I have been receiving so many emails from different lists I subscribe to about how full their bellies are from Thanksgiving supper. This is the US Thanksgiving as in Canada, we celebrate in October. No matter. But how much focus on the day went into how full are their hearts?

Ole and I really had an amazing connection. That doesn’t mean we didn’t have our arguments and upsets. It means that we always felt how full our hearts were for each other. Sounds sappy doesn’t it but it is the truth.

We had decided early on in our marriage that we would have a book, a little spiral notebook, that we would write down 3 things we were thankful for. It could be anything from the car being washed to a sunny day.

But when we were going through a tough spot with each other, we would write down 3 things we were thankful for with each other. This helped with keeping the love flowing between us even though we were arguing.

This isn’t something we thought of and I am sure you have read this in other places but what we did was different. WE PUT IT INTO PRACTICE! We found we didn’t write much when times were good but when we needed the extra confirmation of our love, we used it.

So back to Thanksgiving…when you were giving thanks for all the great things in your life, did you include thanks for the love of your sweetheart? Did you give thanks for the fact you have a heart and soul connection to each other? Did you give thanks for finding each other in this world of billions of people and possibilities?

Maybe it was more important to think about the food and your full bellies. That’s fine, but now it is time to think about how full-with-love your hearts are for each other. Give thanks and sing praises every day for the love you share. Believe me, your hearts will swell and over flow with a passion for each other you have never felt before.

Being that food is such a focus at Thanksgiving, why not prepare a special dish or dessert that represents all the love you hold for each other. As you eat this delight and gaze lovingly into the eyes of your darling, you will both know there is a deeper meaning…a deeper feeling. There is loved baked right into every bite you take.

This is your secret. You don’t need to share it with the world. But you will share the feelings that flow between your hearts as you eat.

When you feel you want to share more love with your partner at other times of the year, whip up your very own special love potion again. As you share in the food you will share in those full-heart feelings.

To full hearts and full bellies, I give thanks for being here to share in the love. I give thanks for you in this sharing of love.

Most of all, I give thanks that I had Ole, our love and his wisdom in my life.

Brenda and Ole Poulsen

Passionate regards….Brenda

My dear sister-in-law sent me an email the other day. I don’t know where the story came from or who wrote it but I thought it definitely deserved to be passed on.

‘Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We’ve been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now, since we started all of this,’ the mother told the volunteer.

‘What is it she keeps asking for?’ the volunteer asked.

‘PUPPY SIZE!’ replied the mother.

‘Well we have plenty of puppies if that is what she is looking for.’

‘I know. We have seen most of them,’ the mom said in frustration.

Just then Danielle came walking into the office.

‘Well did you find one?’ asked her mother.

‘No,not this time,’ Danielle said with sadnesss in her voice. ‘Can we come back on the weekend?’

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

‘You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately there is always a supply,’ the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. ‘Don’t worry, I will find one this weekend,’ Danielle said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. ‘It’s this weekend or we’re not looking anymore,’ Dad finally said in frustration.

‘We don’t want to hear anything more about puppy size either,’ Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones at the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she went right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, Mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren’t permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, ‘Sorry but you’re not the one.’

It was the last cage on the last day in search for the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it close. This time she took a little longer.

‘Mom! I found him! I just know he is the one! I know it!’ she screamed with joy. ‘It’s the puppy size!’

‘But it’s the same size of all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks,’ Mom said.

‘No not size…SIGHS. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,’ she said. ‘Don’t you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!’

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

‘Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,’ she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, ‘Mom. I KNOW he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart.’

If anyone knows who wrote this I would be so grateful to know and put a name to this wonderful story.

For now, just think about the love-lessons you learned from a child.

Passionate regards….Brenda