Planting Words

{You are precious.}


I want to be someone's Abileen...

....and plant those priceless 
words of encouragement in 
that person's heart.

~ Paige, Simple Thoughts

As I took our dog Gracie out

a few nights ago and looked up

at the stars, my mind replayed

 Abileen's words....

You is kind.

You is smart.

You is important.

And I thought about

Paige's earnest words

and her desire to raise

someone up so that

they might face life

with courage and grace.

{You are sweet.}


And then it struck me.

Paige is

an Abileen ~

and I am an Abileen ~

and YOU are an Abileen ~

Not just to others,

but to 

ourselves.

Don't we all have

inner tapes that we

rely on, to guide us

through our days,

our nights, our lives?

{You are so loved.}

I was lucky.  I had

a mother who blessed

me, like Abileen did

to Mae Mobely, her

little charge in The Help,

with my own set of mantras

that helped get me through

childhood when times

felt rough.

Pretty is as pretty does.

Always give yourself

high marks....Others can

always knock you down a

peg, but you never should!

Stand up straight.  Be proud

of who you are.

You are worth more than that.

{You are a good friend.}

Just a few of the many tapes

I was armed with.  I hope my 

daughter feels that she has tapes 

of her own to rely on when she 

is feeling insecure about 
something in her life.
My son, too.

Abileens come in many 
forms besides parents.

A favorite uncle.

A special teacher.

An inspiring coach.

A kind neighbor.

A caring minister.

Even the family dog 
can be a big fan, with 

behavior that says,
 You are one great kid!

{I can count on you.}


As adults, we must become our

own Abileens, gently leading

ourselves through each day....

Honey, it's a new day.

Rise and shine.

The world is waiting.

Come on girlie, a few

more laps.  You owe it

to yourself.

Be brave.  You can do

it....you've done it before.

Hang in there.

Don't take it personally.

You are a good friend.

She/he must be having a

bad day.

Some of my inner Abies : )

{I love how you see the world.}

Our inner Abileens keep

us on the right track.  

They help to keep us calm 

and centered.  They say, 

You are loved, 
no matter what.

I truly believe that many of

the people living in prisons

today didn't have an Abileen

to record their tapes.  And it's

 pretty darn hard to make

your own when you don't

have that positive influence

somewhere along the line.

{You matter to me.}

This is where Paige's wish

comes in.  Every day we get the
 chance to embody Abileen and 
lift someone's spirits, in the same 
way you have to encourage 
yourself.

I love how reliable you are.

Your enthusiasm is contagious.

Thank you for your help.

You do that so well.

You made my day.

At home.  At work.  At the grocery.

At the doctor's, the post office,

the gym or the auto shop.  We

can boost others with a smile

and a few kind words.

{You are special.}

Even last weekend on the 

baseball field, I heard

12 year-old boys personifying 

sweet Abileen as they shouted 

encouragement to their 

team mates.....

Way to go!

Great effort!

You can do it!

You're awesome!

I don't think the world

can ever have enough

Abileens.  We are hungry

for affirmation and the

quiet knowledge that

we are kind

we are smart

we are important

no matter how old we

are or how often we hear it. 

{You are amazing.}

Let's make sure

everybody hears it.

xx

Suzanne

Photos of the dog whisperer,

aka my daughter, who blesses

every canine she meets with

a kind word and touch.