Dear Lily June,
At the risk of appropriating your mother’s salutation for her own online letters to you, just let me say that I’m responding in a humble way to her request for letters – letters to be addressed to you, in honour of your upcoming first birthday.
Of course, I wish a big Happy Birthday to you on your very First, on May 13th, 2016! (Well, technically it’s the anniversary of your First Birth Day, but let’s not quibble. 😉 ) I’ve no doubt you will have a fabulous day, surrounded with love and maybe even great new toys! Okay, I’m not sure about the toys part, but I’m absolutely POSITIVE about the love part.
Because, dear Lily June – as I’m sure it’s starting to dawn on your young consciousness by now – your parents absolutely adore you. Of that, you can be sure.
So what additional wishes can I possibly add, sweet little girl? Just a couple of things my own parents taught me. Humour me!
Attitude, Lily. An attitude of gratitude. My dad used to have a sign on his dresser that said:
I cried because I had no shoes…
Until I met a man who had no feet.
I still remember that sign from sixty years ago. It doesn’t need belaboring.
Add to that my mom’s pervasive belief in the glass that’s half full. She could see the silver lining in a bucket of rust. One of her favourite sayings during tough times was: “This too shall pass.”
And everything passes, Lily. That is why we must savour every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second.
Soak up the love, sweet girl. Soak it all up, and give some back. It goes around, and it comes around. In the end, it’s all there is. ❤ ❤ ❤
~~~~
The beautiful blog, Dear Lily June, can be found here:
https://dearlilyjune.wordpress.com/about/
Lovely message! Wise and warm.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks! Her blog inspired me! 😊
LikeLike
Beautiful and very touching, Ellie!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much Eva!!
LikeLike
Ellie, I can’t begin to say how kind this is. I’ve been so buried–under work, under motherhood, under marriage, under house hunting, under a cloud of depression–that I’ve not been as good to you as you deserve, responding to every email and every post every time. Forgive me, I beg.
And in the meantime, know how very truly grateful I am that you took up my plea for Lily letters. I’ll be reblogging this on my page once I catch up with some of the ones that came in before it.
I can’t articulate how much I appreciate your nostalgia, your wit and your wisdom. What a gift, for my daughter to learn from you! Thank you!!!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Househunting on top of everything else! Hoo boy! Listen girl, just breathe! And you’ll get thru it I promise you! I have so much admiration for you, trying to do all that. Take it minute by minute, whenever you can… Be kind to yourSELF, don’t forget YOU. xoxoxoxo Love, Ellie
LikeLiked by 3 people
Love this
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Hannah! It’s easy when you’re inspired! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such wonderful words to live by! An attitude of gratitude is always best kept by remembering what others have in their own side of the fence.💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
“One of her favourite sayings during tough times was: “This too shall pass.”
And everything passes, Lily. That is why we must savour every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second.”
That’s one of my favorite sayings, too. This is such a sweet letter and such good advice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Lonna!
LikeLike
True words of wisdom! Your mom’s constant mantra, “This too shall pass”, is one that I am becoming more and more reliant upon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She would always tell me that it got her through the toughest times! (BTW did you read my post, “Different,” yet? Have a look.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s an excellent ‘mantra’ because everything must pass…eventually.
I’ll be heading over shortly to read different 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this Ellie… especially ‘this too shall pass’.
I learned it from my utterly beloved grandson when he was nine. He told me he’d heard the Mayor ( much disliked) give a speech when he was with his mother and my grandson said “I learned from him something really important, Grannie – this too shall pass!!”
Out of the mouth…
I love reading about love, and this was just that …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Valerie. Thanks to my mom! ❤️
LikeLike
Oh, and I meant to say Yay for your grandson! He’s got both brains and heart!!
LikeLike
Thank you Ellie he has. He’s 25 now, has a degree in philosophy and then a masters in science. and is now working on research to find new anti-biotics. I love him to bits !!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do I smell a Nobel Prize comin’ on? 🙂 ❤
LikeLike
Well, now that you mention it !!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person