The greatest gift you will ever offer someone is far more precious than anything wrapped in ribbon or bought with wealth. It’s the silent permission you give them to feel safe in their own skin, to breathe without fear, and to embrace their true essence without the need to shrink or apologize. It’s the quiet, unspoken acknowledgment that they are worthy, not because of what they do, but because of who they are, in all their imperfect, raw humanity.

To gift someone the feeling of being enough is to hold up a mirror not to what they lack but to the brilliance they already possess. It is to strip away the layers of doubt and insecurity that the world has cast upon them, allowing them to see themselves clearly for the first time, radiant and whole. They no longer need to strive or perform in your presence, for you have created a space where their soul can rest, where they are loved for simply being.

This gift is not loud or grand; it doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. It is a whisper in the quiet moments, a gentle reassurance when their confidence wavers, a steady hand when they feel unsteady. You give them permission to stand tall in their own truth, knowing that they are not too much or too little. They are, and profoundly, enough.

When you offer this gift, you become the light in their darkest corners, the warmth in their coldest doubts. You become the one who sees them, truly sees them, beyond the masks they wear for the world. And in your seeing, they begin to believe in themselves again, trust in their own worthiness, and know that they don’t have to earn love—they already deserve it.

This is the gift that changes everything. It is the gift of belonging, of being seen and held without judgment, of being allowed to take up space in the world as they are. In giving this gift, you are telling them, with every action and word, that they are whole, worthy, and enough. And that is a gift that no one can take away.

Katie Kamara

too late...

 

When we are young, we want to look older. And when we are old, we want to look younger. And there is a window in the middle of it all when we’re supposed to look as we wish. But we waste that time wishing we were taller or thinner or curvier,
our hair was longer or shinier, curlier,
parts of our body were firmer and perkier
and that we’d started to use anti-wrinkle cream earlier. And by the time we realise we were perfect just as we were, the window has closed.

It is too late. Too late to realise that all those things never really mattered in the first place. But it’s never too late to start letting go.

To stop wanting, stop wishing. It’s never too late to accept yourself. To look in the mirror and realise that all along, you never needed to look older or younger or anything else. You just needed to look like you.

Becky Hemsley 2023

Hard lessons everyone should learn in their life

1. You will be replaced no matter who you are.
2. No matter how well you show it, the people around you will believe whatever they want.
3. You may not be your best friend's best friend.
4. Every human being will give more importance to the person they love than the person who loves them.
5. The smarter you are, the more people will avoid you.
6. Simplicity exists in rich people as well as poor people and you don't have to have that much money to realize that money isn't everything in life.
7. There is always something you can do with what you have. We are more capable than we think.

this...

I do not want to be remembered as a woman who was always exhausted.

I do not want to be remembered as a woman who was always stressed, always busy, always rushing, always holding herself together and pushing through.

I would like to be remembered as a relaxed woman, a compassionate woman, a curious, joyful, pleasure-loving woman.

A woman who works hard and rests deeply, who loves fiercely and lives peacefully.

A woman who knows her worth and her power, who accepts her imperfections and her vulnerabilities, who embraces her limitations and possibilities.

A woman who laughs and cries and aches and loves and is enchanted by the mess and magic and mundaneness of this beautiful, shimmering life.

Nicola Jane Hobb

this is true but still depressing..

                                     

Ooh!!! I would so love to do this!!!

                                

The train route from San Francisco to New York is one of the longest and most scenic in the United States, crossing a wide range of landscapes and regions. The service is operated by Amtrak, but there is no direct train, usually requiring a transfer in Chicago. Here's a summary of the route:

Departure: San Francisco, California (Emeryville Station)
The journey typically begins at Emeryville Station, as there is no Amtrak station in San Francisco itself. However, there is a connecting bus service from downtown San Francisco. Train: California Zephyr

From Emeryville, passengers board the California Zephyr, one of Amtrak’s most iconic routes. This train travels through the heart of the United States, passing stunning landscapes like the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.
Key destinations: Sacramento, Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha.
Travel time: Approximately 51-52 hours from Emeryville to Chicago.

Transfer in Chicago
At Chicago Union Station, passengers need to switch trains. The train that typically continues to New York is the Lake Shore Limited.
This train follows the route along Lake Michigan and the Hudson River before reaching New York.
Key destinations: Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany.
Travel time: Approximately 20 hours from Chicago to New York.

Arrival: New York (Penn Station)
The journey ends at Penn Station in New York, located in the heart of Manhattan.
Total travel time:
Approximately 70 to 75 hours (depending on layover and transfer times in Chicago).

Credits: Curiosidades

The Contented Crone

I've always wanted, very much, to be that woman.

The old one, with the hair like silver that seems to radiate its very own source of light.

The one with the knowing smile that hints at humour ever present and a life that's been full of belly laughter.

The woman with the deep lines in her weathered skin, lines etched out by adventure, by joy, by fear, and by growth.

I imagined how I'd float rather than walk because I no longer bear the weight of the world on my shoulders and I marvelled at how my days would be full to the brim with resting and noticing the world around me.

I would not care for thoughts of guilt because by then I would have learned that resting is doing, and is very important indeed.

There I would be reading, gardening, eating food I had grown and passing my little nuggets of wisdom down, to anyone who wanted to listen.

The contented crone.

The final phase of the journey of womanity.

No chasing youth for me, I will be languishing, loudly, in the joy of my age and my luck at having got so far.

I've always wanted, very much, to be that woman.

Join me, if you like.

Donna Ashworth