Today’s message, though falling on April First, is not a joke. Last night I experienced my first earthquakes (the quake and aftershocks). Idaho had a 6.5 which was the second largest in the state’s recorded history. The largest one having been in 1983 with an epicenter in the same general part of the state. When comparing notes with friends here: “I thought the wind was blowing” – we’ve had rain and thunderstorms of late. “I thought a big truck rolled by and shook the windows.” And, “the china cabinet was rattling and the chandelier swaying.”
I was talking with my dad in Minnesota at the time things started moving and the dog jumped. Once I realized it was an earthquake, I told dad that I had to get off the phone and find safety (by the way, under a table, in a doorway or in the bathtub are the best options). And so, I went to the bathtub, along with the dog. Thankfully, everyone I know is okay. Thankfully, it appears that everyone in Idaho is okay too.
This earthquake being the first I’ve experienced, I didn’t know that aftershocks can follow in the hours, days, and weeks that follow. Thanks to the California friends who are providing information! Several have experienced worse and are reassuring in this first-time experience I’m having. As police departments like to say: “Stay safe out there!”
Meanwhile, the cleaning-while-home process continues. Kelly Browne’s terrific book 101 Ways To Say Thank You: Notes of Gratitude for All Occasions surfaced from my bookshelves, along with great tips and some quote cards from a magazine. Here are some of the favorite finds.
- Kelly’s four tips for writing the classic Thank-You note (pages 2-4)
- Write the date.
- Write the salutation. Dear……(person’s name)
- Write the content of your thank-you note. Be genuine, gracious and specific about what you received.
- Write the closing: Sincerely, Yours Truly, Gratefully – or something else to close.
- Add your signature – sign your name.
- Thank you notes are for gifts and experiences given. These giving quotes fit nicely with giving thanks.
- “Giving is a necessity, sometimes…more urgent, indeed, than having.” ~ Margaret Lee Runbeck
- “The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.” ~ Walt Whitman
- “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill
- “There is only one real deprivation, I decided this morning, and that is not to be able to give one’s gifts to those one loves most.” ~ May Sarton
- “If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” ~ Buddha
- “Anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given.” ~ Deepak Chopra
- “That’s what I consider true generosity. You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” ~ Simone De Beauvoir
- “It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked through understanding.” ~ Kahlil Gibran
During these uncharted times and events, I give thanks for family and friend; for technology that keeps us connected by words and pictures, voices AND faces; for a safe place to live; for good health; and for the idea that Nesting (creating safe places in which we can be our best selves) is timeless, always important, and valuable for maintaining our well-being.
What earthquakes (real or metaphorical) are you experiencing?
For what are you giving thanks?
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. –Jana
Jana Kemp
