I have this brain that's always filled with 101 things I want to do with my time. I pack my days with all sorts of activities from plain old housekeeping to motherhood as well as my creative aspirations. Time passes by and then I realize that I have neglected to dedicate some of my precious minutes to others. I have to push down on the break and remember how important it is to be a positive part of the universe.
Spirit Jump is one of the ways I try to give of myself to others. Spirit Jump is an organization of people that send cards and small gifts to people who are struggling with life threatening illness. The whole idea is to let people know that someone cares when they need that care the most. It's a wonderful group and a simple, yet powerful idea. I'm very happy to be a part of it.
It's easy to join up if you like the idea too. They send emails with short stories about people who need a Spirit Jump and you can reply and ask for their address. You can send one card a year or one a week. I tend to be sporadic, but I have to say, when I make time to lift someone's spirit, it makes me feel so good.
If you think you may struggle with what to say in a card to someone who is terribly ill, I understand. I know I've had a hard time with that myself. What do you say to a stranger who is in pain? I'm sharing one of my cards today. It's not a long note, but it says what I feel and what I want the recipient to know. I made a small heart to go into the envelope and this is what I wrote:
"I crocheted this little heart for you. It's a small token from hands to yours. When you hold it, please know that I am holding you in my thoughts. Love Jennifer"
I had a very nice woman from Ravelry ask me about my Muk Luks. It made me realize it was probably time to get busy and actually making listings for them in my shop. So now there is an official Muk Luks section at Wind Rose Fiber Studio in my ArtFire shop. I only have four pair, but now they are available to buy. I still plan to donate the pair I made from our Mini Muk Luk Crochet-Along. I think they would make a nice Spirit Jump.
If you want to learn a little more about me, I'm featured on ThePearProject.com today. The architect of this project reveals, "The Pear Project is a project I founded in November 2007 about incorporating artisan made goods into your everyday life. In a world of mass produced goods it is important to take a step back and discover the talent and craftsmanship of independent designers."
She is doing a summer series entitled: I Am, I Make, I Believe Her goal is to take a closer look at the modern artist. I am very pleased to be a part of this endeavor and I look forward to reading future posts about my fellow artisans.
Lately, you've been seeing the words Spirit Jump on my blog quite a bit. It is an organization I have joined whose mission is to care for the inner spirit of those struggling with life threatening illness; specifically, but not limited to, cancer.
The bracelet you see here is one that I designed to send to someone in need of a "jump". I don't think I can honestly imagine what someone goes through when they are literally struggling against a disease to stay alive. I've seen it and I've been close to it, but I personally have not lived it.
I don't often get very personal here on my blog, but something I will share is that I don't tend to be a joiner. I'm not a recluse. I think most of my circle would describe me as outgoing and extroverted. Myers Briggs would confirm their point of view, but in spite of this nature, I don't tend to join groups. I think the reason is that it can be overwhelming for me. I tend to feel things deeply and I have a great amount of conviction for what I believe. To be a part of a group, I almost feel like I have to be a lesser version of myself. I have to tone "me" down.
I'm sharing this because it is the reason why it feels remarkable to me that I just jumped right in to being a Spirit Jumper. I have to say that I am not feeling overwhelmed by being part of this group. I feel grateful for this opportunity to connect with other people on a spiritual level. I think it is creatively appealing for me as well. I live to do something; make something. Spirit Jump has created this avenue for me to feel, do and create. What an incredible offering.
Having said all this, I will add that I ponder over the lives of people who do join many different groups. I wonder how they manage their lives. Personally, I try to set very achievable goals for myself. If I exceed them, great, but it's alright if I just make my goal. To help me steady my life which consists of marriage, kids, business, family and friends, I have set a goal of one Spirit Jump a week. I know there are many who do more. Maybe there are some who do less. For me it feels like what I can reasonably maintain. There are so many things I love in life. I am always seeking to master the supreme art of balance!
I've been playing Show and Tell with my little Happy Flower for a couple weeks. Now I finally have one for sale! My brand new Happy Flower has purple petals and a light blue face surrounded by soft, fluffy loops of mohair. Her two leaves are stretched out as if just waiting to give you a big hug!
