Turning a Post-It into a Love Note
| It’s hard to say goodbye Most of the year, they live in New Jersey, less than 2 hours from me. It is wonderful to have them close and be able to see them regularly. In the winter, they go to Florida. The warm weather really helps both of them. I also think it’s fun to have a change of scenery 🙂 Yet, it means they are not just a short drive away. This past weekend, I went down to Florida to visit them. It was wonderful to get a break from the cold and snow that had blanketed Brooklyn. I am grateful to have a fabulous relationship with my parents; we had a great time. We walked on the beach, ushered at the circus, went to the botanical gardens, and saw some peacocks. Then Monday came, and it was time to go. I knew they would miss me, so I wanted to leave something behind to make them smile once I was gone. When I was a kid, my mom would leave notes in my lunch box. I wanted to give my parents the same feelings. Something small to remind them they are loved. Around their home, I hid small note cards, each with a unique inspirational quote. I put one in the fridge on top of the fruit. Another was placed in my mom’s slippers. I placed one in my dad’s laptop. One more went between the yoga blocks. A final card was placed in the shower, leaning against the shampoo bottle. As I placed them each, I giggled to myself. It brought me joy to know I was leaving these breadcrumbs for them. While I did this, I tried to pretend like I was just packing up. Not sure if they noticed, as I went into different rooms. If they did, they didn’t say anything. Then we packed my luggage into the car and headed to the airport. The end of a visit is never fun, but it was a great visit, and I was ready to sleep in my own bed. |
| Then I found Post-it notes in my bag At the airport, waiting for my flight, I opened my backpack to get out my book. There was a Post-it that said Sunshine in my mom’s handwriting. I laughed out loud. There was another in the pocket with my laptop that said, Miss you. This delighted me and reminded me that I learned this from her. She taught me this trick, and now we both use it. Once I got home, I started to unpack my suitcase. There was a chocolate bar, another Post-it that said “Come back soon,” and a piece of rose quartz (a stone of love). I took pictures of each one and sent it to them. They responded with pictures of their notes. Turns out my dad got the chocolate as a Valentine’s Day gift and decided it would be more fun to leave it as a surprise. It took them 3 days to find all the notes I left them. I’m pretty sure they will keep them in the spots I left them. Well, maybe not the one in my mom’s slipper 🙂 A small reminder of our weekend together. I have put the Post-it’s on my counter, and when I see them, they make me smile. It feels like a pile of love notes from my parents. |
| Golden Nuggets: 1. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Making someone smile or helping them feel loved doesn’t require big gestures. A small note can bring tons of joy! 2. Be thoughtful. It took me less than 5 minutes to hide notes around my parents’ home. It probably took them about the same to write and hide the notes for me. It is the thought that can feel like the biggest hurdle to creating these magical moments. 3. Kids learn from watching their parents. Neither of my parents ever explicitly taught me to hide love notes; they just did it for me. As they showed me the impact a small gesture can have, through their actions, I learned to do the same. Remember, your kids are watching and learning! 4. We are all learning from each other. It is not just kids who are learning from their parents; we are learning from each other all the time. It could be an employee or a boss, or a friend or a colleague, or a stranger on the street or online. We see how others treat each other all the time. Take the lead and model kindness, thoughtfulness, and love…even if others don’t. |
| One step at a time Do you know that I also leave notes for strangers? Not in their home because that would be problematic, but in the world. My goal is to give out one inspirational card a day. Sometimes I give it to the person checking me out at the grocery store or the barista making my coffee. Sometimes I leave it with the check at dinner or give it to a stranger who I have a brief exchange with on the street. I have left cards on the subway, tucked into the frame of an ad and left one on the mirror in the airplane bathroom. I have put them in friends’ cars and found that 2 months later, it was still there. I have left cards in an open locker at the gym, and perhaps one of my favorites is on top of a call box of a building (right over the buzzer). Leaving love notes is for everyone. Leave them for those you deeply love and have made your life better. Leave them for people you pass throughout the day. Leave them for strangers to find. The world needs more kindness, compassion, and connection. This is one small step in that direction. It is the start of a ripple, and we don’t know where it will lead or what it will change. I wish to make as many positive ripples as I can, in as many places as I can! Make your own ripple! You can borrow my way…I get my inspirational cards from live-inspired.com. My mom hands out stickers. I knew a teacher who cut out velvet hearts, attached safety pins, and handed them out. You could use scrap paper, draw a smiley face, and share that. Let me know what other creative ways you find to leave inspiration, love, and kindness in the world! |
| I’m on Substack Join my Substack – Parenting Adult ChildrenThis week I talk about shifting criticism to compassion. |
| Work with Me If my stories and golden nuggets resonate with you, perhaps you want to work with me in a more personalized way! I offer keynotes, workshops, and trainings for organizations talking about conflict resolution, mental health, and having hard conversations. They are always customized to the organizations, full of action-based exercises, and created to provide real life tools to use as soon as you leave the session. I share personal stories just like I do here. Learn more here. I also work with individuals in personal sessions to help you find the way through challenging situations. From cooperate coaching to parent training to couples therapy, I’m here to listen, problem solve, and co-create new ways for you to move forward in your life at home and at the office. At times offering in-person intensives where we spend time in action making change. Learn more here. |
