I felt like an excited parent on Christmas Eve as I lovingly spread an array of “tools” for the workshop participants across the top of a large oak table. The symbolic trinkets included feathers, stickers, stones, safety pins, pennies, and many more objects gathered from nature, a hardware store, and my home. At one end of the table, I stacked a supply of zip-top bags to serve as “tool kits.” Then, I covered it all with a large cloth so that the project would be hidden until it was time for the main activity. I stepped back and surveyed the room. Everything was in place. But was I ready?

My shaky knees warned me that I wasn’t, not fully. Normally, I feel completely relaxed at The
Wellness Community, but that night I had the jitters. Instead of coming for group support, or to take an art class or other educational program, this time I was leading a workshop. As a grateful cancer survivor, I wanted to give something back. Something meaningful. Something great.

The door opened. Everyone was arriving. Whispering a quick prayer, I asked for just that: that the event be great.

My two-hour workshop, titled “Do What Makes YOU Strong,” was designed to explore ways to tap
into inner strength, and it concluded with a lighthearted, yet purposeful, activity. Each participant
would assemble a personalized “tool kit” filled with various “tools” to take home for daily inspiration. When I looked out into the eyes of cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, my heart opened and my knees steadied. The two hours passed quickly.

As participants said their goodbyes and started to leave, a young woman who had been sitting quietly in the back row approached me.

“I’m Alaina. And, I’ve got to tell you what happened tonight,” she exclaimed, with her eyes big and bright. “When it was time to go to the activity table and gather items for our tool kits, I thought, “I wonder if she put a polliwog on that table. For some crazy reason, I wanted a polliwog!”

Polliwog? I thought. A tadpole?

Reading my perplexed expression, Alaina laughed and said, “Oh, not a frog. A polliwog. You know, those seeds that come from maple trees. When I was little, my two sisters and I used to open them up and put them on our noses when they were fresh and sticky.”

“Oh, helicopters!” I replied, picturing how I, too, had played with those seeds as a child.

“Yeah. When they got dry, we’d toss them in the air and watch them spin down. Sometimes we
called them whirlybirds. But usually we called them polliwogs. I don’t know why. But look, I’ve got three
of them in my tool kit!” she declared with delight, shaking her see-through baggie.

How can this be? I thought. I did not place any polliwogs on that table.

Alaina went on to explain that, nearing the activity table, she felt both excitement and apprehension, wondering, Why do I want a polliwog? What made me even think of a polliwog? “I didn’t see it at first. Looking over all the stuff, I selected a bottle of bubbles, a pine cone, and one of the prayer print-outs. And, I kept thinking, Of course there’s no polliwog on this table! But then, there it was, hardly visible, one little brown seed blending into the color of the oak table! It was lying between a puzzle piece and the pine cone I took. I was shocked. I picked it up and put it in my bag. Would you believe that, while I was returning to my
seat, two more polliwogs appeared in my tool kit?!”

How can this be? I thought again. I did not place any polliwogs on that table! Peering into Alaina’s baggie, I recognized the source of the mystery polliwogs. Still tucked in between the brown ridges of the pine cone, I saw more of them. Seeds. Even though the three boomerang-shaped seeds in Alaina’s “tool kit” came out of a pine cone and not from a maple tree, they were an answer to prayer.
And they offered guidance. And hope.

For both Alaina and me, those three seeds showing up the way they did seemed to be God saying,
I’m here and I hear you.

Remembering how she and her two sisters had played freely and joyfully, Alaina felt led, by wisdom, to be childlike and trusting again, even while facing cancer.

And I realized that it’s okay to release the habit of fretting over “being great.” Greatness Itself is always present, making things great in ways I often can’t see or even imagine. I also realized that all I have to do is prepare as best I can and then show up for presentations—for everything in life—with an open heart, a willingness to serve, and an attitude of surrender.

Alaina and the polliwogs remind me to listen carefully for the voice within, even if it seems strange or random or unnecessary. I heard that voice as I was driving away from my home, heading for the workshop. I felt an inner nudge to stop, get out of the car, and gather a collection of pine cones. There I was, stooping and slipping on the sloping ground beneath the pine trees, in order to pick up what I felt
would be an adequate supply of pine cones. I really need to be on my way to the center, I thought.

However, even though I had no idea why, I trusted that subtle inner prompting to gather those pine cones.

That simple-yet-wondrous experience with Alaina reminds me that wisdom “speaks” to us in many ways.

from
TOUCHSTONES: STORIES FOR LIVING THE TWELVE GIFTS
by Charlene Costanzo (c) 2012

LESSON FROM SEEDS

I learned that Greatness Itself is always present.

 Like Wayne Dyer and Rafael Abalos, I believe in miracles, I've experienced some first hand and witnessed and heard about many more. Some, grand; some, subtle.

Today's rainbow photo - taken by my cousin, Mary Margaret, on September 10 - is part of one.    
 

Mary Margaret had been feeling forlorn for days before September 10. Her dad had died 30 years earlier on that date. Other than when he passed and the minutes after, for the next three decades, Mary Margaret never experienced a special nearness with him nor felt a moment of close connection between them, as she did with her deceased mom, who seemed to often send little signs and guiding, motherly messages to Mary Margaret. 

Mary Margaret's response to the lack of assurance that her father was well, was to ask for a sign, a specific sign. She longed to see a rainbow like the one she had seen at the exact time of her father's death.

She remembers it well. When her father had exhaled his last breath, Mary Margaret was at his side. She recalls the moment, how she felt, and the time: It was 6 P.M. 

Needing to be alone with her grief and tears, she headed toward the front door of her parents’ house. Upon stepping outside, Mary Margaret's eyes were drawn upward to where a magnificent rainbow graced the sky. 

This September 10th, on the 30th anniversary of her dad’s passing, with faith, love, and hope in her heart, she stepped outside at 5:58. And there it was, a brilliant rainbow, with a fainter one behind it. A double rainbow. She felt as if she was receiving encouragement from both her mom and dad and a sign from the heavens.

To Mary Margaret, the sign was a reminder of three things:

To embrace life during the glad times and the sad times, even during the hardest times.

To expect miracles.

And to trust that we are never alone. The love of our departed loved ones is like the sun, always shining, day and night, in all kinds of weather, in clear times and cloudy times, all times, always. 

How could I doubt such a miracle? 
Isn’t it a miracle that the sun rises 
every day in the east and sets in the west? 
Isn’t there mystery in all of nature’s wonders? 
In the movements of the moon 
or the stillness of the stars?”

-Rafael Abalos

EXPECT MIRACLES
AND SEE THE WORLD WITH WONDER

Hi there. I appreciate your interest in The Twelve Gifts. The collection of Twelve Gifts books and events began with a painful realization, an epiphany, and an amazing dream, which eventually lead to the publication of The Twelve Gifts of Birth. The story about how the book came to be can be found in other places on this website. In this post I just want to share what some mothers and others have said about The Twelve Gifts of Birth.

