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Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

Hello !

What a week, my friends. I feel like I am in a tender place right now, in which is where blessings are there to be treasured.

It’s still Friday in my part of the world, almost 9pm, but I want to inspire you to pause for a few minutes what you are doing, close your eyes, and pick 5 things that really made you happy this week. It’s totally okay if you have to think to find it. I know you will find (don’t be shy, and share in the comments or on your blog if you want).

This week, I’m thankful for:

• Care package I receive from a dear Soul Sister, all the way from England.
• Friends, in general. The ones who know you and love you anyway. Being able to communicate despite living far away, for some, and the proximity of others.
• Celebrating Grenouille’s 8th birthday, she felt the Love.
• Talking about tattoos. Pinning what is inspiring me (I think I have my final idea for my next one, will have to sketch now).
• New products from Lindy Stamp Gang ¹. The Mad Hatter line is rocking my world !
• My love of learning (right now, I’m teaching myself how to use Adobe Premiere to make more professional looking videos for you and future online classes)
• Spending the day at the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition), despite me not wanting to go in the first place, and then enjoying some rides at Playland with the girls (I have a masochistic love for scary high sensational rides, that Grenouille shares with me).
• Picking up the 6th season of Criminal Minds at our public library.
• Painting. Getting excited about painting again.
• Indulging in a beautiful necklace from my darling Kelly Barton, and some Spiritual Witchy goodness from The Sage Goddess.
• Seeing what my creative friends are currently doing. SO.Much.Goodness !!! it’s crazy.
• Truths being told honestly, even when coming from a very raw place…
• Having my brother-in-law is always a pleasure.

¹: To honour Labor Day, enter LABORDAY at checkout to get 25% off your entire purchase. You’re welcome 😉

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post): [linkme]

You have only 3 days left to take advantage of the early bird price for Soul Food, $99 (from September 1st, it will be $125). It will be such an amazing experience.

You will have 2 videos a week for 26 weeks. PLUS the actual recipes everyone will share (I’ve seen the list, you will be amazed by the diversity).

I hope you’ll join us: http://www.mystele.com/soul-food/

Note that this happened yesterday, but much did happen after I started writing it… I almost decided against sharing it with the world. but I am practicing what I preach: I speak my Truth.
This morning, my eyes are hurting and puffy from all the crying. My body is telling me «thank you for all the stress and clenching of yesterday *insert sarcasm». But I still want to share it, for a reason I can’t pinpoint yet.

I wasn’t planning on sharing any of what happened today. Not even with my Husband (and we tell each other the honest truth on everything, whether we like it or not). (Note: I did talk to him about what happened, and he heard their side of it too).

See, this selfie was taken right after I ended up, curled up as a giant ball, on our sofa. Crying my a** off. Joined a few minutes later by these two, who hugged me tight and apologized and said they loved me and were happy I was their Mama.

See, just before me become a giant crying ball, I was yelling. Screaming. At my 6 1/2 years old daughter. I even thought I was crazy for lashing out, especially at my kid. No kid should ever be addressed to like that, and despite it, I could not help myself and heard words like “I’m sick of us all being your slave. Of you thinking everyone has to do what you want when you want how you want but when we kindly ask you one little thing you decide to ignore us completely. You are the kid, you are the one that should listen.”

I hit the floor with my hand and broke my bracelet. I lost it, my mind it is. And I’m ashamed. And guilty. But still, sharing it here so any parent, or even grown up child, knows that it happens. I’ve been trying to talk gently, for days. Weeks. And this ice cream tantrum she was having was the drop that made me lose it (with other stuff but trying to go straight to the point). I should have known that the day was not going to be an easy one when in the morning she decided to cross her arms on her chest, and answered something I said with a «if you don’t do {whateveritactuallywas}, I won’t list to you at all today» and left the room we were in.

I told them how sorry I was (and went on over-apologetic mode), they apologized, hug, told me they loved me and would never leave me, they were blessed we were the family we are. I had Koala promise me to tidy up her room… and they did not. It was a Hell of a day, from start to finish (it took Grenouille 5 hours to clean her room. that could have been done in 30mn tops).

However, in all that mess, there were blessings. I am learning parenting every single day with them, there’s not a day we live in which we are not learning something about ourselves as beings, and as part of a tribe.

She’s 8 today.

Opening presents throughout the day so she makes it last longer.

We had sushi at our favorite Japanese restaurant.

Friends are coming to celebrate.

She’s 8 today.

Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

Hola !

The week Grenouille (My tomorrow 8yo daughter) was waited for is finally here. Squeelings of excitement are non stop since thursday (thank you for painkillers).

I need to be quite short today, because I have a very long to-do list to help me tackle tomorrow: 8 years old is a big deal apparently. And I want her to feel our love (I am thinking a dozens of balloons put in her bedroom while she sleeps, and she would discover it when she wakes up).

This week, I am thankful for:

ʘ Friends. Near and Far. 
ʘ Parrain Pierre (both our daughters’ Godfather, Cheridoo’s brother) is here for his annual visit
ʘ Visual Quest
ʘ Cocktails nights (my husband is getting good !)
ʘ New perspectives. 
ʘ Being one of Lindy Stamp Gang’s Elite Designer
ʘ Taking care of my health and the food I put in my body
ʘ Hope
ʘ The Civil Wars new album (hoping there will be more despite their internal crisis)
ʘ New books
ʘ Symbols

How was your week ? What are a few things that currently fills your heart ?

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post): [linkme]