Nourishing the Spirit

This week I did many things to nourish my spirit, and I would like to discuss a few of them with you. I find that it nourishes my spirit when I give honest compliments to others and share in successes and joys with the people I love. This weekend I went to a wedding for my cousin and his new bride. It was a beautiful ceremony at the Fullerton Arboretum and it was about a 1/4 of a mile stroll down a dirt path lined with trees, plants, waterfalls, flowers, etc. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. Sharing in the joy of the couple and celebrating with hundreds of friends is pretty nourishing, but I made sure to take the time to stop and appreciate all the other little things that were happening around me. Like the turtles in the pond, the birds flying overhead, the smell of the spring flowers, and the beautiful sunset behind the trees. Below is a picture of my boyfriend and I enjoying a lovely Saturday.

Another thing I'm doing to add to my quality of life is volunteering at a local elementary school two days per week for four hours per day. I am working on my getting my teaching credential so I wanted to volunteer and my niece asked if I could volunteer in her classroom. I cleared it with the school so I could volunteer in her class and I also volunteer in another class to diversify my experience. It's rewarding on a tangible level because it is experience I need to help me reach my goals, but it's also rewarding to my spirit because I get to be a part of the learning experience for over 30 little children. It's a true gift to me. I plan on continuing to volunteer as long as the school will have me and my schedule allows. Here is a picture of me with the girl who nourishes my soul. In the picture are showing off the BFF necklaces that she bought with her own money. Volunteering at the school is great, but getting to volunteer in my niece's classroom and spend that extra time with her is just the best!