A Generosity of Spirit

We enjoyed spending last week at our friends' vacation home in the Northern Neck of Virginia. My brother, sister and their families joined us. Andrew became a proficient driveway scooter-er, and blueberry picker, Margaret caught her first fish (and threw it back!), and we basked in the generosity of our friends opening their home to us yet again.

As you may remember, this was the first place we vacationed after Jack's death, when we couldn't bear doing our usual beach trip without him. It's also where I started writing Rare Bird on a cold winter's day, and experienced the radical generosity of a local tow truck driver.

If you don't remember that story, please read it here! It continues to inspire me, and convict me, years later.

I want to be generous, too.

But what if I don't have a beautiful vacation home to share, or a powder blue Volkswagen to lend to a complete stranger? How can I be generous to others, especially when it doesn't come naturally to me?

What about showing a generosity of spirit?

Our world seems so angry and ugly right now. Lots of yelling. Name calling. Divisive, dehumanizing language. Unfiltered thoughts coming out in ALL CAPS. It's almost too depressing to write about, so it quiets my voice sometimes, when I want to speak up, when I need to speak up. It's easy to feel helpless in a world that seems topsy turvy.

The phrase generosity of spirit made me think of the fruits of the spirit in the Bible. I think they are a very good measure to hold up against our leaders, our policies, and ourselves:

But the fruit of the spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Announcing My T-shirt Shop!

A few weeks ago I told Tim I'd started designing t-shirts. He looked at me like I had two heads. A pained "Why?" was all he could muster.

Next, I told Margaret and she responded, "That's weird."

So, with a huge vote of confidence from the home team, I thought I'd share with you my latest endeavor:

An Inch of Gray T-shirts on Amazon!

I absolutely LOVE typography t-shirts, and I've had a couple of ideas knocking around in my head for a while, but I didn't know how produce them for myself, or for others if they were interested.

A friend I met at a conference this spring talked me through how to open up an online t-shirt shop, so I jumped in and got creative. I now have variations of 5 designs available.

I am thrilled with how they turned out, and I hope you love them too!

And as for Tim's WHY, here are my top three reasons for designing these t-shirts:

1) It's a way to feel productive and creative when I can't seem to find enough time to devote to writing and other creative pursuits right now.

2) I now have the cool typography t-shirts I wanted that pertain to different aspects of my life.

3) I hope to earn income to help with blog-related expenses such as web hosting.

Here I am in my first design.

Geriatric Mama: I can't read this without my glasses

Yes, I crack myself up. 

Do not, I repeat DO NOT buy this t-shirt for someone else as a joke. Sure, you can send a friend the link (please do!!!!)  but make sure SHE wants the shirt, or you could end up getting hurt. 

All bets are off for the counterpart, Old as Dirt Dad, which would make a super-fun Father's Day Gift. It's a terrible double standard, I realize.

See all of my designs here! They are available in a variety of colors.

Let me know what you think, and please share them with anyone you think would like them.

Size note: These are premium t-shirts made out of super-soft, thin fabric, not the bulky t-shirts of yesteryear. They are slim cut. I bought several samples to see what Amazon meant by SIZE UP in the instructions. In the women's cut, which is quite fitted, I wear a Large, when normally I'd be a Medium, and they only go up to XL. In the men's cut I wear a Small or Medium, and they go up to 3XL. I like both cuts for different reasons. The men's cut is roomier, with a bigger design, but it is NOT BULKY,  so don't hesitate to buy a men's size if you want some extra room.

Playing Cars

I am very much in demand to play cars, morning noon and night.

I've never quite known how "playing cars" works, so I do a lot of zooming in a circle, hoping not to get dizzy.

There's a process and there are rules, but I'm not sure what they are. Sometimes it seems as if they are in flux. I only really know the rules when I break one.

If I stop moving for too long, such as to sip my tea or check Facebook on my phone, I get reprimanded. Not sure if this is how Keanu Reeves felt in the movie Speed, but I won't stop long enough to find out.

INVITATION Healing Your Empty Arms after a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or the Loss of Your Baby or Child

Last summer I spoke at a grief conference and was honored to spend time with Pam Vredevelt, professional counselor and author of many books, including Empty Arms and The Empty Arms Journal. Pam's caring nature instantly put me at ease, and I could understand how she has helped so many hurting moms over the years. 

