Kindred Spirits

A Kindred Spirit, by definition, is someone who shares beliefs, attitudes, and feelings with another [person]. For some people, Kindred Spirits can also be animals, such as is revealed in the book, Kindred Spirits: how the remarkable bond between humans and animals can change the way we live, by Dr. Allen M. Schoen, DVM. In this book, the word kindred is used to describe the similarities between humans and animals, their shared kinship, spiritual and emotional connections. ( I personally feel great kindred connections to all of the animals in my life).

I know that reading Anne of Green Gables inspired me to find Kindred Spirits in my own life. Anne Shirley made it sound so appealing and comforting to have one;

"A bosom friend--an intimate friend, you know--a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.  I've dreamed of meeting her all my life.  I never really supposed
I would, but so many of my loveliest dreams have come true all at once that perhaps this one will, too.  Do you think it's possible?"

I am privileged to have (and had) Kindred Spirits in my life. I believe the most powerful of these "spirits" was my grandmother, who was affectionately known as Nana. We had a deep and meaningful connection, and at a very young age, I knew we shared a mutual respect and understanding that did not exist between anyone else I knew. With her, I experienced compassion, kindness, love, caring and an easy sharing of the good, the bad, and the ugly, without the fear of judgment or expectation.

As an Aries in the astrological world, some of my closest friends are also fellow Ariens, and we share the closeness of Kindred Spirits in our relationships. I feel comfortable around them, connect on several levels, share core values, and know I can count on them when I need help, a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. We can joke freely and snort when we laugh, be seriously serious, share our thoughts and knowledge about exciting or boring topics, give opinions and advice, and be undying superheroes for each other when required.

Kindred Spirits may also be of the opposite sex, in romantic or non-romantic relationships; many people have claimed their spouses to be Kindred Spirits. A couple may meet that have both come from very bad previous relationship situations; a bond is then reached because they share an understanding of what the other has been through where they feel no one else truly understands.  Through this they become Kindred Spirits.

 

I am fortunate and very blessed to know Kindred Spirits that "get me" with my idiosyncrasies, quirks, and faults, and accept me just as I am. We are in sync with each other, trust each other implicitly, and are intensely committed to sharing our lives and the kindred spirit of love that we feel for each other. 

Act your age!?

I recently celebrated a birthday; and no; the number of years will not be divulged; I believe it is irrelevant anyways. 

I had a very blessed day.  Several family and friends wished me well on my day. The sun shone brilliantly, the temperature reached a glorious +10 and I laughed my way through most of the day. Typically, on any given day, and this one was no exception, I end up laughing at myself, because, truth be told, I refuse to "act my age" when around friends and family, because I have a youthful spark that reignites on a regular basis. 

I have a quirky sense of humor and people I have befriended and have worked with know to expect the unexpected from me. We have to celebrate life as much as possible, because time flies no matter how well planned you think your existence is. A familiar quote I have restated over the years, "If you want to make God laugh, make plans" is oh so true and not to be ignored. Having experienced the recent loss of a pet, knowing a devoted family man who lost his life to cancer in a matter of weeks, and sharing prayers for a newly married young woman who experienced a life altering vehicle accident, I daily gain a new appreciation of life on this earth. 

Don't get me wrong, in a professional capacity, I act my age and deal appropriately as the situation demands. But even in the workplace, I have adopted the "Fish" Philosophy made famous at Pike's Fish Marketplace in Seattle. Their employees follow 4 basic customer service philosophies that have been adopted by libraries and other workplace environments, service groups, etc.;

1. Have Fun; with your co-workers/staff and the customers; lighten up!

2. Be There; place your full attention on your customer and give them the service and respect they deserve

3. Make Their Day; make others appreciate their experience so much that they will want to return and will tell others about their great experience.

4. Choose Your Attitude; choose to be objective, be happy, to be present, to be friendly and gracious. 

You can follow these guiding principles no matter how old you are, and not just in the workplace either; the more I practice them, the younger I feel, and the more I want to share them with others to make any experience better.

So what do I do to act younger? I practice random acts of kindness whenever and wherever I can; people rarely expect these anymore (sadly).  I turn up the music and sing along (when no one else is around of course; my voice isn't that great), I dance in my living room for exercise and to reduce stress....and on my birthday, well let's just say I decided I didn't like the large piles of snow laying around since it is, after all, supposed to be spring.  To break up the piles into meltable (I know that's not a word, but it works here for me) portions, I merrily stomped and jumped on the snow, and klutz that I am, lost my balance and ended up doing a classic full frontal plant, face first, in the snow; sorry, the pictures also will remain unseen! I could have suffocated I was laughing so hard, and after laughing themselves silly at my crazy antics, I was hauled up and out by two family members. Hence, the laughing at my expense; but it helped to burn off some of the supper calories before digging into the birthday cheesecake.  It's always good to take an objective look at any situation.

I have told my family that I will never act my age, and to expect that from me. This year, I am living 13 all over again, since I will be seeing my favorite band from that time period in my life, the Doobie Brothers, in May. As well, watching the movie, "Secretariat" after experiencing the Triple Crown in my family living room, I may have the opportunity to get an autographed picture of jockey, Ron Turcotte on Secretariat, through an acquaintance.  I am also wild about flowers, and long to have fresh flowers around all the time; not only to see and appreciate their life and their color, but to pass by the arrangement several times during the day and breathe in their intoxicating aroma.  All these things bring such excitement and exuberance that I can hardly contain myself; what is that? Craziness? No, methinks it is youthfulness, and appreciation for life and its blessings and gifts.  I hope and pray that I continue to feel that way about many things in my lifetime.

And for when spring really comes--I'll be hauling out my purple bike, my birthday gift from last year, so I can go shopping and deck it out with reflectors, a bell, basket, and whatever else might catch my [young] eyes.