"The earth laughs in flowers."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think Mother Earth should be respected and celebrated every day.  My mom has always been a recycler and master re-user.  Glass, plastics, pop cans, newspapers are all returned or recycled, unless you can reuse them.  She volunteers to help with church funeral dinners. Chinese take-out containers are perfect for packaging left-overs for families.  Plastic bags are saved and given to the Farmers Market vendors.  Wicker baskets have been given to me to up cycle as gift baskets and crafts.  Thus, Mom has inspired me to use what I have when I am creating and recycle all things that are possible.

I had lots of fun this Earth Day planting this basket and chair that I up cycled.  I was thrilled to find this chair at our local Goodwill Store for the "special price" of $3.49.  I'm not sure why it was reduced.  It has all four legs intact and didn't even wobble when I wiggled it. Granted the black was a little harsh, but that was an easy fix with a can of spray paint.

One of the most difficult times in life is trying to offer some words or expressions of comfort when someone is grieving the death of a loved one.  Sometimes, I will state the obvious, "There are no words..." and offer a hug.  Most of the time, I feel so helpless because I want to "Do" something for the grieving person.  I know it is important to let a person grieve in his or her own way and time.  But--I still feel the need to "Do" something.   We recently lost a very, dear friend, Joe, who was an absolute delight to know.  The anniversary of my dad's passing was March 25th, too.  I thought I would share some things I have done, or have been done for me, or others that have been comforting.

Share a Memory:  One of the most important things you can do is share a memory about the one who has passed. People are comforted by memories and often times there are memories that may have been forgotten or not even known to the loved ones family and friends. It helps one to know that loved ones were loved, honored, and admired by others.  One of the greatest gifts you can give anyone is to acknowledge the person that they were.