In the spirit of author Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s work, 16 inspiring and creative bloggers (including me!) set out to “Plant a Kiss” in the world on Sunday, April 29. We each did something we thought would spread a little extra joy, color, connection, poetry, or magic in the world. Then we watched to see what would happen! Today each of us is posting about that experience.
Click here to visit the main Plant a Kiss page, where you can easily link to all participating bloggers. For every blog that you visit and comment on, your name will be tossed into a hat for a chance to win one of many amazing prizes such as online writing, photography, or dream-building classes; coaching sessions; artwork, or jewelry.
www.simplycelebrate.net/plant-a-kiss-day
www.simplycelebrate.net/plant-a-kiss-prizes
Ay Yi Yi !
One of the great things about being a teacher is that you teach what you need to learn – and if you know me, you know that I teach people how to access their natural voice and say things simply. I’m also a real hero at helping people down that ladder of perfectionism, encouraging them to be themselves, and to let go.
So it’ll be no surprise that I had no idea what to do with this project and that I struggled to come up with the BEST IDEA IN THE WORLD! Which shut me down completely. Should I find a poem and tack copies of it up on the lamp posts around my town? Should I hand write love letters to all of the people I harbor evil thoughts about? I knew that my friend Sherry was going to blow bubbles in the park, and that Maya was going to bring her typewriter to N.Y. and get people to sit down and write. My friend Mary Orr even brought over a beautiful lemon with a note about Plant a Kiss attached to it. It seemed so easy for everyone. Why couldn’t I come up with something simple as well?
I decided to spend Saturday night – no – not coming up with the project – which was due the next day – but watching episode after episode of Downton Abbey. Maybe I’d get inspired. But when I turned out the light at midnight all I could think about was whether Mary and Matthew would finally fling themselves at one another and get it on behind the barn.
Sunday morning – crunch time.
I promise myself that I’ll keep it simple, that it doesn’t matter what I do, that it’s the action that counts. I mean, here I am stressing over how to spread love and joy in the world. I decide to do something I never ever do, which is to watch another episode of Downton Abbey while I drink my morning coffee. This is so decadent, you’d think it was my birthday or something. And what’s up with Mary and Matthew? Is she really going to accept the proposal from that man who doesn’t love her but thinks they’ll make a good “team?”
I can’t take it anymore. I have to get up. Sherry is probably at the park by now and Maya has had at least 20 people sit down at her typewriter to compose poems. So I get up and go to my studio to see what I can do with a little glue and paper. Keep it simple, keep it simple, I mutter to myself. Good enough, good enough, I chant.
And while it was fun to make a piece of art, and a relief to have the nice Pakistani man at Kinkos print a stack of cards for me, what made me happiest was when I picked up my 14-year-old from her sleepover a few hours later – the cards still in the Kinkos bag because I felt too shy to put them on people’s windshields or in their mailboxes like I had intended. I told Zoe about my situation, that I had to distribute these cards somehow. “No problem,” she said.
We drove to the market to pick up some items and the next thing I knew, Zoe was out of the car with a stack of art postcards in her hand. In the market she stuck some in a pile of tomatoes. Another stack was wedged in near the bananas. When I walked past the juice aisle I saw my cards standing at attention near bottles of apple juice. Aisle after aisle, everywhere I turned Zoe had hidden my cards in places that shoppers might stumble upon, and which might even make them happy.
But guess who was the happiest and most joyful of all? Me!
I love the hell out of you, Lulu. This is exactly right.
I would LOVE to find a special note at the grocery store….knowing me, I would read it and return it in case it was lost !
What a wonderful post. 🙂 Your idea was so inspirational and creative! I wonder if here in the northern NJ burbs – I could Plant a Kiss – hmmm – thanks for getting me thinking and hopefully sharing! xxx
Way to go, Zoe!
I love your story about this as much as I love the beautiful card you designed. You keep inspiring me every day. xoxo Mary
Laurie!!!!! I love you to death! I love your humor. I love your honesty. I love your style. I love your art. I love your edge. I am grinning as I read this post. And I’m thinking, “damn, this outshines my bubble mob!”
Today what is making me the happiest is seeing how everyone allowed themselves to be exactly who they are. Not to push too hard. But to push enough.
This is it: “I’m also a real hero at helping people down that ladder of perfectionism, encouraging them to be themselves, and to let go.”