When The Twelve Gifts of Birth was first released in 1999, the response to the book was amazing. Sales were strong. The book won many awards. And many readers wrote to praise the book, to share stories about how the book affected them, and to give examples of how they were using the book. In this post you can read a sampling of what readers said.

For the next year, I heard many more moving stories, in person. From 1999 through 2000, my husband and I lived in a motor home and traveled throughout the United States. The purpose was to discuss The Twelve Gifts with children and adults in schools, shelters, bookstores, prisons, places of worship, and many more venues. Frank and I both had a sense of mission about the book’s message, which is that every child, born anywhere at any time, is valuable and gifted with inner strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love, and faith. These birthright gifts can help every one of us respond wisely to life’s ups and downs, live in harmony with others, recognize and develop our talents, and use our abilities and interests to make a positive difference in the world.

I often think of the people we met during that tour. I wish I could know how things progressed as their life journeys continued. Perhaps some of us will connect again and I’ll find out. In the meantime, for all readers and users of The Twelve Gifts of Birth, from back then, through the past 20+ years, until now and into the future, I wish you the best of life’s gifts. Thank you for sharing The Twelve Gifts message with others. Thank you for using your gifts too! Especially now, in these changing and challenging times, let’s practice compassion and reverence and keep hope alive!

With love
Charlene

 "These gifts are the wealth of the soul.  I was moved to tears when I read it and recognized my own gifts and even more so when I read it to the children who have been labeled as hopeless.  I watched their eyes brighten and their spirits lift as they heard the powerful gifts that lie dormant inside of them." - Momma Hawk, Founder, Recovering Gifted Child Academy

"Your book deeply touched my soul.  It has such a meaningful and clear message of dignity and hope for us all." – Connie

"The children are still talking about your visit and the message in your book.  You have made a lifelong impression." - Paula Knouse, KidsPeace

 "I can't type for long.  My six-month baby girl, Alexandra, is in the next room and I don't like to leave her alone for too long.  She is hooked up to a ventilator.  She just came home for the first time last week.   She is a precious gift to me and my husband.  I was just lying on the floor of her room, taking a nap with her on my chest.  After a phone call woke us, I started reading to her.  I was reading The Twelve Gifts to her and had tears in my eyes before I was done.  I will continue to read it to her all her life, and probably will cry more.  She is a strong and courageous baby girl, and has only begun to learn about all of her gifts.  The book is a gift to us, and she is a gift to me, and will be a gift to this world, I am certain, as she grows.  Thank you for this beautiful piece of art.  The words are extremely meaningful.  Continue to spread the message!" - Sincerely, Marisa 

 "I want to thank you for the wonderful gift that you have given me and other survivors of abuse.  I fell in love with your book The Twelve Gifts of Birth the first time I saw it.  I am currently in therapy working through the hurts of the past.  Your book gives me the courage to continue therapy and it helps me to know I am special in many different ways.  The page that begins 'At the wondrous moment you were born,' brings tears to my eyes EVERY time I read it.  Thank you so much!!" – Liz

 "I am a Parent Educator with the nationally recognized Parents As Teachers program.  In April, the school district in which I am employed initiated a program at the Women's Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia, MO....Last week I read your book to all three of my classes there...the ladies sat enthralled as I read.   When I looked up after reading the book I could tell by the look on their faces how moved many of them were by your words.  A flicker of light as well as tears was seen in the eyes of several women.  The book was then passed around.  I noted that it was handled with extreme care.  When I went back this week the most repeated questions were, 'Did you bring the book back?  Will you have it next week?'  I have a long list of moms who wish to purchase this book for their children." - Sandra Morrow

 "When I read your book it gave me goose bumps." - Tonya

"I am a schoolteacher and feel that instilling a strong sense of self worth is one of the most important things I can do for my students.  Your book helped me to do that this past school year.  Before I read it aloud, I wondered if they would enjoy it as much as I had.  Fifth graders, just beginning adolescence, are hard to predict.  They were spellbound! - Gigi Dhindsa

 "I will be using the Twelve Gifts in a Bible study class in Clearfield, PA.  Please keep writing!  I appreciate the value and importance of your work and look forward to seeing more of it." - Bill A.

 "Had to share my experience after reading your powerful words.  I was 7 months pregnant when I came across your book at a local Hallmark and thanks to your words and my hormones I found myself crying in the middle of the shop.  Thanks for putting into words what all people are capable of." - Tracy W.

"The Twelve Gifts of Birth helped me to realize how valuable I am as a unique human being and then to realize that my children, my 9-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, need to know how gifted they are." - Linda R.

 "Your book touched me in a special way.  I bought it for a dear friend who spent years trying to conceive.  She now has a beautiful daughter and I wanted to give her a special gift.  I did - your book.  It has a message that is imperative for every child to know.  If they did, the world would be a better place." - Tracy K

 "You are someone making a difference in a small but huge way! - Kris F

 "I heard you speak in Freehold, New Jersey.  I run a domestic violence and child abuse program for the Navy.  I recently read your book to a group of mom's in the Navy.   They loved it." - Pamela Schott, LCSW

 "I love the picture in your book of small rocks...when my sixteen year old daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease I felt as though my life was fractured.  Nine years of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery were a success.  We fought.  We won.  Small steps, one by one, often minute by minute taught us NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up!  Thank you so much - what you are doing is beyond measure." - Aileen K.

 "You and your wonderful book have given me the strength to pursue my dreams!!" - Misty G.

 "Your book was introduced to me when I needed it most." - Joy D.

  "Thank you for the strong message that gives so many of us great inspiration to see ourselves in a different light!" - Traci S.

"Your book not only has a place in my home, but has been shared with brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews from New York to California!" - Ellen P

  "It is wonderful to have such an inspiring work of literature to share with children." - Mike S.

 "I'm so glad I saw you on AM Northwest.  I'm looking forward to giving the book to my grown sons -- the message is for life -- and sharing it with my first graders." - Susan W.

 "Thank you for reminding us that each of us is a gift and how exciting a world we walk through." - Diane S.

 "Thank you for the wisdom, beauty, simplicity, hope and truth that your book brings.  You are the fairy godmother who continues to bring gifts!" – Joan

 "God has gifted you with a message we need so very much." – Diana

 "I am so impressed with the message you are spreading.  It gives me chills." - Deanie H.

 "Your message will impact me for years to come." - Dawn S.

 "I heard your interview on the radio and your ideas struck a chord in me as a teacher and as a parent". - Jan S.

 "Yesterday I was browsing and fell in love with your book.  I plan on giving it to my godchildren.  I am not a writer and you've put my hopes and dreams for them so beautifully." - Jule L.

 "You helped me look at my babies and love them and see their special gifts even more." - Katie C.

 "I hope you will continue to lead others to be beautiful." – Tom

 "Thank you for shining light into the darkness and reminding us of our dreams." – Beth

 "What a gift you have for communicating God's love through the message of human worth.  Blessings to you in your continued writing." - Karen T.

 "I gained a great deal of inspiration from you." - Jeff M.

