Today, I did something that some people might call silly. It started a few days ago, but I committed myself yesterday evening when I stopped at the post office on the way home to buy an International Reply Coupon. You know, those things you use when you need to send a self-addressed stamped envelope, but you don’t live in the same country.
It all started with Pace & Kyeli recommending Wonderbink. Sheila creates fabulous written art. During my browse around her site, I wandered onto her Ten Thousand Flowers project and was enchanted by the idea. But talk about not being internally consistent. On one hand, I felt silly for wanting to participate and be a recipient of one of her flowers. On the other, I thought it was fabulous beyond words that she had told her “gremlins” to be quiet because she was following her heart no matter what their criticisms.
A few days later, she posted an encouraging follow up post to her misadventures trying to redeem an IRC at her local post office. It made me want to be the one sending an IRC so that she could see if it really was easier the second time around.
Last night, I did it. I bought an IRC (only one person looked at me oddly when I asked to purchase an International Reply Coupon … and he eagerly admitted that he was new). When the experienced clerk said it would cost four dollars and fifty cents, my gremlins reared their not-so-cute little heads.
“See! We told you so. It is silly to do this.”
“That’s wasteful to spend five dollars getting a scribble flower from someone you don’t even know and won’t ever meet.”
“What would your mother say?”
I followed Sheila’s example.
“It’s not silly. It’s whimsical … and I like whimsical!”
“I spend $5.00 on lots of things that are wasteful and you don’t complain. This isn’t wasteful. It’s spreading and receiving joy. That’s world changing. Nothing more important than that!”
The “mother” one was harder, but then I realized that if I told her my other two answers, she would chuckle, shake her head a bit and remember that her daughter is happiest when she’s doing what comes naturally to her. She knows what’s important to me and while she doesn’t always understand, she’s almost always supportive.
Today, I mailed my envelope and IRC. It felt marvellous. This wasn’t about letting go of things that no longer fit. This was about embracing the things I love that make me who I am. I can’t wait for my flower to arrive!
Go on, you know you want a little piece of that joy.
Go check out Sheila the Wonderbink’s Ten Thousand Flowers.
Do something whimsical!
Even if whimsical isn’t your usual thing, it might just surprise you how good it feels =)
BTW, if you’re following along from my last blog post … I wrote this all during daily time hours … lunch, coffee breaks and bus rides … and I didn’t stay up stupid late last night to finish getting it ready to post! YAHOO!
Oh, one more thing I’d love to hear about your whimsical adventures!
Recreating My World 
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