You can find this Happy Flower and other great gifts at Wind Rose Boutique. Remember, if you are buying a Spirit Jump, let me know for a special discount.
I am pleased to introduce my completed Happy Flower and my third Spirit Jump. Here's a small snippet of the letter that I'm sending with her,
"..I hope she puts a smile on your face. Position her in a place where you can see her often and when you look at her happy face, remember that you are not alone. There are so many of us who care..."
Jump, Happy Flower, Jump!
I've been blogging this week about Spirit Jump. It's a wonderful organization of which I am proud to be a member. Spirit Jumpers are volunteers who send cards or gifts to people fighting serious and often life threatening illness. The gifts are symbols of love sent to lift the spirits of people during a frightening time. Imagine going through chemo and having a really bad day when a package or letter comes to your door. Something out of the blue from a complete stranger letting you know they care. Comfort, hope or just a smile on a down day. That's it. A Spirit Jump.
I can't wait to get the kids involved this summer. I have set a personal goal of Spirit Jumping at least once a week. This week, one of the people in need of a jump mentioned several times how much she likes yarn. I spent last night and this morning making this handspun just for her. It's about 60% Merino, 30% Jacob, with another 10% of Angora, Angelina and Firestar. It's soft with a little sparkle and all of the fiber was dyed and carded right here at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I hope she likes it and more importantly, I hope it lifts her spirit.
Here's my first Spirit Jump gift. This one is going to Destiny along with a little note I've written.
You can find the pattern for this necklace right here on my blog. When I shared the pattern, I called it The Felted Lantern Necklace. This name comes from the shape in the design. It's original name however, was The Hopes and Dreams Necklace. I designed it for my crochet students and inside each little pouch, we placed a colored glass stone. All of the kids got to make a secret wish on their stone before it was felted.
I hope Destiny likes her gift and enjoys making her own secret wish!
There are days when you are just doing your normal activities, for me that's tweeting, plurking, blogging, etc., and you stumble onto something extraordinary. Today was one of those days. I was just checking in with my Plurk friends and one of them had blogged about Spirit Jump. It's an incredible endeavor founded by two young cancer survivors which links gift givers with people who are fighting the disease so that they can lift their spirit. A simple gift or a card is all it takes to let someone know that you care about what they are going through.
I love Spirit Jump and all it stands for. It's a wonderful thing to reach out to people and show you care. One of my first thoughts was that this is a program in which my children can also participate. Together we can make things and send them to people in the hopes of putting a smile on their face. I am always looking for ways to involve my kids in giving. It's so important to me that they grow up realizing that they are part of a whole and that they can make a difference in this world.
To learn more, read on or hop a link to Spirit Jump. From now on, Wind Rose Boutique will give a 20% discount to anyone shopping for a Spirit Jump gift. Just type "Spirit Jump" in the message to seller box at your time of purchase or contact me through the shop.
The Mission of Spirit Jump
If you have a shop, artistic abilities or even an extra card in your drawer and you want to give it to a person in need, send us an email that you want to be a Spirit Jumper at spiritjumper@spiritjump.com We will then connect you directly with a person in need, or we can give you a list of names, a brief description of what their particular cancer battle is and you can choose. When the match is made, We’ll give you that persons mailing address and then it’s up to you to send the gift. It’s a simple.
If you decide to be a Spirit Jumper you will be overwhelmed with the joy and warmth you feel when giving a gift. Additionally, every Spirit Jumper is welcome to write a post on our website and tell our many readers about your shop, blog or website. You may include links, photos and any information you want to be featured on the site. We encourage you to also include why you decided to donate, who you donated to and maybe even a photo of what you donated. This will be wonderful exposure for your shop, blog, website and you will be lifting someone’s spirit, WIN, WIN!
Want to be a Spirit Jumper just email: spiritjumper@spiritjump.com
Need a spirit jump or know someone who does just email: needaspiritjump@spiritjump.com