 "Your message to the World in The Twelve Gifts is one that touches our hearts as readers immediately.  It allows us to see something that deep down we already know.   Thank you for the insight.  Keep it coming!" - Christina J.

 "I was inspired and motivated by listening to you.  I'm already looking forward to your next book!" - Dr. Edith Coleman

 "I recently lost my sister to cancer and a brother to an accident.  I too have dreams about making a difference in the world and cherishing what is precious in my life.   Thank you for making me remember my dreams." - Vicki A.

 "The energy of your message shines through you." - Raymond P.

 "The gift of faith was really tested by our family when our daughter developed cancer.  I am giving the book to her brother who felt it was his fault because he had not prayed enough.  He is now 38 years old.  Thank you." - B. Stephens

 "Someone very special to me told me the other day that his mother told him he was a 'mistake'.  Can you believe it?  Then yesterday I was listening to the news and heard about your book.   Somebody knew I needed to hear about your message so I could share it with him.  This is a 'must have' for everybody, for all ages." - Carol C.

 "Your book certainly hits home with me, as I have a 15-year-old son with Down syndrome.   Ever since he was born I felt that whatever I 'gave' him he would return to me two-fold and he has.  Thank you for your wonderful book!" - Marianne H.

 "I read about your book in the newspaper and knew I had to have it.  I just read it and it is even more beautiful than I anticipated.  Your words go right to the heart." - Julie W.

 "Thank you for producing a book that can touch every person who reads it.  I believe it will truly be a huge success." - Stacey G.

"Your book traveled from NC to Calif to NJ during a very emotional time for me.  You are an angel to many." – Carole

 "You have touched some people in ways you can not imagine." - Jove V.

"What started as an ordinary day at work turned into something far more valuable.  I got to hear about your book, read your book and meet the author.  It had an immediate impact." - Pat Gribbin, Chief News Photographer, WESH-TV

 "What a beautiful book!  The Twelve Gifts of Birth is a simple but powerful message.   I intend to read it to children." - Wally Amos (Famous Amos)

Charlene is not the only one writing at book signing events. When she and her husband, Frank, started their journey across the U.S. to discuss The Twelve Gifts of Birth in every state, Frank got the idea to have readers write messages - whatever they wished to say - to Charlene while she was writing messages along with her signature into their books. Whenever one reader notebook was filled, Frank got another one for Charlene. The books filled with wisdoms, carings, dreams, and sharings from people throughout the US are a treasure.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

It’s the first day of my first solitary stay on Sanibel Island. I’m here for a vacation but also to do some writing. I’m not relaxed. Not yet. Like the average person, it usually takes three or four days for me to release muscle and mind tensions and shift into a vacation state of mind.

I decide to do something new this morning, at least different, something I have not done for years - ride a bicycle. It’s not a daring adventure. Nevertheless, I feel an uplift at the prospect of coasting along the smooth, flat bike paths. So, instead of taking a beach walk or a dip in the pool, I head to the rack where bikes are available for rental.

Striding purposefully in that direction, I’m almost oblivious to my beautiful surroundings until a fluttering black butterfly appears in front of me. When she circles my head in what seems like an invitation to play, I laugh out loud. The garden suddenly looks lighter. My vision sharpens, and my awareness widens. I’m seeing the many shades of green, the bright pops of reds, and all the floral colors I always appreciate here. I’m smelling…mmm. Gardenias. My dad’s favorite flower.

With the help of Black Butterfly, I’ve been transported to another state of mind. I’m in the present moment.

That butterfly is still with me. Or rather, I’m with her as she moves along. She leads and I follow. Ahead I see a cloud of wings like hers flitting around a huge bush. I think it’s Lantana; I don’t know for sure. But I do know that I’ve never seen so many butterflies in one place. There must be 20 or 30 of them! Maybe more. I try to count them, but with all their movement, I can’t keep the ones counted separate from the ones to-be counted. So I give up counting and just watch.

Carefully, I step into their cloud. I stand still. I barely breathe. They don’t disperse. They are so close that I am able to see luminous blue swatches on their black wings. I watch their fluttering, humbled, amazed that they stay so near for so long. I’m grateful. In awe.

The butterflies begin to disperse. A few remain. I linger for several moments. I’m reluctant to leave this spot which now feels magical.

My mood has shifted. My breathing has deepened. I’m relaxed. I choose to stay in the garden today, hoping to prolong this experience of wonder.

The reflection above is a reprint from The Twelve Gifts from the Garden: Life Lessons for Peace and Well-Being, winner of the Eric Hoffer Award for spiritual books. The butterfly encounter I described is one of many profound and sacred experiences I had in the garden at Sanibel Moorings - and on Sanibel Island in general. I’m grateful for all such experiences and I thank Mango Publishing for having the insight and good judgment to publish this book about them. My gratitude is exponentially multiplied now that this lush garden no longer exists, not as it was, not with its rich diversity of native and exotic species. Hurricane Ian, with its 155 mph winds and storm surge of up to 12 feet, destroyed many homes and businesses and severely damaged the island’s ecosystem. Freshwater ponds are now salt water. Much of the island is still covered with a layer of sand. The botanical garden at Sanibel Moorings will return, someday. Some hardy native plants are already re-emerging, demonstrating their will to survive. Nature’s strength is one of the life lessons that are offered to us in this inspiring book. Nature also shows us her beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love, and faith. To learn more about The Twelve Gifts, this book, and to order a copy, see “BOOKS” on this website. You may also wish to receive a daily inspirational message by email each morning. It’s free and you can cancel it any time. Sign up for that here too.

Thank you! May you recognize your own gifts and help others to see theirs!

With love,
Charlene

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”  - Paulo Coelho

 So let's love. Let's hope. Let's uplift ourselves and reach for the best within us and around us. Let’s envision better ways ahead and strive toward them.

We face challenges, but are things as bad as the doomsday, constant fault-finders are proclaiming?

And how do we best respond to the divisiveness and hostility we see? To mean-spirited rhetoric, disrespect, and violence?

My heart is encouraging me to take the high road and stay on it. If I am going to walk my talk, I've got to make room in my heart for extra loving prayers for everyone who seems misguided. For all who have lost healthy perspectives, a value for harmony, a willingness to find common ground, and a caring for the good of all. For all who are angry, afraid, and hurting.

More than ever, I’m feeling urged to write about the power and potential within each of us to make a difference in these uncertain times. Even to preach about it. We really can promote healing, harmony, and well-being among us by being loving and kind, by holding hope, by being real, by listening to understand, and by spreading joy.

Yes, it sometimes looks as if the challenges we face are too big and complicated for us to play a part in resolving and correcting them. But I believe the seemingly small "high road" choices we make every day can positively influence every aspect in our personal lives, our communities, and the world.

When we notice the negatives, when we see forces that seem to want to make us afraid and weaken us, instead of dwelling on them, let's shift our attention and intentions to bringing “good things to life."

