Wednesday Wish (16)....in partial:(

A Note To Brynne's Faithful Readers:

Miss Brynne has a particularly ugly flu bug this week, and as much as she is trying to get herself to write your Wednesday Wish tonight, I, Miss Bubble Gum, am here to inform you that I do not, in fact, expect my sick friend to succeed.

I, Miss Bubble Gum, offered to give you a partial on the Wish for this week, and thankfully, Brynne agreed. You see, she has the whole wish all mapped out in her heart, just hasn't been able to sit at the computer long enough to write it all down in little black and white letters. It makes her head hurt too much and since the whole family is sick too, there isn't anyone else but me to assist.

So...your Wednesday Wish (due to be filled out in its entirety later this week), is to go to the store and buy some old fashioned Bubble Gum. Not Trident or Juicy Fruit or any of those skinny, measly little things but the sugar laced, fat chunks of pink that kids love the absolute most. And for a good reason, I might add...we taste good and make giggle monsters out of even the angriest of faces. So, get your Bubble Gum, put in at least one whole pack (no mistake...the entire pack) and let your teeth go! Then, when it's good and sloppy and you feel the sugar starting to work its magic, blow Bubbles like you used to when you were a sugar-happy kid! Blow them BIIIIG and make a mess on your face. Blow them HUUUUGE and make your neighbor wonder about your sanity. Blow them over and over again, and watch your day be touched by a simple pack of yes, Bubble Gum.

One last note: There is a story behind this. Please come back soon to read it. Brynne would be sad if I took all her weekly fun away. She does so love to share her Wish with you every week and can't wait to tell you the rest of her Bubble Gum story.

Happy Bubbling!

Sincerely,
Miss Bubble Gum

Wednesday Wish (15)

“Why do you always walk that way when this way is faster?”

My neighbor and friend looked at me through her glasses, blinking, utterly confused. We were on our way to class at the University of Washington and as usual, it was raining and cold.

I shrugged. “I like this way better. It makes me smile.”

Her eyes spun a ‘woa, she’s weirder than I thought’ before she turned to follow me. A few minutes later, “Has anything made you smile? Just want to be sure I’m not missing something.”

“Almost there," I said.

 I was sure I heard her moan but I chose to ignore it. It wouldn’t be long. She would understand soon. Very soon. Or so I hoped.

The window to the barbershop was large. Maybe as large as entire car. I had walked this way for weeks now and every chance I got, I passed by their window. At first, I just turned and gave the two men inside a shy smile but after about a week, when they began to return my joy, it grew into a full-fledged smile, the kind that warms you from the inside out. They looked like they had found the same joy themselves. I saw it day after day in their sparkling eyes and of course, their smiles. So on this particular day, I was passing by with a friend. It was something I hadn’t done before. I could hardly wait.

I stopped and tapped on the glass with my knuckles. My friend stood beside me, not saying a word. First one barber, then the other, turned toward the window to see who was there and not a second later both of their faces erupted into sparkles. I waved my mittened hands, my heart warmed by our connection. I didn’t even know their names, but I knew their hearts and they were filled with kindness.

            “Are they friend’s of your dad?”

            “No.”

            “Your grandpa’s?”

            “No”

            “Then how’d you meet them?

“I didn’t.”

            “You mean, you don’t know them? I don’t get it. You just waved and they waved back like you were old friends.”

            “I’ve never spoken with them. I just see them everyday on my way to class, and we share smiles.”

            “You smile at strangers?”

            “They aren’t strangers anymore. Not after the first smile. And that was weeks ago.”

            I think that’s when I felt the second, ‘woa, she really is weirder than I thought.’ But I didn’t mind. My heart was on fire and that was all that really mattered to me.

 *          *          *

 My Wednesday Wish for You?

To connect with a stranger this week. And not on the internet or on the phone (although such connections are fun, too!) but the old-fashioned way—in person. Smile with your genuine eyes, let someone you don’t know feel the kindness in your heart. And don’t worry if they don’t take it the right way. We can’t control what others think. Just worry about getting yourself right. Center yourself in your heart, in that place that cares about others and wants the world to be a better, more friendly place. Feel that. Be there. And then, with that intent, give it away. As a smile. To a stranger. And watch your world grow smaller, kinder, and more caring…with every smile you share.

