Our summer 2023 adventure destination is Japan! Our entire family is going and I will be sharing and posting along the way. Join us as we spend 21 days in Japan appreciating the culture, food, and traditions of this magnificent country. Our journey begins next week in Tokyo and we'll be traveling all the way down to Osaka. I'll include tips on where to stay and places you must see. Stay tuned!
Last July when we moved into our new home our dear friends Rebekah and Ricardo brought us a beautiful, white orchid as a housewarming gift. I’m a plant junkie. I love all plants and flowers, pretty much anything green. But, orchids are magical flowers that I have never been able to keep alive. They are exquisite and delicate, and before last week, I thought they were too magical for me. I have never been able to successfully keep an orchid alive and once my orchid lost its blooms and withered to brown, I felt sad and disappointed that I wasn’t able to care for it in the way it deserved. I wasn’t able to maintain the magic.
I kept this dead orchid in my kitchen window at first out of remorse, but then I simply stopped noticing that it was dead. I forgot about it, really. This poor orchid was given no water, no attention, no time. It just stayed in the window near the light.
A couple of days ago while doing the dishes I glanced up and was shocked by what I saw. The dead orchid had bloomed! It was fabulous and had baby blooms ready to burst into life. It was absolutely beautiful in its symmetric complexity and unfolding. I was so excited I called my husband James over to see this magnificence. I wanted him to be in awe with me, and he was. I was puzzled trying to figure out how a dead orchid had been reborn out of nothing. Or was there always something and I just didn't notice?
The more I reflect on this magical orchid, the more I understand the lesson the universe gifted me. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking during this 49th year of my life and I honestly thought that some parts of myself, especially some parts of my youth, were officially gone, dead. Not in a sad, I want to kill myself way, but in a longing, nostalgic way of what was beautiful that will never be again.
This orchid made me question my assumption that certain parts of myself were truly dead. Maybe there are parts that we simply allow to go dormant, but they don't ever truly die. Maybe they just sit waiting, ready to bloom at the right time in the right light. Maybe the old stem had to die for the new one to be born.
As I sit here at my writing desk I feel a sense of excitement and optimism as I notice my new, 50 year-old stem coming to life within me. Right now it’s small and very green, but it’s there and I see it, and I don’t need to do a darn thing about it. I don’t need to force it. I don’t need to worry about it. All I need to do is know, with a deep unwavering knowing, that it is progressing as it should, when it should. No amount of “efforting” will make it grow faster. All it needs is from me is to let the light in.
And to bring this lesson home, last night my youngest Jaron pulled out a photo album and showed me a photo of my mom at 50. It was a picture of her 50th birthday party and Jaron thought it was funny that this photo popped out because I will be 50 this year. I sat and stared at my mother’s beautiful face, and for a second couldn’t believe she was then where I am now. And someday I will be where she is now. And I wondered what dormant stems within her never bloomed and which did.
I am hoping you too may recognize a dormant stem within that is waiting to bloom. Just get out of your own way and let the light in.
Trying to love every moment, and being ok when I don’t,
Jeanette
Cheers to never getting it done, and never worrying about getting it perfect.
The clock is ticking, and holiday break is only 4 days away for most of us. Next week is the last week of school, and If you’re a procrastinator like me, you’re just now working on buying gifts for your kids’ teachers. Every year I would agonize over what to get these incredible humans that do so much for our children.
I’m married to a teacher and have access to hundreds of teachers. I created a survey and asked teachers from all grade levels, “What gifts do you like to get for the holidays?” I requested that they be completely honest, and here's what I learned:
#1 Heartfelt Cards, Notes, and Letters
This, by far, was the number one gift idea listed by teachers (92%). Teachers work hard all year round to deliver lessons to our kids, and for the most part, they don’t get any thanks or recognition for all they do. Just think, when was the last time your kid told you, “Mom, I’m so grateful for everything you do for me.” Kids, for the most part, feel this way but are not usually verbally expressive when it comes to words of appreciation. Teachers love to hear how they are helping your child grow and become a better human, so let them know! The key to this one is to have your child write a card, note, or letter to their teacher and then you write one to them as well. Teachers reported becoming very emotional when reading these notes. Words of appreciation made them feel seen, appreciated, and valued. Take the time to sit down and pen a beautiful note, letter, or card. Keep it simple and from the heart.
#2 Handmade Gifts and homemade Treats
This one surprised me, but I get it. Teachers loved receiving personalized gifts and homemade treats. Personalized gifts mentioned included decorations for their classroom with teacher’s name on it, personalized coffee mug, and personalized stationary.
Teachers also mentioned they loved getting homemade treats such as holiday fudge, holiday cookies, baked goods, etc. One teacher mentioned she had a student whose family had a special doughnut recipe. She was touched that they included her in this family tradition and she said the doughnuts were delicious. The key with this one is homemade with love.
#3 Gift Cards
All teachers responded that they enjoyed getting gift cards. Gift cards are by the far the easiest item to gift and can be purchased virtually anywhere. Teachers particularly loved restaurant gift cards. The most common gift cards given to teachers by far are Starbucks gift cards. I asked, “Yay or nay on Starbucks?” 75% of teachers DID NOT like receiving Starbucks cards because they usually end up with only Starbucks gift cards. Gift a Starbucks card only if you know the teacher is a Starbucks fan. Most preferred store gift card was for Target because they can use these to purchase items for either their homes or their classrooms.
#4 Retail Gift
Buying teachers retail gifts can be tricky. As parents, we are the ones that do the purchasing, but it’s important to let your child take the lead on this one. They are the ones that know their teachers well and can point you in the right direction. I remember asking my youngest what to get his English teacher and he immediately said, “She loves coffee and chocolate.” Boom. Another one of his teacher’s collects everything turtle, and we were able to find an adorable turtle plushie that we are confident she will like. In case you have a kid that’s not very in tune with their teachers' interests, here are the top 5 retail gifts mentioned:
Scented candle – Most popular fragrances include lavender, vanilla, lemon, and apple.
Coffee – the majority of teachers surveyed drink coffee and there’s nothing like that first cup of coffee in the morning. Combine your favorite morning, ground coffee with a cute coffee mug or travel coffee cup.
Stationary Sets – Teachers typically send notes to administrators, other teachers, and parents on a regular basis. A nice stationary set is always useful and will definitely get used throughout the year.
Plants – many teachers love to have live plants in their classroom and will appreciate a plant in a cute planter. Ask your kid, “Does your teacher have plants in the classroom” and they will let you know if this gift makes sense.
Chocolate – Stay away from Sees and go for something more exotic like Dark Chocolate or Sea Salt and Caramel Chews.
A word of caution: Stay away from clothing. This is super personal, and you don’t want to guess at sizing and offend anyone!!
Regardless of what you get, teachers will appreciate your effort. The intention is what is important when it comes to holiday gift giving. Hope this helps as you finish your holiday shopping! Happy Holidays!!!