We really can do that. So let’s notice the goodness and beauty inside and outside of us. Let’s be life-affirming nurturers who are generous with smiles, praise, and gratitude.

And let’s keep all those who seem to be low on love and hope in our prayers and best wishes for health, well-being, and the happiness that comes from loving.

Always,
Charlene 

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”  - Paulo Coelho

#Love #Hope #TheTwelveGifts #TodaysTouchstone #Lifeaffirming #CharleneCostanzo #inspirationalquotes #healing #making a difference

In September 2000, I was diagnosed with advanced Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and told, “There is no cure.” At first I felt frozen with fear, with almost no Strength at all. For a few days, I let cancer define me.

Restful sleep came only near dawn, after hours of anguished tossing and turning. I would wake in the new day with a split second of peacefulness and then remember, Cancer cells have invaded my body and they are growing.   

I wanted to learn about lymphoma, but I could digest only a little bit of information at a time. It took great Strength just to the read material and look at diagrams of aberrant cells. It took tremendous Strength to face the reality of my diagnosis. 

The disease led me to examine my convictions.

In The Twelve Gifts of Birth I had written about Strength: May you remember to call upon it whenever you need it. I had offered that advice to so many others in both my personal and professional life. Could I heed it now? During the previous year on the Polished Stone Tour, I had said to thousands of children and adults throughout the country, “No matter who we are, no matter what we face, we have these powerful gifts within us that can help us heal, enrich, and empower every area of our lives.”

Hm-m-m. Could I walk my talk?  Would I?

Before the first of six chemotherapy treatments, my doctor said, “This is a time to draw upon your strength.  It will make a difference.  Do what makes you strong.”

I gave a lot of thought to that: what makes me strong? Dealing with cancer–or any life challenge–can be a means to discovering more inner Strength, but how? We all have our own ways of coping and responding to our best advantage.  How do I figure out what works best for me? And will I have the Strength to do it?

So, I gave a great deal of thought to What empowers me? After praying, reflecting, and tuning in for inner guidance, I recalled a story I had heard in a high school class about Ivan Pavlov. He is most famous for his behavior studies with dogs. But did you know that when Pavlov was ill with a serious infection (before the discovery of penicillin) he did something remarkable to make himself strong?

With his hands in a bucket of mud from a nearby river, Ivan re-enacted a scene from his childhood: in his mind, he saw himself playing in the warm mud next to his mom while she did the laundry in the river. He even envisioned her singing and telling him stories–something she always did. Apparently, the sense of well-being and joy Ivan re-created for himself was so strong that it returned him to homeostasis. Eventually, the fever broke and he was cured.

Remembering this about Ivan Pavlov led me to a variety of activities that were like my own version of “playing in the mud.” I never enjoyed playing in the mud as a child. But the sand? Oh yes! I loved making sand castles at the New Jersey shore, swimming in the ocean, and going on boardwalk rides. So, I recreated a sense of my childhood love of the seashore–the joy and well-being that went with that–by smelling suntan lotion every morning.

I also re-enacted other childhood experiences of happiness by coloring while listening to soothing music, daydreaming, and dancing. I also blew bubbles, played jacks, and turned a few cartwheels (clumsily, which led me to laugh and lighten-up). All these simple activities seem to fill and re-fill a tank of Strength in me, so that an abundant supply of Strength was always ready to flow through me.

During the five months of chemotherapy, I needed to call upon that reserve of Strength again and again: on treatment days when I welcomed the toxic chemicals into my body, to do their intended work; for the 24 hours following each chemo cocktail, when my body felt like a dried-out, hot oven, and I needed strength to accept that sensation; to embrace being completely hairless and to become comfortable in my body instead of feeling like an alien being. I also needed Strength to shift my focus again and again from fear to hope.

It seemed wise to nourish Strength daily and keep the supply flowing and growing. I made sure, no matter how tired or listless I may have felt, that I regularly filled my Strength tank by engaging in activities that empowered me. In addition to the childhood re-enactments, I drew Strength from nature, music, books, films, friends, family, therapeutic touch, aromatherapy, inspirational stories, meditation, and prayer.

My doctor had given me sound advice. He was right. Building Strength did make a difference…in many ways. Among those ways, after five months of treatments, all tests results said: No evidence of cancer.

I continue to let those words guide me: Do what makes you strong. It seems to me that, no matter what is going on… in my world, or in the world… it is always a very good time to draw upon Strength.  

If you saw the film, City Slickers, the “One Thing. Just One Thing” title used here may bring to mind the scene in which Curly, the Jack Palance character, says to Mitch, played by Billy Crystal, “Do you know what the secret of life is?”

“No, what is it?” asks Mitch.

Curly answers by holding up one finger, and says, “One thing. Just one thing.”

He doesn’t explain further.  We get to determine for ourselves what he means.

On a shared car service transport from Sedona, Arizona to the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, I met a woman somewhat like Curly. Her name was Vi. During the two-hour drive we shared a lot of stories. Vi told me that, as a result of a mental, physical, and emotional breakdown, she learned – not the secret of life, but - a secret of life, actually a secret of living well.  

Unlike the reticent Curly, Vi gave me all the details.  She owned several successful businesses which she had started herself. As they grew, she still did a little bit of everything for each business.

As a result, every day she had many things on her TO DO list. Never did she complete all the tasks on the day they were listed. So, some things, many things, always got carried over to the next day. Instead of recognizing what she accomplished each day, Vi felt stressed over all that got “carried over.” Eventually she felt overwhelmed, not in control, and her health suffered on all levels.

As we descended from high desert to low desert, Vi explained that she discovered a tool that helped her to feel happier, healthier, more productive - stronger in every way.

Her tool is a 17 x 12 desk calendar, the kind that nearly covers the top of a common-sized desk, with large squares of empty space for each day.

Vi places “Just One Thing” - whatever is the highest priority action - in each space. Although she does more tasks than that each day, this simple tool helps her to carefully discern the top priority, to give that action quality attention, and to value that accomplishment. She credits her “Just One Thing” approach with giving her a sense of spaciousness in each day and seemingly more time each day.

“It’s probably, also, the result of the meditation I now do,” she said, adding. “But I’ve got a lot less stress and a lot more strength these days. More peace and joy too.”

The rest of the way, from Anthem to the airport, we talked about other things. But as Vi was getting out of the car at curbside check-in for her airline, after we wished each other well, she said, “Remember. Just one thing. Try it.”

#TodaysTouchstone #TheTwelveGifts #CharleneCostanzo #InnerStrength #DailyInspiration #InspirationalBooks #JustOneThing #CitySlickers #JackPalance #BillyCrystal #InnerPeace #Meditation #Sedona #Phoenix #LessStress

In Mesa, Arizona, I met a soft-spoken woman named Mazi.  “I know I have strength,” she said. “And I remember the exact date I found this to be true: July 19, 1979. With bright eyes and a broad smile, Mazi beamed; she seemed to grow taller than her 5-foot stature as she shared her story of how a small dog showed Mazi her strength.

