happy post-its!

Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Well, if that don’t stop ya in yer tracks, I don’t know what will. I read on another blog that this is a scary thought. I kind of think it’s uplifting in a way. I mean, a reminder of sorts to let your song out and a little post-it note to your soul saying, “you’re not the only one, Sweeheart.” Quiet desperation is universal, but opening up your heart and letting that song fly across the open space is quite nice as well.

I have spent more time than usual pondering these wise words as I struggle with the ins and outs of Cache Valley living. Trying to teach the kids to be free spirits while feeling a bit tied up in knots over not being what other people seem to need me to be has been a bit of a yoga routine for me as of late. But my dearest friend here in the Valley has this adorable little practice that I have adopted for myself. When something is not what she wants it to be, she writes the situation out on a piece of paper as if it were exactly as she would have it. Then she decorates it with rainbows and flowers and tapes it up someplace wher she can see it often. I know, I know. It sounds a bit too “the Secret” and I admit, that very fact makes my skin crawl but it really seems to workd for her. Seemingly hopeless situations have actually grown to match her colorful, doodled-on statement of life as it should be.

So I ponder, why does this work? My conclusion: when you let that desire out of your thoughts and put it out there, even if no one sees it but you, you are putting energy into the good that you want to make of the world and not just feeling bogged down by what just isn’t right.

I now have little reminders decorated with childlike marker flowers around the house to gently remind me to chill out. That I’m doing great. That the world is still spinning and love is there if you just reach out and grab it. In addition to my little happy thoughts on the wall, I have regular reflection meetings with that sweet doodling friend of mine as well as with Hannah Jane, where we discuss what we’ve been doing (in the community or within our family) that has worked, and how to tweek what hasn’t worked so it can grow into something more. As a result of those meetings, there is officially a small group of people who are planning neighborhood classes and about to begin training to be Jr. Youth animators.

Who knows how long we’ll be able to keep momentum, but I can say for sure that there will be lots of little happy notes on walls all around the valley and that at least a few people will be letting their songs loose.