I am imagining my almost four-year-old great-grandson Jack, asking his mom if there’s any mail for him. Other times, I picture this tall and lanky boy, who so often appears delighted, walking out to the mailbox in the relative warmth of a Virginia winter to see if there’s a postcard for him, from me, his Gigi.
As most of my friends know, I haven’t seen Jack in person since December 2019 and I haven’t yet met his younger brother Archer, who was born early in Pandemic times, in April of 2020. Their brother Colton joined the family last week.
I wanted new and creative ways to connect with these little boys and it came to me in the form of a weekly postcard to them, called Postcards from Gigi. The fact that I have been sorting through boxes of photos is part of this inspiration.
I often see a photo that connects to something going on in their life, such as a photo of their mom’s first haircut, because Arch may be getting his curly locks shortened, or of their mom and uncle skating because Jack is taking skating lessons, or of me reading to one of their uncles. They love reading.
I cherish the memories depicted in the postcards and enjoy their mom and dad’s responses to the cards, as well as Jacks’. Here’s what REALLY delights me. I have received some postcards from Jack. Maybe my fave picture of the year is this one of Jack with such delight on his face when he’s trying on cowboy boots. Makes my heart sing.
Have you found some creative ways to connect with your family? Are you finding ways to nourish your creativity?
Unlocking Creativity
Creativity: I continue to appreciate the creative potential of Julia Cameron’s work. Her bestselling book The Artist’s Way drew on two key components for unlocking creativity: Morning Pages and Artist Dates. Morning Pages involve stream of consciousness writing and Artist Dates are solo expeditions to explore something that interests or delights. I also meet every second week with my friend Debra, who is also a guest blogger, to talk about and share our creative work. This visit is always encouraging and inspiring. Check out my post on Morning Pages Again and Elise Loehnen’s recent interview with Julia Cameron on awakening the inner creative.
Photography: I have a long-time passion for photography and took a lot of photos with my 1973 Pentax Spotmatic, some of which show up in the postcards for Gigi. I nourish this passion in a variety of ways, by taking more photos of course, writing blogs on beauty, and joining photography sites. I especially enjoy this Saskatchewan Scenery site.
Connection: We know how connection in person is meaningful and that it can provide that oxytocin hit that is so good for our health. For now, I am relying on other ways to connect. I love that I can see my great grandsons on FaceTime, playing and on their mama’s knee, or when their grandpa Dave posts a video of them playing with their uncles, eating, helping Grandma Kari in the kitchen – it really doesn’t matter what they are doing. We aren’t connecting in person, but I still feel that calmness and softening of the heart, that contributes to my well-being.
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