*          *          * 

p.s. the barbershop guys of my college years became my dear friends. We shared family joys and sorrows, celebrated birthdays, exchanged Christmas presents, and many years later, I even invited them to my wedding. The way I see it, if we dare to open our hearts, we give strangers the chance to affect our worlds for the better. Guy and Rick did mine—two beautiful people I will have with me in my heart for the rest of my life. If you are out there Guy and Rick, I'm still waving!:)

Happy Halloween!

If you ache 

to fly 

but don't

have 

wings,

then 
make them!

Wednesday Wish (14)

The rain splattered in gusts against the fragile glass. The wind howled, rushing through the branches of the walnut tree, the maple tree and the pines. It was black as night, outside as much as in, and there I sat, knees up under my chin in my little room, the one with the plush red carpet and the knotty pine walls. I couldn’t go to sleep. No way. And not because of the storm outside my window, for such intensity made it even more cozy to fall asleep in my nice warm childhood bed, but because I had a big day ahead of me. Soon a wish would be waiting for me.

Behind Kelley's Lens via Flickr

I always tell birthday humbugs that they needn’t worry, that birthdays aren’t really about them or their age, that birthdays are instead about the rest of the world reminding them how loved they are. But that’s just for the birthday humbugs, not for me. You see, I’m a birthday lover myself. So much so, that even if no one wished me a single happy birthday for ten years in a row, I’d still love my birthday. And I bet you can guess why. Yep, because of the wish.

Ok, so maybe the symbolic wish happens when we blow out the candles on our cake, or the single candle on the cupcake, or in my case, the crowd trying to put out the raging fire. But then there are those years when some of you (definitely not me) don’t want a cake or even a pie. What then? Do you forfeit your wish? Absolutely not! You see, the wish is with you alllllll day, no matter what. It is patient and steadfast, ever present, ever willing, and always, always, always, like a genie in a bottle, ready to fulfill your desires. You can even chose your wish in the morning and then later on in the day add to it, or spice it up with a little sparkle and glitter here and there. That is, your birthday wish, once a year, is yours to dream into any shape you can imagine, any magic you desire.

My Wednesday (Birthday) Wish for You?

I started this blog to share the magic that gives my days sparkle, the magic that I feel in the very fibers of my being, the magic that I wish everyone could feel right along side me. And being here, with all of you, my dear readers who believe in this magic as much as I do, reminds me every day that the magic I experience is only a fraction of that which actually exists. The mystic, the heart and soul, the depth of our senses, the richness of our feelings, the wisdom of nature, the gift of childlike being, the joy of colors, of sounds, of rain on our windows and sun kissing our foreheads—its all right here in front of us, everyday, no matter who or where we are and always, for us to enjoy. Funny thing is, this magic in life we all know and love, is probably much grander, deeper, richer than most any of us realize. So why not spread it like seeds, let it fly free to show us how high it can soar? Who knows the places it could take us! That is why my Wednesday (birthday) wish is for you to share some magic with at least one other person this week, to pay the magic forward. Compliment a stranger, smile at a meanie, skip behind your shopping cart, listen to a flower, giggle in the produce department, buy the old lady next door a magazine, sing a happy song in the elevator, point out a soaring bird to a hardened heart, and most of all love. Love with a fierce heart and soul. And if I'm lucky, before long, my birthday wish will become yours, too. Just think how beautiful the world would be if we only just shared more magic with one another....every day.

via: www.mackenzie-brown.tumblr.com

Wednesday Wish (13)

The first time I did it, I was ashamed of myself. The second time I did it, I realized how much I liked it. And after that, it just took a little bit of time before it became an almost regular part of my day. But let’s back up the truck, shall we?

It was a hot day, the air so thick with sea mist that the fan above my head seemed to cut it into juicy slices, each one falling, weighted, onto my shiny sun-kissed skin. I watched a gecko scramble up the side of the wall and behind a picture. A tiny spider hung from a bit of web in the corner. I’ll just lie down for a little bit. Not a second, really. More like a moment to just soak up this new world that is so different than what I am used to. After all, back home they are probably shivering beside a fire. The least I can do is enjoy this heat, right?

          A half hour later, there was a knock at my door. 
          “Brynne—you there?”

          I blinked my eyes open in disbelief. What? Had I fallen asleep? How embarrassing to answer the door with sleepy eyes and a wrinkled face. What will my new friends think of me? I splashed some water on my face and dashed for the door. “Coming!”

          “Did we wake you? Were you taking a nap?”

