What starts this WHOLE message today is the email message
my AF Mom friend Lea sent me for my birthday yesterday.
This link will take you to an AMAZING video.
From that link, I went to the home page of 'Better To Bless'.
How VERY blessed I am that you sent this my way Lea.
Thank you and ~Bless You~
For you on your special
day
With Love,
Lea
The Story Behind All This Blessing Stuff
Posted by Kate at
It happened a few days after
my father’s death, in
that mind-numbing period of adjustment after someone we love leaves us. Having
gone shopping for necessities for my trip back to my own home, I was standing
in an otherwise empty aisle of a large chain store when suddenly I sneezed, the
last vestiges of an allergy attack I’d fought earlier in the week.
Almost instantly, from the
next aisle over I heard a voice call out, "Bless you," and then
another, and another, and yet another. All in all, in the span of only a few
seconds, I counted eleven different voices coming from every possible direction
in the store, some saying "God bless you", others using the word
"gezundheit," but all blessing me, all calling good down upon me.
At first I thought little
of it. After all the idea of blessing someone when they sneeze is rooted in
superstition, an archaic belief that in the act of sneezing the soul is thrown
from the body, and a blessing is needed for spiritual protection. Today, it is
usually offered as no more than a courtesy, a polite response that has come to
be socially accepted and expected. But on that particular day, in the first few
moments following all those blessings being called out to me, I began to notice
a difference in myself: A slight shift in perception that left me feeling more
connected and empowered than I had in days. It also left me, for the first time
since my father’s passing, more confident that everything would be all right.
Driving back to my father’s
house that day, I continued periodic "feelings" checks, marveling at
how much stronger I felt. Later, sitting in my parent’s kitchen for what would
be one of the last times, I recounted the story to my stepmother. "Do you
think any of them realized what they were saying?" she asked. "Or was
it just out of habit?"
"Just habit," I
answered with a shrug, thinking about what a shame it was that people could
give such a needed gift as a blessing and not even be aware of what they had
done. "It should be a habit, this business of blessing
others," I said a moment later. "But it would be nice if people
actually knew they could and were making a difference."
A seed was planted that day
and two years later it sprouted, awakening me one morning to a gentle
soul-whisper that poured forth as the words of a special blessing. Feeling
compelled to take pen and paper from my nightstand, I prodded myself into full
wakefulness and then sat on the edge of the bed, like a secretary poised for
dictation, pen ready to capture each syllable as the inspired words flowed into
my awareness.
Because of the power of the
internet, those words have since been sent across the planet and read by
millions, and as I result, I have received thousands of letters from people
telling me how May You Be Blessed has impacted their lives. And in each
and every instance I have found myself blessed in return.
I have often wondered since
if my newfound work as a dispatcher of blessings is the result of a
serendipitous accident that placed me in a crowded store on a day when I was
both prone to sneeze, and to listen to subtle nudges from the heart. Or was it,
perhaps, that my father’s gentle spirit was present that day, inspiring others
to offer blessings so that I might be lifted up?
Of course, it is a question
I cannot answer, but I do know that since that time my life has changed
remarkably. Each day is now entirely centered on the act of blessing and I have
come to recognize it not only as one of the most powerful and practical ways we
have for reconnecting with each other, our world and Life itself, but also the
most phenomenal way possible to lead us to happiness and success. It is a
discovery I now endeavor daily to share with all.
A blessing, I have come to
realize, is a sweet release from pain; a sacred reminder that we are made of
love and light and goodness and, as such, part of a greater and most wondrous
whole. It is an ancient key to a successful and fulfilling life.
Today, whenever I share
this phenomenal key with others, explaining how, as we each develop the habit
of blessing others we are blessing our own lives, as well, I feel as if I have
been given a wonderful gift. I realize once again how truly blessed I am. It is
my hope that all who visit this site will be blessed in return. I could not ask
for anything sweeter to my soul than that.
If you have not already
done so, I invite you to accept the Blessing Way Challenge. I believe you will
find, as I have, that the gentle art of blessing will truly and forever change
your life. And thank you so much for your presence here today.
Until next time,
May you be blessed with all things good,
And may you always be aware that you are loved beyond measure, and a
cherished blessing to me.
Kate
I left this comment to Kate today on her blog site......
Kate You I believe
What a
blessing to this world you are.
I'm going to be sharing your message and keeping the blessings going. And may I say, BLESS those who blessed your sneeze on that day. For not all have the courage to speak out and say it, even though it might be a custom. What makes it even more grand in my eyes is that they shouted it over an aisle. It's one thing when you pass a stranger, make eye contact and bless them for a sneeze.... it's quite another thing to say it SIGHT UNSEEN over a distance.
your Dad is *smiling* and so very proud.
Love
Deb
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The following is a link to Kate's web site. The above words were from one of the first posts on Kate's blog.........
"We've focused on
all the world problems
and nothing has really changed.
Maybe it's time
to try something different.
Maybe it's time to bless"... (quote Kate)
1 comment:
Link to Bless You cards you can print out
to share.
http://www.bettertobless.com/blessingcards.html
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