{ DAY 416 }

Dear Reader,

I’m sitting here on a Sunday evening at my kitchen table wishing that I had something profound or clever to share with you….or even something to say in general.  Beware, I certainly don’t.  Yet, I hope on the day you read this I can give you a little gift.  Pull up a chair and sit a moment.  Ahh you already are?  Good. Breath, just let the oxygen swell your lungs with life.  Pause.  Selah.  Rest.  This weekend I went to a bridal shower, a modeling gig, a luncheon, church, and the most fabulous birthday party for my five year old niece.  It was a full and wonderful time but thankfully I never really felt rushed.  There’s something that I noticed though in all those places…lives.  Not surprising really considering that there are over seven billion people on this spinning planet.  I met new faces and hugged old friends and my story touched theirs and theirs mine.  Whether it was a short amount of time or a more extended one our lives intertwined for that space of being.  All these people have hopes and dreams or maybe theirs have been squashed right out of existence, but they all have stories.  Those stories are beautiful and messy.  Those stories are real and precious.  Your story is too.  Might I encourage you to draw someone out today with whom you have an interaction?  Maybe it will be the barista on your way to grab coffee, the person sitting next to you on the bus, a grocery store attendant, your student, your boss, your coworkers, your children, your spouse, or your friend.  Here’s the exciting part.  You can make someone smile just by caring about their story.  I recently read an excellent article on charisma and it was stating how a person with charisma gives their full attention to the person they are with.  So the next person you come in contact with try stopping, seeing, and hearing the real answer to how their day is.  Draw them out and make them feel special, because they are.  So are you.  I hope you hear a story today and I hope you get to share some of yours in return.  Let’s stop to truly care.  Lives are the most worth while thing to invest in yet so often we just rush right by them in an attempt to get to the next group or task.  Pause and take in some life today.  Your attention is a priceless but inexpensive gift and will probably mean the world to someone. 

Sincerely
miss elaini

P.S.  Feel free to leave a comment and share with me a little of your life/day.  I love hearing from you wonderful people!

(Photos by: Christa Taylor)  While we were shooting this Christa almost got run over by a car, we had some random guys yelling at us and trying to get our attention, and we had to move from a spot where we almost got suffocated by the exhaust from a truck.  Welcome to adventures with C&E. 😉   Also a big thank you to Christa for not only shooting these pictures but styling them as well.

Also I’m still looking for some willing people to be a part of the 2013 fundraising team.  Do you want to help sweet orphans in India?  Now is your chance!  Email me at misselaini @ gmail.com (remove spaces) if you’re interested!