Mazi was 28-years-old and living with her seven-year-old son and her aging mother in Ajmer, a small desert town in Northwest India.  Many dogs roamed the streets in Ajmer, and that summer Mazi befriended one, a little brown dog that came to her home every day, searching for food and shelter from the hot sun.  Mazi looked forward to the visits, especially when she noticed the dog’s belly swelling with a litter of puppies. 

With the monsoon season approaching, Mazi, like everyone else in Ajmer, prepared.  She had an ample supply of candles and oil lamps, knowing that electricity would often be turned off during the heavy rains. That summer the rains were especially torrential. On July 19, when the water reached flood proportions, Mazi, her son, and her mom climbed the stairs of their one-story home to the roof.  As the sky darkened and the rain poured, they watched as cattle and furniture rushed by in a massive, muddy river. 

“Suddenly, I noticed a dog - that dog – standing precariously on the wall that surrounded our house.  It was as if my heart burst open,” she said.  “I had to save her.” 

Strength came in the form of determination, and it rose within Mazi, like the water rising around her. Without hesitation, Mazi worked her way down the stairs and through the house. Pushing through chest-high water, hardly able to see in the darkness, Mazi finally reached the front door.  There, with a mixture of resolve and physical strength, she forced the door open and pressed on through the floodwater to the wall.   Despite the pressure of the water, Mazi stood steadily and lifted the dog from the wall. And then, she turned around and repeated the whole grueling effort…in reverse: back to the door, through the house, and up to the roof, while holding the dog.

“I continue to be amazed at the enormous physical strength and strength of purpose that filled me that day,” Mazi said, “especially since I didn’t know how to swim.  But, I loved that little dog.  And I was so afraid she would be swept away before I could reach her. Since then I have always known: I have strength!”

Mazi continued, “Up until then, I never saw myself as a strong person.  Although, I realize now that I probably used strength in many small ways over the years as I was growing up without being aware of it.” 

            Mazi’s story led me to ask a question: Haven’t we all summoned strength to meet many challenges, large and small, from the time we were born?  

In her book, Still Woman Enough, Loretta Lynn says, “When you look back over your life and see how much you’ve had to face, and how you’ve dealt with it, it’s interesting to try and pinpoint the first time you faced something that might tear you apart. The first time you had to reach inside yourself and pull out strength you didn’t know you had, strength that hadn’t even been needed until then.” 

Sometimes strength rushes in with full force, as it did for Mazi in the flood. Other times, it trickles in slowly and may go unnoticed until it builds to a steady flow.  

Any one of our memories of using strength can serve as a touchstone for us, a reminder that we always have access to a wellspring of strength.  

As Sanibel Island recovers slowly but steadily from the devastation of Hurricane Ian, along with praying, holding hope, and visualizing Sanibel restored, I am sharing stories written and published before the fierce storm. Photo of the Day is among my favorites because it helps me to appreciate every day - no matter where I am and what is happening - and to take nothing for granted. I also love sharing my memory of this particular day along with the simple but profound and effective practice I learned from my brother.

“Sense the blessings of the earth in the perfect arc of a ripe tangerine, the taste of warm, fresh bread, the circling flight of birds, the lavender color of the sky shining in a late afternoon rain puddle…” - Jack Kornfield

The position of the sun tells me it’s well past noon and my body tells me it’s time to leave the blaze of the beach. I look forward to walking through the cool comfort of the garden on the way to our condo for a light midday meal.

After each long stretch of floating and bobbing in the waves of the warm gulf water this morning, my husband and I rested in the shade under our canopy. The beach is lined with them today. In both directions, as far as the eye can see, tents, umbrellas, and canopies like ours stand side-to-side like festival vendors. I’ve never seen this beach this busy, but then again, until now, we’ve never been here for the 4th of July week.

I push myself up from the lounger, brush my swimsuit, shake my towel, and trudge through the sand to the wooden bridge that arches over a natural growth area. I slip into my flip flops and start across. At the apex I pause to take in the scene as Frank continues onward. In both directions, east and west, bridge after bridge provides safe crossing over the ribbon of wild vegetation that protects the coast from unusually high tides and storm surges. Nearby I spot a marsh bunny in a cluster of sea grapes. Two monarchs flutter around beach daisies. I imagine there are snakes in the thicket. None on this island are poisonous. But, still. I would not want to walk through this area where I also see prickly plants I have not yet identified.

Sweaty, sticky, salty and sandy, I’m ready for a shower, so I move along. At the end of the bridge, muhly grass welcomes me onto the start of the tamed area of the grounds. Whether it’s brown or pink in bloom, the light and feathery muhly grass tickles my joy. A little further on, by the pool I rinse off at the outdoor shower. 

My thoughts turn to lunch. A perfectly ripe tomato, a ball of fresh mozzarella, and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil await us. But there’s still the cool garden to enjoy so I slow my pace when I step into the canopy of tall trees. A woman ahead of me hurries along the pathway. It appears that her awareness is not in the present moment.

I choose not to judge or assume anything about her. Often, I am not in the here and now myself, even after many “smell the roses” life lessons, including two bouts of cancer and three near death experiences. There have been times of experiencing amazing grace and moments of feeling At-One. Usually such moments are short-lived but impactful, like my encounter with the Black Swallowtails here.

Synchronicities. I believe we’ve all had them, at least one. Mini-miracles. Maybe a major miracle. Life-guiding lessons. Sometimes we miss them entirely. Luckily, there’ll be more. We’re all given opportunities to see beyond our ordinary vision. Every ordinary day we can see life with reverence and wonder.

I detour through the herb garden. There, with gratitude for simple pleasures, I pick sweet basil and oregano for our caprese salad.

When I arrive at our condo, I find Frank drizzling oil on the tomato and fresh mozzarella slices he’s already cut and arranged. I wash and add the basil and oregano leaves and we carry our plates out to the lanai. The overhead slowly spinning fan moves just enough air to complement the gulf breeze. Fragrance from three plumeria blossoms floating in a small glass bowl delights me. Before we eat, I savor and honor this sensually-sweet moment by imitating something my brother does. I snap a picture with my phone camera and declare the tabletop scene, my “photo of the day.”

About 10 years ago, my brother, Keith, started what he calls his “photo of the day practice.” One day he suddenly felt, for no apparent reason, a deep grief for the months and years of his life passed so far. So many moments. So many forgotten. He wondered how many were still ahead for him. It was not his birthday, nor had he experienced an accident or illness. His epiphany was not as much about facing his mortality as it was realizing that he has been taking his precious life for granted. He decided to change that.  An idea came to him: every day he would take one photo in a purposeful way. He would pause, savor a moment, and honor it by capturing it. I was moved when he told me about this and took up the practice myself. We share photos at times. Some feature typical subjects - a stunning sunset, a flower in bloom, a pet at play. But many more depict the seemingly mundane moments of life. Keith’s include a sunny egg frying in a pan, a just-poured glass of beer, and water flowing from a shower head. It’s not about waiting for peak experiences; it’s about appreciating ordinary moments.

