The Little Things

“If You’re Going Through Hell,” as Rodney Atkins tells it, it helps to have a little bit of child-like fun to take along with you. At least, I found this to be helpful.

With long, difficult days, I found creating a little moment each day to smile helped a whole lot. I have since been learning that the act of smiling does something with our internal chemicals and hormones and changes the way our brains work, for the better. Note to self – keep smiling.

Here are some of the things that helped me…

Women’s Shoes – I surrounded myself with women’s shoes. You know the old saying…walk a mile in a woman’s shoes and you will have a better understanding of her journey. It will build compassion.

Since I did not find compassion close at hand, I built my own source of compassion with shoes that had symbolic meaning for me. I still have these with me…

• I have a door stop that is a woman’s shoe – no one is going to shut me out!

• I have a coin purse that is covered with images of women’s shoes – change… keep praying and working for change!

• I have a deck of cards that is covered with women’s shoes throughout the ages and across continents – I am not alone!

In addition to the fun and encouragement that each of these talismans brought and still bring me, I love the idea that I bought most or all of them from the National Museum of Women in the Arts and that the pennies I spent to help myself also helped this museum celebrate the creative contributions of women.

What do you do to keep the child alive, remember to smile and to stay rooted?