As my girls were growing up, I focused on encouraging a generous spirit in their hearts.  The second lesson was that — generosity doesn’t require a lot of money.  HUGE life lessons.

The mantra was one that my mother taught me when I was little.  “It’s the thought that counts”.  Noooo – in my book, this does NOT equate to “I thought to get you a gift card”!!  Thought means — I thought of YOU.  I spent time, thinking about the last time I saw you smile, and what caused it.  I thought about the last time I heard you laugh until you cried — and what you were doing, where you were, who you were with.  I THOUGHT about YOU.  And then I ‘felt’ enough about you that I figured out a small, wonderful way — to bring that kind of Joy into your world.  Um…you don’t get that in a Gift Card.

When the girls were little and Christmas came around — I remember some of my favorite gifts were simple homemade things (SPOILER ALERT — expect to see some of these as Christmas draws near!! 🙂  )

Now the girls are college students, armed with a meal plan, some campus bucks for flexible purchases….(oh and my credit card for emergencies.  E.M.E.R.G.E.N.C.I.E.S!!  girls.  Remember — Emergencies!!  But I digress!

So Mother’s Day and my birthday and Christmas offers small, thought-filled gifts from the girls to me.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  My girls know that what I can use MUCH more of in my busy , hectic life —  is peaceful relaxation.  So their generous hearts set out to find me a $20 gift of peaceful relaxation.  Ahhh – I can feel the weight of my day coming off of my shoulders just thinking about them…..

So day #4 of 100 is an homage to my candle collection — each one, brought into my life by Caitlin or Erin.  A small thoughtful gift of peaceful relaxation in a jar.  #100happydays (4/100)

Ciao for now…..Diane