Of course, there really are no ordinary moments. They’re all magnificent. But we don’t usually see life this way unless some significant change shakes us up. This “photo of the day” practice helps perpetuate the experience of reverence. Cultivating the habit of watchfulness for simple-yet-sacred moments can lead us to see many more of them.

Today a few flower blossoms, fresh-picked herbs, and a gentle breeze comprise this magnificent moment for me.

#SanibelIsland #PhotooftheDay #Mindfulness #innerpeace #CharleneCostanzo #thetwelvegifts #thetwelvegiftsfromthegarden #MangoPublications #capresesalad #herbbgardens #hurricaneIan #hope

Whatever you do, always give 100%, unless you're donating blood." - Bill Murray

Haha. This quote is funny. But it is also wise.

In an unintentional way, Bill Murray's humorous quote carries good advice.

It's a positive and promising thing to be all in. But when we are giving a full commitment of ourselves to someone or something, we must safeguard our life energy resources for our own health and well-being. I experienced this more than 20 years ago but it wasn’t until a few days ago, as I was posting the Bill Murray quote on my social pages, that I had an ah-ha epiphany about it.

I was body, mind, heart and soul all in to something that I loved doing, but, in a way, it was like donating 100% of my blood. Without realizing what was happening, over the course of a year, I was allowing my life force to be drained. At the end of the work I felt full of joy but completely emptied of energy. I was also diagnosed with an advanced cancer at that time. It was a form of lymphoma that had no cure. No wonder I was so tired.

From July 1999 to July 2000 my husband, Frank, and I lived full time in a motor home, traveling throughout the lower 48 states, then flew to Alaska. Frank named that adventure “The Polished Stone Tour.” Everywhere we went, I offered a polished stone to every child and adult we encountered. Considering all the schools, shelters, recovery centers, residential homes for children, churches, bookstores, and libraries, along with a few hospitals and prisons, I gave away more than a ton of stones.

The main purpose of the tour was not to spread stones across America like Johnny Appleseed spread apples, but to spread awareness of the gifts and talents we all have. I did that by reading the 500-word story in my first book, The Twelve Gifts of Birth. and discussing the message in the wide variety of places named above.

The polished stones were meant to be keepsake reminders of the message of The Twelve Gifts, our time together, and the gifts within each of us, especially when we feel unworthy or worthless, like a plain rock. Inside, like the polished stones, we too have strength, beauty, and value. Like the stones, sometimes, we too, get tumbled by life. But we can keep ourselves well polished when we nurture our inner strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence wisdom, love, and faith.

Frank and I certainly used all our resources and gifts to plan and do the tour. Forty miles into the 40,000 mile trip we got a flat tire. There were many challenges. The balancing jacks came down from the RV’s undercarriage while we were driving. We got them stopped just in time before they hit the road while we were still moving. Low clearance bridges forced detours. On our way to Salt Lake City, on the day of the first recorded tornado to hit the city, high winds ripped away one of our awnings. Pipes froze during a cold night in West Virginia. Water leaked through the roof onto a computer during a heavy rainstorm, destroying data. Email and phone service was spotty and undependable in those early days of cellular technology. Forwarded snail mail got lost.

Creating a schedule was hard. Following it was harder. Days were long. TV interviews were on early morning shows. Radio interviews were at various times. But I had to be sure to have dependable phone service for them. Mornings and afternoons were filled with visits to schools, shelters, and others community facilities. Bookstore events started at 7 p.m. Many times we did not get situated, hooked up, and in bed until after 11 p.m. Then, all too often - because campgrounds are often near railroad tracks - the roar, whistle, and thundering vibration of passing trains caused sleep-interrupted nights.

Fortunately, we were safe and could usually laugh at the adventure of it all. Always, the positives outweighed the negatives. Many other nights, when we were able to camp away from populated areas, we gazed at star-studded skies and pondered our place in it all. We appreciated the diverse landscape of America the Beautiful as we drove from place to place, crossing mountains, rivers, plains, and prairies. We appreciated the diversity of our American people too and how, in all regions, we connected in warm, heartfelt conversations about The Twelve Gifts and what we wish for our children.

Yes, it was challenging; strenuous; eye-opening; physically straining and emotionally-draining-yet-fulfilling. It was wondrous, exciting, and joyful. Actually it was among the most satisfying and miraculous times of my life.

Although we met thousands of people, I remember some of them very distinctly. I still have, pressed in a book, the four-leaf clover an eight-year-old boy gave me to wish me luck to do what I was doing. I still have a clear memory of the children, who, when asked which of the twelve gifts were most important to them, answered “the kindness one.” They couldn’t remember the word compassion but their hearts knew a lot.

Even though I was exhausted and had a serious cancer at the end of the tour, I would do it again. But this time I’d do it more slowly and with more rest. I’d do a better job of staying in touch with many many of the people we met. Along with discussing how we recognize our gifts, sharing stories about how we use them, and exploring how we can better bring them into all areas of our lives, I would encourage us to be kind to ourselves and one another. And when we give caring help to causes and to one another, that we take good care of ourselves too.

No matter who we are, where we live, what we look like, the circumstances of our birth, or the situations we face; each of us has gifts within us. Strength, beauty, courage, compassion, hope, joy, talent, imagination, reverence, wisdom, love and faith are among them. They are not like material presents we unwrap and hold in our hands. We can’t see these gifts with our eyes. But they are real and powerful. When we open ourselves to them, they can enrich every aspect of our lives. They can help us transform challenges into opportunities and tragedies into triumphs. They can help us make a difference in the world.

I had come to believe this with all my heart. It is the essence of my first book, The Twelve Gifts of Birth. My belief in its message was so strong that it led me, with my husband, to self-publish the book, move into a motor home and travel the country to read the short story in schools, shelters, bookstores, churches, hospitals and prisons. My belief was reinforced every time I saw resonance in the eyes of those who heard it.

Then one day in Alaska, at the last stop of our tour in 2000, I stroked my throat, touched a lump, and felt a chill.
I was diagnosed with two forms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, one for which present-day medicine says there is no cure. Although death was not imminent, it seemed close. For several days, I felt frozen with fear, betrayed. I wondered if I would experience peace and joy again.

The disease led me to examine my life, my lifestyle, and my convictions.
Prior to starting chemotherapy, my oncologist said, “This is a time to call upon strength. Do what makes you strong.”

His words caused me to consider what I had written in The Twelve Gifts of Birth. About strength I had said, “May you remember to call upon it whenever you need it.” I had offered that advice to others. Could I heed it now? Was strength fully available to me? Could I summon it? How?

About hope I had written, “Through each passage and season may you trust the goodness of life.” Could I trust in the midst of this crisis?