          “What, me? (nervous laughter) No, no. A nap? Oh no, I have far too many things to do. I was just— Here, come in...“

           

In most parts of the modern industrialized world, naps are reserved for toddlers and grandparents. Maybe the rest of us might take a lone nap after Thanksgiving dinner when our stomachs demand it, or on Christmas Day after all the dishes are done and everyone is busy with their new toys, but not on any old normal day, unless we are sick. Naps are lazy, unmotivated, directionless—all the things that go against the very fiber of modernity, capitalism, good business, even the noble idea of a hard working individual. Right?! 

Na, ah ah, she says with her finger shaking up high in the air. We got it all wrong. Speaking from experience (many years experience I might add), I can confidently say that what most of us think about naps is a bunch of hogwash. Naps are, in fact, a necessary nutrient for an imagination-rich life. They feed our brains, our spirits, our souls. They make us more effective, more aware, more alive. And not only that, naps are a luxury that all of us can afford, a simple magic that each and every human being of any age, deserves to enjoy. And often, too.

*          *          *

My Wednesday Wish for You?

To take a nap this week. At least one. And not for long. Maybe twenty to thirty minutes, time anyone can spare. I have a friend who used to bring a pillow to work and curl up whenever she needed it--in her case, under her desk. And she worked in a bank! So find your nap space anywhere you can, anywhere that feels right. Put your worries, your stresses, your deadlines and requirements on pause. Let go of what you think matters to escape for a minute into yourself and into your body, that vessel that houses your magnificent soul. Daydream if you must. But make an effort to rest that mind of yours. Soak up the air, feel your breath give life to your body, and enjoy your luxurious time out. For believe you me, when you find your right dose of nap, things seem to realign, to make better sense, and to somehow grow our days just a little bit more magic.

Monday Interlude

For you, my friends who deserve to be in this film and who may need to be reminded of their magic this week more than ever: John, Debra, Kristin, Cal, Sara, Jo, Megan and Marcelo. And the rest of you, you know who you are.

Whatever you are doing with your one wild Monday...let it be filled with crazy-magic:)

with love for each of you, my treasured readers,
Brynne

Wednesday Wish (12)

Whenever a taste of delicious food finds its way to my tongue, I can’t help but close my eyes. And if its really good, sometimes I have been known to make little oooing sounds.

*

I think dresses should be labeled not by size, but by how well they twirl.

*

Whenever a new flower blooms in my garden, I ache to run out into the street, to share it with the first person who passes by. Sometimes I do.

*

Many times I get so excited to tell someone something that I grow a fire in my belly and my fingers start to tingle-itch until I get it out.

*

I love to clap. And not just at the end of songs, either. When things make me happy. And if you know me, you know there a lot of things that make me happy.

*

I love to giggle. And smile. And hug. And touch. And when I see something nice about someone, I tell them. 
Compliments are a best treat. Don’t you think?

*

Not everyone understands such things. I see the eyes. I feel the judgment. I notice the body language. Sometimes my childlike behavior makes grown-ups uncomfortable. Grown-ups. Hmmm. How did they get that way? Was there a manual that I didn’t get? Am I so oblivious to societal norms? Am I so conceited that I think I can be any way I like? You can’t do that, even if you feel it. It’s not appropriate, Brynne. Or have grown-ups forgotten their joy? Have they forgotten their spirit? Have they forfeited their magic for a title that robs them of their colors, highlighting instead, a few boring shades of grey?

*        *        *
My Wednesday Wish for you?

To find that childlike part inside yourself and to honor it this week, to let it highlight the COLOR in your life. Giggle when it bubbles up inside you. Skip in public. Eat with your eyes closed and make that ooing sound, go ahead…do it…you know everyone else wants to, too! Clap when you are happy. Cry when you are sad. Nose rub a grocery store flower and invite the next person in line to share the beautiful scent with you, too. Tell a silly joke to stuffy people and laugh yourself silly even when (not if) they stare. (I do this often) And stomp in a puddle. At least once. Preferably with someone watching. If they smile, take them dancing. If they don’t, they are probably too grown-up, too grey. And they have probably forgotten their magic, too. For as Charles Fillmore once said… 'It is the childlike mind that finds the kingdom.' And last I checked, kingdoms are FILLED with magic.

Wednesday Wish (11)

Three weeks ago, my little girl started preschool. She goes to a beautiful little Montessori in the middle of a shady patch of coconut palms and mimosa trees about a ten minute drive from our home. And best of all, she loves it. The last few days she's walked in the gate with her little monkey back pack on and she doesn't even look back to say goodbye to Mama. She just marches right in with a great big smile on her face, ready to start her new day! Oh joy!

