People of all ages enjoy receiving Valentines. In order of popularity, Valentine’s Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.

In Medieval times people who couldn’t write their names, signed with an X in front of a witness.   The person then kissed the X to show they were sincere.   This is why many think that the X has been associated with the kiss when people write X and O for kisses and hugs.

The city of Verona, Italy, which is where Shakespear’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived,  receives 1000 letters addressed to Juliet each Valentine’s Day.  This inspired the movie, Letters to Juliet.

The oldest existing love poem is written on a clay tablet and dates from the time of the Sumarians who invented writing around 3500 B.C.

Candies were among the earliest Valentine gifts, the most common being chocolates in heart-shaped boxes.  More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold this year.

About 3% of pet owners will give a Valentine’s Day gift to their pet.

Bonnie Holidays all ages, Letters to Juliet, Valentine Facts, Valentine's Day

Easter offers an enjoyable opportunity for inter-generational fun.  Why not gather the grandchildren or neighbors for an egg painting party?  Even a two year old can dye and color eggs.  All ages can participate – toddlers, teens, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents.   You may begin an annual tradition!

• Make baskets to offer to friends.  The baskets that berries and fruit or potatoes come in can be decorated with ribbon and grass and filled with eggs.
• Decorate a branch or small tree with eggs.
• Organize an Easter egg hunt in a yard or the neighborhood park.
• Run races where each person must run with an egg in a spoon.
• Have an egg roll, where you are on all fours and push the egg with your nose.

Most important is to enjoy!  This is a wonderful way to share your age-esteem.

Bonnie Across-generations, Entertainment & Fun, Holidays age-esteem, all ages, Easter eggs, egg painting party, egg roll, inter-generational

As we honor women of the world, I am grateful to the

• Women of previous generations who have opened possibilities and opportunities for me.
• Women who are models of what we can aspire to be, have and do.
• Women who have blazed trails and opened the access to new opportunities  for all women.
• Women who have encouraged, supported and prodded us to take initiative.
• Women who have created space for us to speak up and to speak out, to have a voice that is heard.
• Women who have stepped aside so a younger woman could leave her own prints.
• Women who taught us the importance of our own thoughts and contributions.
• Women of all ages who continue to light the way with age-esteem.

Bonnie Holidays age-esteem, all ages, International Women's Day, models, opportunities

AgeEsteem touches people of ALL ages.

When a friend’s son was about to turn 16, he went through a terrible stage of insecurity.  He was convinced that no one liked him.  He didn’t feel a part of his peer group.  He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do or that he was even good at anything.

My reaction was to purchase a variety of cards and rummage through drawers at home to find more.  The end result was a real mix of styles and messages.  I then gave a stamped envelope and card to multiple friends and colleagues asking them to simply address the card in their own handwriting and to sign it with just their first name, or one that they thought would be fun to find on a card.  The outcome was a flood of 15 birthday cards.

A few weeks later I bumped into his mother and asked how her son’s birthday had turned out.  She explained it had gone very well.   Her son had received lots of cards, some from people he thought he knew; others he was less sure about.  He figured one of the girls at school whom he likes must have spread the word about his birthday.  His mother said that it had cut through his depressive mood to know friends cared.  He was feeling better about himself.

Did I ever let on that I was responsible?  Absolutely not!  This is one time when the mystery had to be lasting.

There are times when it is effective to remain anonymous, but not always.  It is for you to decide.

AgeEsteem is loving yourself at the age you are today so you can share love with others, either anonymously or openly.

Bonnie Across-generations, Life Stages - Ages 16, AgeEsteem, all ages, birthday cards, love, secret admirer