The Gift of Giving, Receiving and Great GAMS!
My younger sister recently made me aware of a new athletic shoe for women known as ‘Skecher Shape-Ups’. With taking an early retirement from State Government work and being on a limited budget while I start up my LAFOLOT business, I didn’t have the funds for this wonderful footwear.
I finished putting my recent blog-talk radio interview onto a CD so I could take it to my Mom’s apartment for her to listen to. I went to lunch, and read my daily meditation magazine while I was waiting for the very busy-but efficient server to bring my check. The meditation mentioned to ‘accept the good coming your way’ – in different words, but same thought. Basically, expect Luck!
So I headed over to my Mom’s. Being a Laughter Leader and speaking of: ‘Good Hearted Living ‘Forgiveness’ – I recently went over my last hurdle with forgiving my mother. It has taken 20 years, but I evolved a little at a time as I’ve healed my feelings and perceptions of my childhood years. This is a BIG thing, because for at least 25 years, I couldn’t stand to be near my mom, dealing with a lot of hate (her alcoholism, my abuse etc etc). Having reached pre-menopause this past year, becoming my mentally/physically disabled oldest sister’s Power of Attorney and Nursing Home Representative… it dawned on me one day: ‘How in the world did she do it!?’ (my mom, that is) That’s when I was able to go over the final FORGIVENESS hurdle with my mom. My mom had 7 kids, addiction of alcoholism, a mentally/physically disabled oldest daughter due to her being hit by a drunk driver at age 19, as well as having to take care of her father and mother (who had dementia and diabetes – passing on in 1982). I thought – I don’t have kids, I don’t drink, how in the heck did my mom do it? So I WAS GIVEN THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS towards my mom.
As a result, I have been able to give her little gifts like, taking a CD over to her apartment so she can hear me singing torch style music. I can let her know about my LAFOLOT business, see her excitement when the weather man interviewed me on television during his weather segment, and today – sit with her while she listened to my blog-talk radio interview. So, I can honestly say – I was given the gift of awareness and forgiveness and was able to give that to my mother, too.
With that said, my mother was never able to give emotional/mushy support but found it easier to give cash. This would make me angry, because I used to feel she was buying my affection with cash. As I started to heal, I realized that was her way of giving love and I should accept her gift, because I truly realized that the gift was in the giving.
So – why all the above information? When I went to see my mother, I put the CD in for her to listen to it, she listened intently – and then – I saw the outstretched hand. I was just thrilled she was happy listening to my interview and being proud of it. But, there she was – holding out money for me. I graciously took the cash, knowing THIS is what makes her happy, to know her children are happy and cared for. [My mom had always wanted to be another Shirley Temple, to tap dance and be on stage... I feel I've helped her dream come true with my singing, local amateur acting, and laughter leader status.]
So – my meditation/prayer/wish was answered from this morning. My mom had given me enough money to buy the Skecher Shape-Up athletic shoes I needed/wanted. I let her know that I was now going to be able to buy the shoes. She was thrilled (the gift was in the giving).
When I went to buy the shoes at our local BOSCOV’s Department store, it was very crowded. I started to play my SMILE CAMPAIGN GAME, sharing and receiving smiles as I walked through the busy store towards the shoe department in the back.
LUCK was hitting me from all sides! Just as the meditation had shared. I ended up sitting next to a State Government worker who is going to give my LAFOLOT Smile Bookmark business card to their Human Resource Dept for a possible future gig!
One of the shoe department salesmen advised me to put on both the shoes and walk up two flights of stairs in the middle of the store to test them. They are very different in their makeup and I wanted to make sure I could handle them. I gave him one of my Smile Face Bookmarks to hold as Collateral while I left the department to try out the shoes.
When I returned, I got talking to another customer who works at a local federal building. She was so excited, because they have lunch-n-learn programs where she works and she said she wants something fun to do when she retires (laughter leader). She said, ‘I was meant to run into you, today!’
When I picked out the pair of Skecher Shape-Ups I wanted, I kept them on and put my old athletic shoes in the box. My salesman had returned. I saw my ‘collateral bookmark still sitting there on the counter’ – I went to retrieve it when the first helpful salesman saw it. I said: Would you like to keep it? His eyes started to sparkle and he smiled like a little kid. It said someting like: You’ve got a great laugh! on it.
So, there we were, the two salesmen, and 3 other women at the checkout line. I said: ‘Would you like to do an ALOHA laugh with me? I went through my usual drill and by the second time, after I had them laughing and smiling already… on the count of 1, 2, 3 they all said: A-LO-HA ahahahhahaaaaaa. My salesman said: ‘This is a FUN lady!’
The second woman in line looked inquisitive, so I asked if SHE would like a Smile face LAFOLOT bookmark, and I gave her one of my pamphlets, too. She remarked that she was a nurse and might be able to bring me into her workplace!
So, there we were at the shoe checkout, laughing and smiling.
A WHOLE LOT OF GIVING AND RECEIVING OF GOOD HEALTH and, now, with my Skecher Shape-Ups – HEALTHY LOOKING GAMS!
Ha Ha Helen, out and about and looking good with her athletic workout shoes and healthy legs and laughter!
HAVE A HEALTHY, HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
LIVE LIFE! LAUGH OFTEN!
www.lafolot.com
Tags: angels, Camp Hill, Carlisle PA, Ha Ha Helen, Harrisburg, health and wellness, Hershey, Holiday, lafolot, Laughter, laughter therapy, mechanicsburg, meditation, mentors, smile, stress relief, Wellness, Women
