month of beauty: day one

I posted this on my friend Jennifer's Facebook wall tonight—a quote from her blog, with a little note.

"…my role is to love: to love my son and husband, to love my family, to treat my friendships with reverence, to take the best care of myself that I can, and to live with the biggest heart possible…"  

Thank you, Jennifer.  

And in your loving "what is," you helped (and still help) us notice & celebrate the beauty in our every day, even when it seems quite small. 

Do you remember the other blogpost Jenn wrote, where friends sent in photos of beauty happening and she added them throughout the day?  

Well, I was thinking of it, and wondering how your day was going, all you lovely loved ones of Jenn, those she treated with such reverence. 

How has your day been? 
How ARE you? 
Are small pieces of beauty finding their way in? I do hope they are. :)

In writing these words, I realised Jennifer always made other people feel like they mattered. She made life matter. She treated not just her loved ones but her own life, her Everyday, as treasure. 

Here's the link to the other blog post where Jenn had her friends share their beauty. It's simple and so very very lovely. It is inspirational.

So, with Jennifer's spirit close, and her smile closer, I thought I might continue her tradition. 

Would you like to "beautify" with me?

Dear friends, dear readers, if you want to share a photo here of something beautiful to you, please send it to my blog email address (respectlovelearning@gmail.com). I'll post it here, and say where you are from. I'd love it if you joined me, in sharing something big or small that beautified your day. 

Here is mine…

(My girl off on her own. On a birdwatching talk we went on today, up ahead with the other eager adults,

 close to the leader who was pointing out bower birds, green catbirds, and spotted ducks. 

My once-timid girl was so captivated that she never noticed that we were nowhere near. )

Here is Leigh's…

Our beautiful flowers from the garden of Dennis and Little J

-Novato, California

Here is my girl's…

a Shmoo

-south coast town, Australia

Here is my boy's…

-south coast town, Australia

Here is Jan's…

-Berry, Australia




Here is Ingi's…

Make a birthday wish! 
-Ulladulla, Australia




Here is Christine's…

remote beach in NZ (last week)
-Sydney, Australia




Here is Eric's…

This is the view from my office window. I live in such a beautiful place, 
that even when I go to work, I can't escape (not that I'd want to of course). 
-Wollongong, Australia


Here is Keilee's

-Alabama, USA


∞

I love the gift of giving love, sharing beauty.

I want it—love, beauty—to keep growing, 

be

unstoppable, 

unbreakeable,

fill the Everyday up full.

I love the idea of 

all of us

trying to live with

the biggest hearts possible.