When I found out she was conducting a new LIVE, online class to help mothers work through grief, I wanted to partner with her and let my readers know about it. I know words like healing and grief work can sound scary-- they sure did to me-- but don't let them stand in the way of your learning to experience joy again after facing such a devastating loss.

Healing after the loss of a child is a scary thing to look at from behind the starting line. It seems 

like an overwhelming process full of deep sadness, frustration, guilt, and many unknowns.

...so I completely understand why it might seem easier to just set the whole reality of your loss 
aside and focus on other things.

...or to put off working through your loss until later.

You can try things here and there that don't add up to real results, or take a proven path that delivers.  That’s why I’m sharing this wonderful, Biblical and Brain-science based proven path for 

healing after a miscarriage, stillbirth or the loss of your baby or child. 

Much of Pam's work centers around 
pregnancy and baby loss, so I reached out to her to see if this course would also be helpful for those who 
lost children after infancy. She says absolutely, but feel free to reach out to her if you have specific 
questions about that.

I'm going to tell you more, but you can take a shortcut straight to the source and learn more about the 
process at www.myemptyarms.com,  a six-hour LIVE interactive online experience with 
Professional Counselor, Pam Vredevelt.  (Pam has a genuine gift and personal experience with 
this subject, having lost her first baby half way through the pregnancy and years later a sixteen 
year old son after a car accident.  Pam leads this life-changing experience LIVE, in real time, so 
that you can interact with her in the comfort of your own home via her video conference room.

SIGN UP FOR HEALING YOUR EMPTY ARMS HERE:

You don't need to spend years stuck in the heartbreak, anxiety, or guilt that steals your joy and 

leaves you feeling exhausted. . .

You don't need a huge amount of time to effectively work through the impact of your loss when 
you have the right guidance and support. . .

and

You DEFINITELY don't have to try to find your way through the darkness alone.

In fact, in Pam’s ONLINE transforming experience you’ll be surrounded by other women who 
‘get it’ because they too have lost a baby/babies, and are eager to gain the essential skills to 
effectively heal.

Here’s what I’m inviting you to do. Give yourself a fresh start.   

Join Pam on a proven path through grief into brighter, more meaningful tomorrows.

1.      Learn the The 'Good Grief' Path.  Discover and practice a scientifically proven ‘Good Grief’ 
pattern that rewires the brain, promotes healing, and prevents you from getting stuck in painful 
unresolved grief.

2.      Learn how to Give Grief a Voice. Discover how to tune-in to grief and compassionately listen to your 
heart. Learn skills that help you feel safe while you label, sort, and give grief a voice.

3.      Learn How to Let Go of Overwhelming Sadness. Learn and practice the skills that empower you to 
compassionately explore and release your sadness, discover meaning, and awaken joy.

4.    Learn How to Let Go of Anger and Frustration. Compassionately explore and release the 
anger around your loss that may be harbored against yourself, others, or God.  Discover the key 
connection between fear, anxiety, and anger, and practice skills to manage your anger so that it 
doesn’t manage and overpower you.  Learn positive ways to respond to the insensitive things 
people say after the loss of a baby to protect against energy drain and bitterness.

5.      Letting Go of Guilt and Shame. Learn and practice the skills to compassionately explore and release 
guilt, shame, and self-blame.

6.      Create a Personalized Plan that nurtures ongoing healing and awakens joy.

During the 6 one-hour LIVE sessions on Saturday mornings, Pam will walk you step by step 

through this process.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT FOR PAM'S COURSE HERE:

If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't worry. Pam will make it simple by giving you detailed 

instruction with each step, plus live coaching to make sure you get to USE and DO the things she 
teaches you.

This is an amazing opportunity to learn from an expert who has helped thousands on the path of 
healing to fully recover.  I hope you're able to participate!

Much Love, Anna

P.S. Pam is purposefully limiting the number of participants, so she can deliver a high level 
experience to all attendees. If you are in need of hope and healing after a miscarriage, 
stillbirth, or the loss of a baby or child, this could be the very thing you’ve been praying 
would come along.

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