, respect, tolerance. As we raise our children, we instill these values. As adults, we model these values whether we win or lose, succeed or fail, sink or swim.  Watching us, they learn, and, as they go forward into their futures, they will bring these values to their own decisions. If each of us does this, we will leave the world a better brighter place for our having been here.

Encourage, Love, Uncategorized

Love each other.

Image | Posted on by Shari Swanson

degeneres

Recently Ellen DeGeneres won a People’s Choice Humanitarian Award for the tremendous work she has done across many areas of concern: bullying, natural disasters, gay rights, and so on. Underneath each of her generous gestures lies her empathetic heart and willingness to not look away, to offer her help. In her inspiring acceptance speech, Ellen wonders ‘What if there is no such thing as love, just proof of love.’ What would the world look like? What would our little corner of the world look like if it was filled with proof of love?

We may not all be able to give millions of dollars away, but each of us can approach people with kindness. We may not have a talk show, but we can each champion those without a voice. We can acknowledge the pain and suffering of others and do something to help. We can offer the encouraging word and understanding heart. We can show compassion. We can insist that, while we may not be able to stop hate, we certainly won’t spread it.

Celebrate your friendships.

Posted on by Shari Swanson

noonebutmyself

Do you remember that spark of commonality that started a friendship? What was the spark? A shared passion, shared interest, shared way of looking at things, shared love? Something joined the two of you together and made you realize you were not alone in this universe, but that there was someone like you out there. And then as that friendship blossomed, shared moments helped cement the bond. Mutual concern continues to uplift you both. Trust lets you relax into the friendship and blossom. Today, celebrate your friendships. Without friendships, where would any of us be?