While undergoing chemotherapy, I explored many complementary therapies. How might I help my body return to wholeness? I prayed for guidance. This “healing place” story and the twelve blessings in this book were among the answers I received. “Use your gifts,” wisdom whispered, “Especially love.” I understood that, besides releasing cancer cells, I needed to heal on other levels. Using love, I needed to release hatred of the aberrant cells. Using compassion, I needed to release regrets and resentments. Using hope, I needed to release fear. I needed to open my heart to all that I was experiencing. Everyday, the gift of imagination helped me visualize harmony being restored among the trillions of cells in my body.
It was not an easy time. I would not have consciously chosen cancer as a teacher, but I now appreciate the valuable lessons it offered. Cancer led me to look deeper and to understand that our inherent gifts do indeed have healing power. They can help us heal ourselves, one another, and the world. Accessing them begins with willingness. Gratitude increases their flow.

I hope that this story and Mater’s blessings will encourage you to become more aware of your gifts and to help others to see theirs. For are we not all on a healing journey?

I wrote the above Afterword for The Twelve Gifts for Healing, which was published in 2004. I’m posting this as a blog in 2022 because, individually and together, we are very much on a journey now. And it involves healing. Many kinds of healing.

I pray that as we make our way through the present clouds of confusion, we use wisdom - and all the gifts within us - to take paths that lead us to higher ground, where we can see beauty, goodness, and solutions to problems more clearly. There, we can find common ground, which is very much a healing place. A place where well-being is restored. And peace can be found.

Along the way, healings happen little-by-little every time we reach into our hearts for courage because ripples of compassion come along. Streams of love and hope follow. Fears begin to wash away. And we are closer to healthy harmony.

We can take steps toward that healing place now by using our gift of imagination to see good things ahead. We can visualize kindness, and harmony among us. And, of course, we can act kindly, with warmth and smiles. Faith too.

With much love,
Charlene Costanzo

"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."
- Winston Churchill

Honor. This word does represent something simple yet great. It's also the guiding principle and theme of this day.

Memorial Day is meant to honor all Americans who died in service to our country. It seems to me that it's also a day to appreciate honor itself as well as a time to renew honor.

I always honor my dad on this day. He was not among those who lost their lives during WW II, but he was among the critically wounded. He was shot in the chest while marching through the Hurtgen forest in Germany. The bullet missed his heart, but it lodged dangerously next to it. Fortunately, he survived the wounding and the surgery that removed the bullet. The word "honor" comes to mind whenever I recall my dad speaking about military service and serving the greater good, as well as when he displayed his Purple Heart with gratitude and pride.

I was also proud of the way he treated people honorably, with respect and kindness.

On this patriotic day, I find myself yearning for more honor, honor in all its meanings, including: high respect, adherence to what is right, fulfilling obligations, and keeping one's word.

I believe we need to cultivate honor, not just today, not just on holidays and holy days, but every day.

So, my wish, my prayer, is this:
May we foster honor among us.
May we communicate honorably.
May we find common ground honorably.
May we live honorably.

George Washington put it this way: "I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man." An honorable man.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and meaningful Memorial Day.

With reverence,
Charlene

"Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor." - Rumi

Half Empty, Half Full, or Something Different?                         

Do you tend to see life as for you or against you? Do you consider the glass half full or half empty?

But there’s another perspective. Consider that the glass is actually full, because it is: half with air and half with water. This is not just a clever, trick answer. Nor is it naïve.

Consider the value of air. Like water, it’s needed to survive. In the usual perspective of this popular saying, the top portion of the glass is seen as empty. But something unseen is always present in that space.

We can use this perspective as a touchstone for remembering that, like air, we can’t see inner strength, beauty, courage, wisdom, hope or love, or any of the powerful resources within us. But they exist.

We can also choose to see life as fully with us, guiding us through every lesson toward healing, understanding, and growth.  If this feels like a stretch for you: Stretch! Make a little room for the possibility that life really is working in your favor. Consider using affirmations and daily meditation. And watch what happens.

With faith, 
Charlene

Half Empty, Half Full, or Something Else?  

from Touchstones: Stories for Living The Twelve Gifts -Reprinted with permission

Penny phoned from Oklahoma to share her story. For 20 years, while raising her children and managing her husband’s office, she felt there was something more she was supposed to do with her life. Like many adult men and women, she joked, “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”  

One day Penny overheard someone ask her teenage daughter, “What does your mom do?”

“She runs,” her daughter answered.

“She’s a professional runner?” the acquaintance asked.

“Oh, no,” her daughter laughed. “She runs stuff. She runs my dad’s business. She runs our home. She runs me around. She runs everything.”

That was a wake-up call for Penny, nudging her to find her something more. 

Penny spent months researching, reflecting, and praying for guidance. Her search for direction included going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There, she had an epiphany. For years, whenever Penny heard complaints about the weather, the economy, and the limited opportunities in her hometown of Muskogee, Oklahoma, she wished someone would help people appreciate the richness of their heartland community. In Jerusalem, Penny heard an inner voice say, Why not you, Penny? Everywhere is holy land. Penny decided to go home and do what she had wanted someone to do.

Even though she had no training or experience in television, Penny felt led to produce and host a morning show that would feature the talent, beauty, and strength–the gifts–of local residents. After writing a business plan, she met with a banker who gave her a litany of reasons why her inspirational, Oprah-like show would fail. He then stood to signal the end of the meeting and said, “I hope I have deterred you, Penny, because you won’t last a week.”

Choking back tears, Penny responded, “On the contrary. You have convinced me:  I absolutely need to do this!” 

So, Penny went ahead, funding the show herself, while she built advertising support to cover the expenses, which she kept to a minimum. She encountered many obstacles along the way and conceded that the banker was right… about some things. She was naïve; she made mistakes. But, she also learned.  

“Most importantly, I learned how to tap into courage in order to be myself,” she said.  

According to Penny, her first taped shows were awful. “I was stiff and fake, trying to be like Oprah.” But, when Penny did her first live show, she spoke from her heart and discovered the power of being herself.

One day, a jazz band was among her guests. Ten minutes before the show, in a moment alone, Penny heard a song forming in her mind–I’ve got the positive bluuuuues…  I see the glass half fullll–and she laughed. A moment later, an inner voice said, Sing it on air, Penny. She had not sung out loud in front of others since she was a child. In fact, Penny confessed that whenever she sang in church, she did it softly, so she wouldn’t be heard by those around her. 

Disregarding her past resistance to singing in public, Penny told the band about the song and asked if they would give her back up.

“We’re with you, Penny. Go for it!” they urged.

The show started. Penny planned to introduce the song after the break. But during that break, she felt a twinge of fear.  So did her husband. In fact, he was so afraid she would embarrass herself, that he left the studio.  His reaction led her to question herself.  

I have a terrible singing voice.  What am I thinking?

“In the past I would not have taken the risk,” Penny said. “And I almost didn’t. But suddenly I knew: I have to ignore the fear!”

In spite of her apprehensions, Penny did sing on air that day. She pushed through the fear. And when she did, she took another huge step on her hero’s journey in reclaiming her voice… this time quite literally. 

As we ended that telephone conversation, Penny summed up her perspective on courage in a way that touched upon nearly all The Twelve Gifts.  

