Miracles + Love + Community

If you need signs of hope, I'm bringing them today.

Side note- I wrote this blog post this morning, and then was taken away by an unexpected trip to the emergency vet in Boston when Reese badly broke her nail on the ice. She's fine and didn't require the worst case solutions which I was super grateful for. But if you've been to the emergency vet before (or the ER for that matter), you know how traumatic the experience can be (and if you're an empath and highly sensitive, the trauma is extra real). You're not only dealing with your own pet's ailment, but you're also surrounded by other people dealing with pet trauma of their own. So I'm going to touch on this later in this blog post, because it just gave me added perspective on what I had written about earlier today. Ok, back to the blog.

I've been thinking a lot lately about where we turn our focus. Our brains are hard wired to focus on threats as an act of self protection. The problem with that right now is there is an endless supply of things our brain can feed off of in fear. We may think that we're keeping vigilant by paying attention to everything that's going on around us, but at what expense to our mental health? And when we're in a state of focusing on all that's going wrong, we're not focusing on all the good around us. Today I want to talk about swinging the pendulum in the other direction and some of the things I've noticed recently that have allowed me to do just that. What we focus on grows, and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I want more of the good stuff. So in case you've been in short supply of the good, I'm going to offer some examples of things that have given me hope lately.

The week of Valentine's Day, I was surrounded by community pretty constantly. If you read my post last year on how I view Valentine's Day, I am a certified Valentine's Day lover. I never did the "cool girl" hate on V Day thing. So I guess you could say I'm in the right industry as a floral designer on Valentine's Day. But I truly do love it. It's kind of like how some people love Christmas. So I end up packing my schedule with everything I can to spread the love. I hosted Galentine's events, partnered with other businesses on events, delivered arrangements as gifts, gave flowers away- you name it, I was doing it. So I was surrounded by people for a solid week plus, and what I can say is- there is so much love, everywhere. I saw people re-uniting unexpectedly. I saw people supporting people through losses that made the holiday more difficult for them. I saw family members showing love to each other. The point is, Valentine's Day is about love of all kinds and I can tell you that there was so much of it. It was in abundance. And because it was what I was noticing and focusing on, it's what I saw. There are so many things for our brains to focus on that we're limited in how much we can really take in. Ever notice how when you go to the store with a specific item in mind, that's all you look for? Someone could ask you after you've been at that store if they had something in particular in stock, and you likely couldn't answer it if it's not the specific thing you were looking for. On the flip side, you'll find evidence all around you for what you are focusing on. It's important for us to remember that we are in control of what we choose to focus on. We have to train our brain to focus on what we want it to. That may mean we need to make the conscious decision to turn off the things we don't. I'm not saying we stick our heads in the sand by any means. But it's about balance. It's also about discerning what we have control over, what we can actually make an impact on, vs. what we cannot. If there are things out of our control, focusing on them is essentially a drain on our systems that takes away from the things we can put our energy towards. We need to have a full tank so that we can have the energy reserves to make an impact where we're most needed- which is different for each one of us. This holds true on the larger scale of what's going on in our world as a whole, and also on the smaller scale of our own personal lives. Maybe you need to turn off the news, or maybe you need to kindly turn your attention away from or mute the loud person in your life who's bringing the vibes down. This is a key time of discernment. What doesn't serve us takes us away from where we're meant to serve. The more you use your discernment and turn towards the light vs. the darkness, the easier it will be for you to see when you're out of alignment. The more time you spend in the light, the harder the darkness is on your system. The point is, it becomes easier and easier to learn where to focus your attention. Use your energy, your power, your influence, your passion where it feels best to you. Where it feels most aligned. And the rest, leave be for someone who is passionate about that particular issue who may be better aligned to have impact.

Next up- a story of a miracle. Because who doesn't love a miracle?! The thing about miracles is, they give us hope when it feels like there is none. A miracle, by definition- "a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency." Miracles are a reminder to have faith, and a reminder that not everything can be accomplished by our own control or force. Miracles show us that sometimes the seemingly impossible is, in fact, possible. On Valentine's Day, an 8 month old puppy went missing in our town of Scituate. The adorable terrier mix, Phoenix, had recently come up from the south to live with a foster family in Scituate. On Valentine's Day, news hit our town Facebook page that she had escaped. There were so many variables that made this news truly terrifying. She was new to the area and therefore not familiar at all, the temps were at a record low, coyotes are currently in abundance in our area, and top that off with the fact that she was extremely skittish. The picture that was shown of her showed that she looked terrified even when not on the run. Everyone was on high alert in our community, reporting sightings of Phoenix from their ring cameras, etc. Everyone was told not to approach her due to her skittish nature, traps were set, etc. Every day from the day she went missing through about day 4, people were posting sightings of her. Then the updates stopped. In that period of time, we went through every winter weather system imaginable- snow, rain, ice. I prayed for Phoenix every single day. As the updates dwindled online, I feared the worst. We all did. How could this 8 month old puppy possibly survive the weather, the coyotes, the lack of food and water and warmth, for all this time? This past Friday night, 1 week after Phoenix went missing, someone posted a picture of Phoenix on her deck. She had been found, alive. I literally burst into tears of overwhelm at the news. The fact that this puppy survived a week outside on the run is a miracle. There is no other way to describe it. The comments and likes flooded our town Facebook page. It was the news we all needed to hear. Of course it was about Phoenix herself, but I also feel like it was so much more. We've all been feeling like 2025 has been such a dumpster fire of a year that it's like we're just constantly expecting the worst. Phoenix surviving was a pinnacle of hope that something could go right. That not all is lost. As a community, we came together both in person and virtually, in support of the efforts to find Phoenix. There were searches, there were posters hung, there were sightings shared, there were prayers. We banned together to do what we all could on a personal level. But then the rest was up to powers beyond us. Ultimately, we weren't in control of the ending to this story. And when we can't be in control, we have to let faith kick in. We have to trust and let go. It is one of the most difficult things to do. But miracles are always possible, and this week, sweet baby Phoenix was a reminder of that.  

If you've been isolated the past few months, hunkered down on your own, I highly recommend you surround yourself in your local community. It will bring to light so much good around you that you may not know exists right now. In a world where we're being told to separate from one another and focus on our differences, I can tell you that that is not what many of us are doing. On the contrary, many of us are banding together to help on another, to join in community, to spread love and a helping hand. We need to shift the focus to all that's good in the world right now, in an effort to bring more of it forward. While still doing our part. Equal parts work, love, and faith.  

Today at the emergency vet, it would have been really easy to focus on all the heartache and pain around me. And believe me, there was plenty. I witnessed things that still weigh on my heart right now. But I also witnessed incredible empathy and love between total strangers. I made an effort to extend that to those around me, playing my small role in it. Meeting their pets, wishing them luck in their own battle. Community exists everywhere we go, and there are always opportunities to bring hope. Some day I could be the person at the emergency vet experiencing the worst pain of my life, and I have faith others will extend their kindness and empathy to me in return. I know there is more love and good in this world then hate and division. So keep the faith, keep spreading the love, and when in doubt- remember that miracles are always possible.

"It seems to me that love is everywhere. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around." - Love Actually

XO

Meryl