Simply Celebrate Newsletter:
April 2011Question Authority By Sherry Richert Belul
This morning I attended a dance class in the Mission. At one point during the class, Michael Franti's, "Say Hey (I Love You)" was playing and we were shimmying all over the place. The woman in front of me was giggling. The woman beside me had a big grin on her face. I looked in the mirror and noticed all the women of all shapes and sizes, moving to the music in our choreographed dance. Then, suddenly, I burst into tears. I was struck with this huge wave of gratitude and joy. And I'll tell you why. It was simply this: I was dancing. I spent most of life wanting to be someone who danced. I wanted to learn choreography or swing dance. I wanted to samba, salsa, or waltz. I used to watch people dancing to musicals on stage or at weddings with their partners and I'd feel this deep longing to be that kind of person. But alas, my mind always told me that I just wasn't that kind of person. I fact, what I got told was that I was as gawky as a nine-year-old, with no sense of rhythm or style. So many, many years passed by and I never even considered taking a dance class because the fear around it was so strong. Read more...  A Simple Celebration As you go about the day today, listen closely to see if your own squirrel mind tries to tell you that you can’t do something. It might be something simple, like “You can’t jump over that puddle.” Or it might be something bigger, like, “You can’t make that difficult call.” For today’s celebration, challenge that voice in your head and just go ahead and do the thing it says you can’t do. Remember, even if all you manage is to attempt to do that thing, you’re way ahead of the game. That is the path to freedom.
Simply Celebrate Community NewsAs Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much my mother means to me. She’s this wonderful source of optimism and humor in my life — always cheering me on in whatever endeavor I’m currently doing. And she’s a fabulous grandma to my son, Kayne. Over the years, I’ve tried hard to think up unique gifts that would let my mom know how much she is loved and how unique she is. In fact, my mom was the inspiration for the very first Love List I ever made — back in 1988! I’ve also made my mom tribute books full of stories and photos from her closest friends and family, a bloopers photo book with funny captions on bad photos, a triptych with pics of three generations of girls in their first communion dresses, and customized DVDs. One year, my good friend Greg Bracken created an oil painting from a photo of my mom and my son; it’s hanging in my mom’s family room in Ohio. Can you think of your own favorite one-of-a-kind gift you’ve given to your mother? I’d love to hear about it, if you’d be willing to share! I’ll post any responses on my blog, Cherry Blossom Soup, so others can be inspired before Mom’s Day! Send me a note at Sherry@Simplycelebrate.net. Back to top | 