“Each of us is a magnificent creation,” she said. “But we’re all so afraid to let people see who we really are. How often do we discourage one another, instead of celebrating our efforts? How often do we turn away from watching an awkward child dance? How often do we avoid eye contact when a person speaks nervously? Who said we have to have pretty voices to sing? In heaven, all our voices sound beautiful!”    

Penny’s TV show aired for three years. Although the program never earned money for Penny, it provided enormous profit to her and to the community, as the richness of Muskogee was celebrated, just as Penny had wished someone would do.  #     

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." - Thich Nhat Hanh

That's a good reason.

"Smiling is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart," says Anthony J. D'Angelo. And smiling opens our own heart too. Two more good reasons.

Offering a smile to someone is like doing a good deed suggests businesswoman Shari Arison. When we consider the health benefits of smiling, we see that smiling is doing a good deed for ourselves too. Smiling lowers blood pressure, strengthens our immune systems, and makes us look younger.

I especially like one of the reasons that Mother Teresa gave:

"Peace begins with a smile," she said.

There are many other reasons, but for today, let's smile for health, joy, heart-openings, and peace. And for showing delight and encouraging reverence for nature's wonders and for all the animals that share planet Earth with us, let's smile and pray.

With love,
Charlene

After three years of keeping cancer at bay, the growth of leukemia cells in my mom’s body began to increase rapidly. When an infection took hold too, my mom was admitted to the hospital. I flew from Arizona to New Jersey to be with her.

Whenever I recall a particular walk with her, I see her wearing her favorite pink sweater. I can almost feel her hand and arm resting on my arm for support. With her right hand she pushed her IV pole. Slowly, with small steps, we made our way around the corridor, pausing at each room. When a patient made eye contact, my mom smiled and said, “Hello.” At the doorway of each sleeping patient, she let go of the IV pole and offered a little sign-of-the-cross blessing with her hand.

At the nurses’ station, Mom stopped and thanked everyone for their care. Upon returning to her room, I helped my mom back into bed. As her head touched the pillow, she was asleep.

Sinking into the comfortable lounger next to Mom’s bed, I noticed the soft rays of September sunlight cascading across her body. Through the opened window, I heard the laughter of children and the drone of a distant lawn mower. I breathed in the fragrance of fresh cut grass. Somehow, despite my mother nearing death, everything seemed right and beautiful in the world.

Instead of opening the book in my lap and reading to pass the time, I simply sat in what felt like a sacred moment.

Suddenly, in that state of peace, I heard in my body: What you do with your time and talent is critically important. Pay attention. And I knew that meant that Someday had arrived for me and that those guiding words are true for you, for everyone.

Might your Someday be now?

More to come.

With love,
Charlene

Like wheat whispering in the wind, many of us murmur “Someday. Someday.” about acting on a dream until we realize that someday has arrived.

I was sitting next to my mom’s hospital bed when I heard these exact words: “What you do with your time and talent is critically important. Pay attention.”

I didn’t hear these words with my ears. I somehow “heard” them inside my body. When I did, I understood two things.

First, I knew that “someday” had arrived. For me. It was time for me to act. For 10 years I had been yearning to publish the book I had written for my daughters. And for 10 years, I had been saying, “Someday. Someday.”

The second thing I felt was that this is true for all of us. What we each do with the time and talent we’ve been given is critically important. Please pay attention.

Have you been saying “Someday” about a dream you hold? About anything?

Before I describe the profound circumstance in which I heard this message and share what I did, I’d like to encourage you to think about this message for yourself.

If you heard the words: “What you do with your time and talent is critically important. Pay attention,” what would this mean to you? How would you feel? What might you do?

More to come.

With love,
Charlene

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea. ”

— ISAK DINESEN

Along with a well earned sweat, a good cry, and a soak in the sea, I find wind healing, especially when it's blowing hard against my body and through my hair as I walk barefoot along the shoreline.

When I do, it seems to me that the wind is actually blowing through me and clearing away stuck stuff. Have you ever felt that?

It gets even better when I can add garden walks in the mix with the wind and the sea.

Where do you find healing power?

The real thing is best. But the next best is a virtual, imagined experience.

If the elements I describe sound soothing, appealing, and healing to you, please consider reading The Twelve Gifts from the Garden if you have not already done so. Or read it again.

Let yourself feel transported into the tropical botanical garden that is alongside the sea on Sanibel Island.

Use your imagination to feel wind and gentle breezes. Breathe in the floral scents. Notice the sound of bamboo swishing and knocking. Sit on a bench and listen to nature's music. Let your eyes feast on the beauty of the dappled light rays that seem to dance in rhythm with the bamboo percussion performance. Feel the warmth of the sun's glow on your face and shoulders.

Several stories take place on the beach and in the gulf water. Read "What My Toes Find" and be amazed, as I was.

Whether it's this destination, a hike on the Appalachian Trail, a Mediterranean cruise, or a ski retreat, go somewhere in your imagination, someplace healing, someplace you love. And nurture your health, hope, and well-being.

With love and imagination,
Charlene

PS - The seascape featured here is the beach alongside the botanical garden at Sanibel Moorings on Florida’s Sanibel Island.

THE EIGHTH GIFT IS IMAGINATION. May it nourish your visions and dreams. - from The Twelve Gifts of Birth, celebrating 20 years 

“I think that inside every adult is the heart of a child. ”

— SHIGERU MIYAMOTO

Have you ever felt comforted and encouraged after seeing hearts in unlikely places?

Hearts have a way of appearing anywhere and everywhere, including cloud formations, burnt toast, patches of dog fur, and pony faces. In fact, there are greeting cards and posters featuring such hearts. And there are stories about grief softened and hurts healed by heart-art, especially hearts found in nature.

Yesterday morning I spotted a heart on a frosted window in my home. Through a small section of heart-shaped clear glass in the lower right corner of the window, I saw garden greenery. The rest of the window was opaque. The sight stirred me to child-like delight and a sense of increased hope.

I then remembered hearing about a school program that began with students photographing hearts for Valentine's Day. Collecting heart pictures led to the students giving their images to others and on to giving from their hearts by helping one another and being kind. They called it "Giving Heart."

Like Shigeru Miyamoto, I believe that inside every one of us is the heart of a child - the child we once were. And the love in our child heart naturally wants to share, be kind, forgive, and give.

Let's not wait for Valentine's Day - or any other occasion or reason - to look for hearts and to give from our hearts. Let’s give today, now.

With love,

Charlene

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”

— HENRY JAMES

Whenever I read The Twelve Gifts of Birth to groups of young children, upon completing the story, I ask, “What gift seems most important to you? Do you have a favorite one?”

While every gift gets at least one vote, compassion is often the gift that most children choose. But they call it by another name. Can you guess what they say? 

Many of the young children are not yet familiar with the word “compassion.” However, their hearts understand its meaning and importance. That must be why, again and again, time after time, I’ve heard children say, “The kindness one." 

The kindness one. May that be the gift we use most throughout this day and through the New Year.

With love,
Charlene