Welcome to your Sunday LoveGram.
I hope you are having a sweet day so far. If you are, please send good vibes to someone. A smile, cheerful hello, or friendly text can go a long way toward brightening someone’s day.
If you are having a hard time, practice reaching out to someone you love and trust. Practice loving yourself with great intention as you navigate the hard space.
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Today’s LoveGram will be text-only. I think you will understand.
I’m having a particularly grief-filled time right now.
On Thursday, as I was traveling back home from my friend Tricia’s house, I got the news that someone close to me had passed away that morning. In fact, I received the news while I was in line, trying to rebook my ferry from Victoria to Vancouver because a terrible accident had prevented us from making my scheduled ferry.
It was so amazingly difficult to be on a very long ferry ride, followed by an hour-long bus ride, followed by a train ride, followed by a two-hour plane ride — all the while feeling the intense grief.
You know what happened in the midst of that? So many people came up to me to ask me if I was okay. Some people simply patted my shoulder or handed me a tissue.
There was so much unexpected love.
I was so moved by the kindness of these strangers who were so courageous to reach out to someone who was sobbing.
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When I got back home, there was a large package waiting for me from my friend, Greggie. He had told me last week that there was a birthday present in the mail, but I had totally forgotten in the midst of so much grief and sadness.
When I opened the package, I immediately burst into tears. But these were not the tears of grief; they were tears of feeling this wave of love.
Do you see those two photos up above? I had shared the top one, the black and white one, with you last month. I’d been going through another, different grief at that time and had taken myself to the beach. That dog, leaping, was a moment of unexpected joy that filled my heart.
Unbeknownst to me, Greggie had seen that photo and decided to paint it for me.
But, do you see what he did? Of course you do, because it is so striking: he turned it into pure JOY. He decided to paint that scene in brilliant colors.
When I opened the package and saw all of that color, it was the same feeling as strangers coming up to check on me and offer me tissues. It was pure, beautiful, blazing, unexpected LOVE.
It was as if Greggie was saying: it’s okay. It will all be okay. Everything that is gray will eventually turn color again. Be patient. Just you wait.
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As I told you when I shared that first photo of the dog, most people who know me know that all of the celebration and appreciation work I do is the flip side of the sadness/darkness coin.
They really are always connected.
I never expect that I’m going to “get someplace” where I always live in bliss. There’s always a flip of the coin.
However, when I feel down — sad, uncertain, doubtful, scared, regretful — I try to practice how it feels to find those pinpricks of light as stepping stones. Resting places. Small moments of well-being.
That dog in the photo was a sparkle for me.
The strangers patting my back and expressing concern were sparkles for me.
Greggie’s surprise gift and beautiful, unexpected love were sparkles for me.
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That coin of sorrow and celebration is flipping in each of our lives, all the time.
I’m so grateful that 30+ years ago, when I was at the darkest moment, the metaphor of an iron wall closing in around me dropped in my mind.
A moment of well-being within that heavy iron wall was a tiny pinprick of light. But one tiny light can make a huge difference.
One tiny light reminds us that there might be another, even if it is around that distant corner.
Maybe you need this reminder.
I know I have to remind myself nearly daily.
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Keep looking. Unexpected love or light will show up. I know it will.
I promise, you will find the next small resting place to feel safe.
You are not alone.
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Remember to take good care of yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Remind yourself that you deserve good things.
You are goodness.
Thanks for being here with me! I will be back next week with an audio, my friend.
Seek celebration — even in dark corners,
xo Sherry