Joy

Fill Your Hope Chest

Jeanna G2 Comments

Mom loved to redecorate, and rehab and rearrange the furniture, but her hope chest was one of the few pieces of furniture that was a fixture. It held our baby books, handmade family quilts and afghans, and her good silver. It wasn’t until I read a novel that described a woman’s hope chest that I actually put a meaning to the name. I just thought of it as a pretty storage trunk, but hope chests were essentially the beginning of a collection of things a woman would want to have once she became a wife, like a gown, dishes, table and bed linens, or family heirlooms. Women were manifesting their futures with a tangible vision board. If I build it, he will come. 

As for myself, my hope chest wouldn’t be filled with plates and silverware. It would have my passport and a carry-on,  packed and ready to go anywhere, at any time of year. There’d also be some of my daughter’s onsies that I saved, in hopes of seeing them on my granddaughter one day.

Hope and wait, hope and wait. 

The season of advent shares this theme, as Christians wait for the hope-filled arrival of Jesus. Many also hope for the arrival of Santa and whatever he’s got in his bag. Some of us are hoping and waiting for a fresh start in the new year. We hope and wait for a proposal, a job offer, an invitation, or an approval. We hope and wait for a letter or a phone call, or for someone to come back home. Some of us hope things stay the same, and some hope for change.

What I hope is that you hope for something; that you are filling your hope chest with beautiful designs for the future, and that peace, love, and joy surround you while you wait. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nourishing Nostalgia

Jeanna GLeave a comment

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

Ahhh, food. One of my favorite topics. I live to eat and I eat to live. Comfort food, health food, leftovers, gourmet menus, international cuisine, a la carte and fixed price…I love it all.

And when did this love of food begin? My birthday. It was the one day each year when I could decide what the family would eat for dinner. And what did I choose? Lasagne and cheesecake. Every year.

So many more foods are a recipe for nostalgia. My Grandma Fyfe’s chocolate chip cookies in a coffee tin make me feel as though nothing could be wrong with the world, just like they did back then. Ice cream sundaes channel tv time with my dad. Eggplant Parms remind me of my hardworking mom, because that’s what my dad and I shared when we visited the restaurant during her shift. Macintosh apples and cheddar slices were shared after we picked a bushel in the fall. Chinese and champagne ring in the New Year. NY Deli bagels and chicken cutlet sandwiches are enough to persuade me to move back north. Late night microwaveable mac and cheese was always shared with my sister after a night on the town. Now she makes homemade, but she and I will always remember our roots. Shrimp cocktail, olives, and ham crisps usher in every holiday gathering. Peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and fluff, peanut butter and pickles… all labeled with my initials on a piece of masking tape that I’d shove in my backpack on the way to catch the school bus. My Uncle’s pea pancake surprises, my Aunt’s fruit Jell-O “delight,” my friend’s mom’s peanut butter fudge…

Well, I think it’s safe to say that if I ever run out of ideas for my blog about childhood, I’ve found my next theme!

Worth the Practice

Jeanna GLeave a comment

How important is spirituality in your life?

Spirituality plays a large role in my daily living and thinking. I don’t pencil “Practice Spirituality” onto my to-do list because it has become a natural part of who I am. Yes, I am a Christian, and I pray daily and go to church regularly. However, this is not all of what spirituality means to me.

I believe spirituality has to do with why I live my life the way I do. What do I think my purpose is, and how do I live to achieve it? In the search for the meaning of life, what choices am I making that are guiding me to the answer I hope to find?

Spiritual wellness also means feeling joy. What do I do to feel alive deep in my soul? I listen to music that gives me chills. I spend time in community to share in the joy of others. I watch sports because I love to cheer and celebrate the accomplishments of those who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into achieving a goal. I read books and view works of art so that I can gain new perspectives and learn to appreciate new things. And I spend time with my pets because they remind me that happiness can be as easy as a back scratch, a treat, and a nap.

Now if only I could practice meditation without grocery list distraction!