My wish to you on this Valentine’s Day is that you be your own Valentine and love yourself as much as you love others.  Be your own Valentine this year!

Bonnie Fatio

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.

Who are your Valentines?  Who do you love?  Who is important to you?

Valentine’s Day offers a unique occasion to take stock of who matters to you. –  And what a joyous opportunity to express your feelings.

Whether you purchase cards or create your own personalized messages specific to each of your Valentines, they are certain to be appreciated.

• Make a list of the people who matter to you and perhaps some who you may know less well but who need a lift.  Include people of all ages.  Many are lonely.
• Select your Valentine cards or simply cut out a heart in colored paper and write a message on it, or make a collage like the one above.
• Add your own special message expressing why the person is special to you.
• If you don’t have enough time to prepare Valentines, why not phone each person and let them hear the message directly from you.

It may surprise you to discover what a boost it can be to your own age esteem and positive attitude as you do this to make others feel good.

Bonnie Fatio

My wish for you at every age is to

• Live each day fully.
• Stretch your body, mind and spirit.
• Embrace new experiences.
• Share your talents with others of all ages.
• Learn something new each day.
• Celebrate frequently.
• Seek the positive in each person and experience.
• Give thanks for the blessings of your life.
• Meet new challenges with a sense of adventure.
• Greet each new day with anticipation and zest.
• Become a living model of AgeEsteem for those who meet you!

Bonnie Fatio

This year instead of making New Year’s resolutions, why not make a promise to yourself?

A promise is so much more powerful than a resolution.  Resolutions are usually statements about what we will not do.  We look back and try to correct our behaviors.  A promise is focused on realizing something that we want to do.  It is proactive and positive.

I challenge you to set a date with yourself with the goal of focusing on your dreams and passions.  What would you like to do in 2011?

• Is there a dream that you have tucked away and tried to forget?  Allow it to surface in your thinking and promise yourself to realize it in 2011.
• Do you have a passion that you have been smothering?  Release that passion and promise yourself to act on it in 2011.
• Are you wondering what your passion or dream is?  Ask yourself this question.  “If I knew I could not fail, if I could only succeed, what would I be doing now?”  Listen closely to your answer and promise yourself to bravely embrace that passion or dream and make it real.

2011 will become the year that you make it become.  Promise yourself to live your passion and realize your dream.  It is never too late, but only you can make it happen.  Start today and shine with Age Esteem in 2011!

Bonnie Fatio

Home alone for Christmas?  This blessed Christmas season can be a lonely one for many of us.  This becomes especially true as we mature and our children leave home, marry and have their own families and traditions.  Not everyone can travel long distances to be together.

If you are going to be alone, why not create some new traditions of your own?  Age Esteemers know that when you are reaching out to others, you no longer feel lonely.  Why not plan some activities like these?

• Find out if help is needed at the local soup kitchen for the hungry, reading the Christmas Story to people in the hospital, or distributing gifts to the poor.  Most churches and communities have programs like these.
• Search out others of all ages who might be alone and organize Carol singing on Christmas eve followed by hot chocolate and conversation, a homemade or white elephant gift exchange, or party to play board games.
• Bake cookies or candy or make candles or decorations that you can wrap and deliver to people who you know will not be able to leave their homes.  Your visit when you deliver your gift will be precious.  It may prove to be the greatest gift.
• Plan to phone three people each day to wish them Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas or simply to let them know you are thinking of them.  Include people who will also be alone as well as family and friends.

Share your vitality and joy for living, your age esteem.  Even if you have to pretend to feel happy when you begin to reach out to others, before you know it your happiness will be genuine!

Bonnie Fatio

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

This Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for YOU.

You may be a treasured friend, a precious member of our family, a casual acquaintance, a first time or long time visitor to the AgeEsteem site, or a complete stranger. –   Know that I am thankful for YOU.

You are a blessing and a gift to this world as you share your special talents and personality each day.  You may think that your contribution is small within the bigger picture, but what would that bigger picture be without all of our little efforts added together?

Thank you for being YOU, just the way you are.  This Thanksgiving Day and every day I am truly thankful for YOU.

I pray that I, too, might be a blessing in your life in some small way.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with happiness, fond memories, and age esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

All Saints Day is a time to remember and honor those who have gone before us.  In some countries it is also celebrated as Halloween.  Whatever we call it, it is a day to celebrate the lives of those relatives, friends, role models and mentors who are no longer with us.  It is a wonderful reminder that we will each live on in multiple ways long after our death.

It also reminds us that how we live our lives and reach out to others is precious. Who are the people you remember and celebrate today?  They are most probably those who touched your life through what they said and did rather than what they had.

Age esteemers greet each day as an opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of others. – A smile, encouragement, listening, reaching out a hand…  It takes very little to positively affect the  life of someone else.

Bonnie Fatio

On June 20th, people in countries around the world celebrate world refugee day.  It is an opportunity to build awareness and to encourage interest in helping refugees on all continents.  We recognize the strength, courage and contributions of refugees.

“But for the grace of God, there go I.”  Often the only difference between a refugee and ourself is where we were born.  It has nothing to do with education, age and capability.  We were simply blessed to be born in a part of the world where we are safe.

In Geneva, Switzerland where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is located the famous “Jet d’Eau” water fountain will be blue on June 20.  This is in recognition of the contributions made to our world by refugees such as Albert Einstein, Madeleine Albright, Marc Chagall, Dalai Lama, and Peter Carl Fabergé and for the hope of today’s refugees as the UNHCR continues its important work.

• Become aware of what refugee status means.
• Research the UNHCR to better understand the work that it is doing.
• Contribute funds to your local organization working with refugees or through the site of the UNHCR
• Volunteer time working with refugees in your community to teach the local language and to help them adapt and integrate.
• Count your blessings.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Most countries have a special day to celebrate mothers.  Mother’s Day is a wonderful occasion for traditions:  children make little gifts and cards in school; bouquets of flowers are gathered; poems are written; mother’s chores are done by others so she can rest…  There are multiple ways to make a mother feel special.  Why not try one of the following?

• Make a picture album with photos of you and your mother and grandmother.
• Create a book of Memories with Mom.  Fill each page with a special memory.
• Sprinkle her home with notes of love.  Put notes in places where she is sure to find them: refrigerator, medicine cabinet, pillow on her bed,…  On each note write something that you love about her.  This can be fun to do with your children for their grandmother.
• If your mother is no longer alive, adopt a mother for the day.
• Reach out to women who have touched your life and remind them of what they mean to you and that you love them.