You, my dear, are one yummy kiss on this planet Earth!
xo
P.S. Kisses to Zoe!!!! That girl rocks. 🙂
This totally rocks!!
rock on woman – rock on!
xxxooo
Love it!
this makes me smile all the way to my toes!!
I really love this (and perhaps especially because I had a recent “decadent” obsession with Gossip Girl myself…). Thank you for calling a spade a spade – we so often put so much pressure on ourselves to come up with “just the right thing,” when in reality, just doing SOMEthing – anything – with good-hearted intention is a “kiss” well-planted. So thank you for this.
Im so inspired…. Thank you!
You instilled enthusiasm even before you knew you had begum.
I could so see myself in the same place….first the over-thinking which would lead to procrastination then FINALLY having created something but unable to execute the final piece of the plan because of my fears of the possibility of judgement…which of course comes from inside more than outside.
Kudos to Zoe for just going for it!!!
Love your writing!
So funny!
Thank you for putting a smile on my face. And for all the reminders so wonderfully tucked in your writing. 🙂 Yay!
Love,
Jen ♥
😀 perfect! thanks for sharing
I am right there with you on the couch watching another episode of DA! Sometimes the simplest projects become overwhelming because I want them to be perfect. The art turned out beautifully and I know I would have been delighted to see that card in among my tomatoes!
Ah so glad to read your over-thinking have transformed into happiness! It is a great idea!!
Your description of yourself, and what you went through, describes me to a T. How paralyzed you became in your quest for perfection. Your story was so inspirational in that you did it! And something so wonderful! And that you reached out for support from someone who loved you. This story is kinda perfect. Thanks for sharing.
This is EXACTLY what I would have done in this situation! Though the TV show might have been different. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!
I love this mama-daughter inspiration so much. I’ve been inspired to try things that I was reticent about after the encouragement of Dylan, who can be sure to be there asking, “What’s the worse thing that can happen if I still love you then?”
I’d love to follow that card back to the home of the person it found…see what inspiration comes then.
Missing you BIG.
Love, love, love, Sonya
What a great idea! I take heart from your cards! New day! Fresh start! Thank you!
This is great! I was laughing out loud as I read your post, Laurie. I had a very similar shut-down with the project. 🙂
Yours ends so magically, so beautifully, so simple! I love it. You continue to inspire me! xo
Love you cards. Thanks for sharing
Sometimes the best way to make others happy is to make ourselves happy. And thank goodness for the loving kindnesses of our family and friends, who allow us to pay it forward.
I’m enjoying the Kiss stories so much. I love making postcards and sharing them.
What colorful, creative & lovely ‘kisses’ you planted. “create the world you wish to see”
I love love love this idea! I would be so happy to find a card and leaving them hidden would make be absolutely giddy. I’m completely taking this idea! Thanks so much.
Love this plant a kiss idea! and everyone came up with such lovely ideas <3
p.s. have always loved your intro to sabrina's book 😉
Amy
fate-filledtimes.blogspot.ca
Sweet!!
Awesome!! That is great! Hopping around these blogs today reading about plant a kiss has given me just the lift I need! Your art card is beautiful…. I would love to be a fly on the wall and watch all the discoveries being made. :o)
I can totally relate to that perfectionist struggle! Glad you got some help in spreading the love 🙂 Beautiful card with a great message–another kind of sustenance in the grocery store.
You did it !!! And I know I would have happily picked up one of your BEAUTIFUL cards!!!
This is so cool! It would have made my day to find one (or more) of those cards in Lucky’s or Safeway. Also, I know what you mean about Downton Abbey. I am totally addicted also and up to the last episode of season #2. If you are not that far along I am telling you NOTHING baby!
That’s a great idea. I have to say that ’cause I did something like that even though I’d never heard about it before and thought I was crazy! I tore up some envelopes into small pieces, decorated the pieces with a few inspirational words then when I went to the city, I secretly posted them in bathroom stalls. There were so many negative things written in different bathrooms, I wanted to put something positive out there. But I couldn’t write on the walls; that was bad. Sticking my messages there felt like I was being enough of a rebel! I hoped that maybe one person would feel better because of my craziness! So Planting a Kiss is awesome. It is a beautiful, beautiful idea. Kudos to you (from one perfectionist to another) for getting past the perfect idea and rocking someone’s world with your cards! Peace.
Wow, I would have loved to be in that supermarket to find one of those cards. And I love the plant-a-kiss-idea. I had the book already bookmarked, but will need to buy it now for sure. A good cause for some of my birthdaymoney to go to 🙂
Thanx for the inspiration!