The thing of it is, it’s a sensitive school. That means that they don’t want the children to feel anything negative about school, so they adjust the length of each child's day accordingly. More crying, less time at school. Less crying, more time at school. As of today, my little girl stays for one hour and fifteen minutes a day. That’s her up to the minute maximum. Translation: One hour and fifteen minutes is Mommy’s up to the minute maximum time to work on editing her novel.

So, every day until today, I decided to sit in my car just meters from the school and edit. Driving home just wasn’t worth it. And why waste the time driving anywhere else? Anyone can work on a novel, anywhere, right? Hmm…theoretically. But I wasn’t. I would read, or smile and wave at new faces as they walked by, watch cars, twitter back at birds, daydream, and maybe I’d try to work on my novel, but it never seemed to work. Until today that is, when I found a happier place to park.

What do you think? Would you want to write here? Ok, so after you took your shoes off and felt the sand and the sea welcome you home? Maybe then? Yep, me, too! That’s why I’ve christened it my newest heart space. And gosh, after only a day, my heart feels better already.

*          *          *

My Wednesday Wish for you?

To take the time to find a heart space, a physical place that makes you happier than others. Maybe it’s a different coffee shop, the one that’s a little bit further away that has the nicer chairs. Or maybe it’s the park at the far end of town that has the nicer views with the bench that lets you sit near the rose garden. Or maybe it’s just a quiet part of your office building where no one goes, where you can see some big trees sway and shiver in the Autumn breeze. Make an effort to find it. And make it your own, your own sacred space that you will go to as often as you wish. You see, magic happens when we make an effort to find our physical heart spaces and especially when we go there often enough to let our hearts share what it is they have been aching to share with us all along.

Protect Your Magic

          “Did you remember the cupcakes?” said my best friend Jenny, twirling her braids and chewing her day old gum.

          “Yep,” I said, proud of myself for not accidentally-on-purpose forgetting and then gobbling them up like a belly-happy beast.

          “And what’d ye tell your mom?”

          “That we were looking for four leaf clovers. Same as I always do. What’d ye tell yours?” I kinda knew, but it was what we always asked each other. As if to be sure neither one of us had been forced to reveal even a smidgen of our secret.

          “Nothing much. Going outside to play. She isn’t like your mom. She’d probably make me stay inside if I told her we were hunting for—“

          “Shhh—someone might hear you!” One could never be too safe.

          “Thanks, that was close. Good thing your brother wasn’t around. He’d probably have me in a head lock by now. ‘Say it! Say it, Jenny, or I’ll rip it off….’” Jenny rubbed her neck, her eyebrows peaked over her bright brown eyes. “He’s a bully, that brother of yours.”

          “I know. Come on, though. Twilight is comin’ fast and you know we only have a little bit of time before dinner.”

          “Our dinner or theirs?”

          I giggled, “Ours, silly. Fairies don’t eat like us. They just nibble on forest treats all day long. And anyway, I’m sure they’ve been watching us for the past few minutes. Bet you my favorite purple pen that their stomachs are rumbling right about now. Once a fairy gets a whiff of these cupcakes, they won’t be able to focus on anything else.”

          “Ya,” said Jenny with a grin, “I bet you’re right. I know I can’t.”

          I giggled right back, “I love you, Jenny. And I love trying to find our real kin together. Not another person in the world I’d wanna do it with.” I reached for her hand and squeezed it good 'en hard.

          “You mean you wouldn’t wanna meet your first fairy holdin’ hands with Jon Foster instead?”

          I made a barfing noise and within seconds we were a  mess on the forest floor, me throwing leaves and Jenny huckin’ acorns, the two of us bursting at the seams.

*          *          *

Sometimes we come across a magic in our lives, either in our imagination or in our waking world, that changes everything—lightens our heavy. For some of us it’s an afternoon of fairy hunting with a wide-eyed imaginative little friend but it can also be as simple as an idea for a book, or a painting, or a new business. For others it might be a belly-flutter when someone walks by, or a lovely heart-pounding when a certain reminder happens upon our path. But no matter what it is, we must always—always—remember one important thing. We must protect those magics in our lives. We must keep them growing and even thriving. Like a fairy in the wood or a whisper in the breeze, magic can be elusive and if it is not treated with the utmost care, it can slip through our fingers, leaving us once again with a heavy load upon our backs. Protect your magic. Give your magic room to flourish. And share with others only when you no longer need to defend what you know to be true.