Creating MY Happiness Through Unconditional Love:

When I Was A Kid…

I remember walking to the ‘Cedar Center’ strip mall with My Mother during our short-lived Cleveland, Ohio summers, weather permitting, a few times per week.

I remember feeling the warmth of The Sun’s Rays kissing my skin...Throupled with the midsummer Lake Erie Breezes & the hot & humid Lake Effect Winds....& I remember smelling the familiar scents of the blooming flowers & the blossoming trees...I remember hearing the sweet songs of the birds & the blissful buzzing of the bees…& I remember watching the bunnies hop, stop & graze while the squirrels ran street relays &/or played within their own imaginations labyrinth & aerial trapeze maze.

I remember experiencing the freedom of being immersed in Mother Nature...alongside MY Mother Nature…

& MY oh MY! Those are & those will undoubtedly ALWAYS be of some of my best memories, fondest experiences & most cherished days.

My Mother & I would occasionally stop for delicious treats at TCBY Frozen Yogurt, Davis Bakery or Bialy's Bagels…& My Mother & I would always swing by The Fish Market to say ‘Hi’ to Elliot, who eventually became a close family friend & ally...& Elliot even became our very own personal ‘fishmonger’ sensation on our Myrtle Beach end-of-summer family vacations.

My Mother & I were REGULARS at Bernie Shulman’s (Marc’s Deeper Discount), Tuesday Morning, Revco (CVS), both of the mom & pop ‘dollar’ stores & Walgreens.

Those were “our” (well My Mother’s) go-to’s & favorites.

I remember following closely behind as My Mother zipped up & down the aisles leading us on ALL of our shopping adventures through EACH of the various stores. & I remember one of our last stops in EVERY store was the ‘card section’.

& I had to be completely silent for what felt like ENDLESS ETERNITIES as My Mother carefully searched, studied & then finally selected the most suitable card(s) for the occasion(s).

I remember My Mother often expressing her disappointment because the cards just did not accurately convey her energy nor did they articulate My Mother’s sentiments or My Mother’s personality.

...& That’s where it ALL started.

I always thoroughly enjoyed receiving thoughtful & heartfelt cards, but My Mother was right. All of the greeting cards in the retail stores felt very generic & similar.

& As I got older I found myself sending cards to my loved ones, hopeful that I did not send the same ‘Happy Birthday!’, ‘Congratulations!’ or ‘Sorry for Your Loss’ American Greetings & Tender Thoughts as others who may have also likely shopped at the same popular retail chain stores.

5 Years After Graduating From College…

I moved across the country to Houston, Texas & greeting cards soon represented so much more. They became my remote connections to ‘home’, my strength when I felt weak, my support when I felt sad, my physical reminders of my family & my friends & their unconditional love & my sources of light & encouragement.

I started saving each & every greeting card that my loved ones sent to me. & In an age of technology & electronic correspondence, I grew a newfound appreciation for United States Postal Service (USPS) delivered sentiments.

& I DEFINITELY wanted my loved ones to feel SUPER loved, REALLY special, IMMENSELY valued & TRULY appreciated after receiving one of my greeting cards.

But because I was no longer living in the same state & my crafting resources were limited, I knew that I had to get creative on a budget. & So I started buying heavily discounted, quality & really pretty greeting cards from the 99 Cents Only Stores (which thankfully are not located anywhere near where my loved ones reside & so the risk of duplicate cards was no longer a concern).

& Then I purchased cardstock paper, double sided tape, a guillotine paper cutter & scissors from OfficeMax.

Then I got super creative! I personalized, wrote, typed, printed, carefully cut out & taped my own original poems to the insides of the greeting cards.

My plan was successful! & My loved ones always really look forward to receiving their ‘Made With Love: A ThirdEyeUnblind Creation’ greeting cards!

& Last month, I was even gifted with an upgrade for my creative passion. One of my closest friends & supporters (& greeting card recipients) surprised me with a Cricut cutting machine & so now I am able to design the insides, the outsides & the envelopes for my cards as well!!!

I am so grateful that I can accurately capture & convey my thoughts, words & energies to send with love, to my loved ones, thousands of miles away.

I am so grateful for being able to creatively embellish & continue a very cherished family tradition.

I am also so very grateful for the therapeutic benefits that immersing myself in my creative greeting card making element provides for my mental health & well-being.

& I am eternally grateful for how it all started...I remember co-creating & I remember co-sharing those timeless memories with MY Mother Nature...While being immersed in Mother Nature, along our many walking adventures, to the ‘Cedar Center’ strip mall during our short-lived & BEAUTIFUL Cleveland, Ohio summers.

...When I Was A Kid.

Namaste!

Peace, Love & Light,

#ThirdEyeUnblind #672021