Do you believe in fairies?
Do you feel lucky when you have problems?
This blog is dedicated to all my friends who are faced today with challenges that seem far greater than mine. Some I am aware of, others have not been shared.
SPOILER ALERT: This post is about “feelings.” I understand that the readership for my blog is very mixed; therefore even though my blog is a way to keep my family and friends informed of our latest and to perhaps educate the uninitiated with some of the terms and ways of sailing, this is essentially a blog where I post what I need to. Today I need to express some of my feelings. Thank you for joining me on my journey . [OR alternatively you do have the option to stop reading now.]
Today I have been back a week from Shelter Island life and am returning to old routines. I am feeling grateful to have the problems I have, as currently a number of my friends are dealing with some heart wrenching experiences. My soul has been rocked. I want to show not only my sympathy, but I also wish to have empathy, understanding what it is like to be presently walking in their “flip flops.”
I am feeling helpless, not really knowing how to react and help.
As surprising as it may seem, I am not perfect and with this comes the ability to at times possess “envy”. Envy of someone else’s life, their cars, their houses, their boats… and so the list goes on. Today I do not have “problem envy”. I do not wish to bear the burdens, or go down the same path as some of my friends.
As a good friend of mine reminds me, if everyone’s problems were bundled up and put on a shelf, and we had the opportunity to select what problems in life we wanted, we would most likely choose the problems we already had, rather than trade them with someone else.
With these feelings in mind I wanted to share a special place of solace I discovered on my Shelter Island walks…
It is a “Fairy Tree.”
When I was teaching, a co-worker of mine created a fairy garden in the preschool playground. She was the “Preschool Fairy”. It was a lovely opportunity for children to be imaginative and get caught up in the changes in the garden, creating stories as they wondered what was happening in the lives of the fairies who played in their garden when they were not there. These fairies magically disappeared while the children were present. We are never too old to live in the world of make believe. Whenever I see a fairy garden I think of this “Preschool Fairy” who enchanted my life in many ways and continues to enchant the lives of many, as she continues to serve children and their families in a teaching role.
Whether you believe in fairies or not, a “fairy tree” or a ”fairy garden” is a place to escape to, a place to celebrate the joys of life, a place to bury concerns, a place to leave secrets, a place to grow thoughts, a place to be at one with nature, a place to be free of your worries…
I am sending magic fairy dust to all my friends and family from Flapdoodle Chula Vista to all around the world. May you all be strong and able to carry the burdens you carry in your life’s journey. May you find a “fairy tree” and be blessed with time to ponder the wonderful things in your life and to find an escape from the tough world that surrounds you, even if it is only a short reprieve. [Of course your “Fairy Tree” might look very different to this one.]
I will leave you with the Wisdom of the Fairies-
“Believe in Fairies.”
“Be Excellent to One Another”
“I am a MIRACLE, You are a MIRACLE”
“No Hurry, Just Happy”
“Not all those that wander are lost”
“LOVE WINS!”
[NOTE: People were encouraged to take a necklace, a gift from the fairies, if needed. I visited two times and each time different necklaces were hanging.]
All your blogs are feelings blogs but your humility wouldn’t remember that 🙂 I have wondered when a child’s imagination ends and our adult imaginations begin, and why the need to “stigmatize” all imaginations in adulthood as anything BUT ones ability to believe in fairies…….I believe. Thx for validating our imaginations. ,❤️
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I will confess to revealing my feelings in every blog, some are just more loaded. What I love and hold dear with working with young children is their ability to enter the land of imagination so easily and their ability to stay intimately involved despite the fact that usually deep down they can understand that it may not be quite “real”. I loved entering this world with them; but at times I had to make sure that I wasn’t actually frightening the child. I also found it necessary to teach them the difference between fact and fiction understanding what is real and not real particularly with respect to watching TV. Finding that balance of keeping imaginations alive and still being safe and understanding what is real can be tricky. What is sad though is when we discard our childhood and too soon grow up and forget to make believe, play, laugh, be free. May our imaginations always thrive and be available.
Everyone needs a fairy tree. Just saying we are never alone even if we are the only person in the room.
Loved this one, Leticia. Yes, we all carry burdens and have struggles that may not be known by others. Thank God for all the things in life–like friends, imagination, storytelling, music, art, and beauty of all kinds–that help us cope and even escape for a time in order to refresh our souls. Your article reminded me of one of my very favorite authors, George MacDonald. One of my favorites books of his is Lillith. His stories are both simple and deeply profound. They can charm both children and adults. Thanks for your sensitive heart about life and about the struggles of your friends. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings in writing.