today is the day to show appreciation...(an action post.)

today is the day to show appreciation...to someone you love

Jennifer really likes to bake.  On a rainy Saturday afternoon, she would often find herself baking her grandmother’s famous raisin bread.  When the weather turned cold, chili was her favorite.  She loved the way that the ingredients all poured in, not making much sense, but after spending being nestled together, it was as if they had shared secrets and stories as they swirled in the bowl together.  On this particular day, it was getting warmer. 

This seemed like a blueberry muffin kind of day. 

She had frozen fresh blueberries from her trip last summer to North Carolina with her parents and sister that she was certain were calling to her from their new home in the cold.  She turned on soft jazz music, pulled out her well-worn blueberry recipe, dug for the blueberries in the deep freeze and managed to sit everything else she needed on the counter by the kitchen window.  Her mind drifted as she stirred the ingredients.  She thought about squatting in the hot sun picking blueberries off of bushes twice her size on the Smith Family Farm. 

It was tradition for her family to pick the biggest, sweetest, most brightly colored blueberries they could find.  Mr. Smith always encouraged them to eat all they could as they filled the buckets with fruit and memories.  And then she saw her parents’ faces.  Did’t they always seem younger to her when they were on that farm?  Jennifer supposed it was because her parents had been kids on this farm themselves.  They never tired telling the story of how they met, how they teased each other, grew up and married. 

And Jennifer never tired of hearing that story.

Watching them this last year, Jennifer thought to herself how much wanted, and still wants, a piece of what they have.  She has always admired the way that they work through every thing, every day, together and how they have been so good at sharing with their kids and creating traditions and memories. 

A lifetime of experiences clouded her head and she suddenly felt like she wanted more.

When the muffins went in the oven, she found herself sitting on the family room floor flipping through photos of the last twenty-some summers in North Carolina and settling on a great picture of her parents holding hands when they were about 17.  She made a copy of the photo and while it was printing, she pulled out a piece of paper and started writing a note.  It began with the words “My favorite things about my parents” and she wrote and wrote until she heard the timer going off in the kitchen some twenty minutes later. 

She pulled out a deep wicker basket and lined it with a linen napkin, gently placing the muffins inside, with the note and photo on top. She pulled on her jacket, grabbed her car keys and soon she and the basket were in the car heading to her parents’ house. It wasn’t their anniversary or a birthday or any holiday for that matter. 

This visit was out of pure love and an opportunity for Jennifer to thank her parents for bringing such joy and hope and meaning to her life. 

She was especially proud of the card.  It was the most simple of the three to make, but she knew that she had put the most care in the words that she had written.  And the last couple of lines, they were her favorite.  They read “And lastly, I cherish the way that you show other people what love looks like.  It gives the rest of us something to live up to and something to be a part of.  Thank you for my life and your influence in it.  Love, Jenn”

Jenn placed the basket on the front steps and drove away.  She dialed her parents’ phone number.  When her mother answered, she simply said, “Mom, I left you something on the front porch.”  “Well, Honey, why didn’t you come in?”  “I don’t know.  It just felt right to leave it for Dad and you to enjoy alone."

"Besides, I have muffins to bake,” she smiled as she said it. 

 ~ today is the day...for you ~

Today is the day for you to show someone else how much you appreciate them. 

It can be something so very simple or you can go all out.  That, my friend, is up to you.

~ choose someone special ~
Who has made a significant impact on your life?

Your parents? A mentor? A co-worker or boss? An uncle or aunt? A neighbor? Your children?

 Pick one of these important people & think about what you can do to show your appreciation in a way that is unique & meaningful for them.

~ a few ways to shop appreciation ~
Send a letter or card

it can be touching or funny, but no matter what, it must be sincere and by the way, text messages and emails don’t count!

Make something special

maybe paint a ceramic piece at a local art shop, paint on canvas, carve a piece of wood

Do a chore for this person

take out their trash, clean their house, wash their car, cut their lawn, weed their garden

Take your special someone to lunch or dinner

pick a restaurant with meaning, some place you have created a memory together...and do it again

Make sure to include something in writing that

will become a wonderful reminder of this gift forever. 

I hope that you'll become a part of this experience & decide to follow today is the day

as we take our best of intentions & put them into motion to see what big difference our little actions can make together! 

Feel free to post your experience here or email me at tinaattodayistheday@gmail.com.

Don't wait too long. After all...today is the day!