As I have said this year of blog posts on the search for happiness is an important part of self-care and trying to find a way to happiness in a life that has been, for most of my life, lived under a dark cloud. I am feeling much better now because my meds have kicked in finally, but I know hard days and times will come again throughout the year and I want to be prepared. This week, when I go out to therapy on Wednesday, I am going to go to the Dollar store and buy some bubbles. Everyone I know loves bubbles, there’s just something about them that delights, and brings smiles and even giggles to the young and young at heart. And I have long believed in the therapeutic benefit of bubbles. Let me tell you a story…
In 2001 I worked, for a few months, in the MRI department of the hospital. It was a fascinating place to work but often sad. We had some very hard cases come through, and one week was especially bad. The worst case was a young woman who had miscarried several times, was now successfully pregnant, but now they had found cancer. It was so devastating to every one watching her go through this, and morale in the whole department was very low.
On the way to work a few days later, with people still really down, I had an idea. I stopped at the drugstore on the way to work and bought a whole box of little bottles of bubbles and I distributed them to everyone in the department, including the doctors and our bosses. Throughout the day you could see bubbles floating in the air all over the place, and down the hallway where all the bosses and doctor’s offices were you could see bubbles drifting out of their open doorways! Everyone was blowing bubbles, and smiling, and laughing. It was a great success and the images of the bubbles coming out of the doctor’s offices I will remember forever! I have to have bubbles on hand here. They are cheap, and they can change the whole tenor of the day, at least for a few moments, and those few moments can be enough to save you for that day, or at least give you much needed relief. They will go in my “basket.”
It occurred to me this morning that it was time to put together an Emergency Basket. This is a basket or receptacle of your choice that will hold all manner of things to be used on hard days and during hard times. You save these things to use only at these times so they are very special. You could go to the Dollar store or a thrift shop, flea market, or yard sale and find all kinds of things to put in your basket, and you can make making the basket itself a fun project! First find something very special to hold all the things. I am going to find a basket, if not here in the house somewhere (I used to have oodles of baskets but lost them in the fire) I intend to find one at one of the above-mentioned places, buy my bubbles and put them in, and start there. You may have things in your house you can add to the basket but remember, this is an Emergency Basket and you use the things in the basket only when you really need them. This makes them extra special and more fun. You may have a scented candle, special packets of bubble bath, a new box of crayons and maybe a coloring book just for these special times, a new little box of markers or paints, a favorite candy bar or treat, a special tea cup, something really pretty or one that makes you laugh, that you only use when you need to pick up your spirits, there is no limit on the imagination when it comes to these things.
Another kind of thing that just makes me smile while I’m writing this just thinking of it — and I’m not going to say a lot about it here because I am going to do a whole special blog post about it soon — are tiny treasures. This goes back to a time in my life when I had very little money and when I had, say, $5 to spend I would make an exciting adventure by going to thrift shops, more than one if necessary, and buying tiny trinkets — I found many wonderful little old teacups, some with no saucers, some might have a little chip or crack but those could be used for pot pourri, a little votive candle, or candies, anything you like, for as little as a quarter or 50 cents — and the whole thing was like a scavenger hunt, the trick being to buy as many things as I possibly could without going over the $5. If you are agoraphobic and can’t go out you can find tiny trinkets on eBay, and the app you can put on your phone called Wish is a treasure trove of unbelievable things you can get very cheaply, many things for only a dollar and shipping is cheap too. (And as I said when I mentioned Wish in a recent post where I showed the big bag of 80 markers I got there, DON’T shop on Wish without first going online and getting a coupon code because your first order is 50% off with a coupon!) One thing I recently got on Wish for a dollar delights me. 10 tiny tins of tiger balm for $1. They are adorable, bright red and gold, and it only takes a wee bit of tiger balm to rub on your temples for a headache or use for other aches and pains. I’m going to give some as little gifts and keep some in my purse for when I’m out. I also got a bigger jar and even tiger balm pain patches! Now, mind, there’s lots of cheap junk on Wish, but there are surprising name brand things too, lots of art supplies, etc. A great many things that would be perfect for an Emergency Basket.
So that’s me for today, bubbles and the Emergency Basket! What have you thought of today that could be good tools in your “tool box” for hard days? Being prepared ahead of the time is an enormous help? Or have you had a happy thought, memory, or experience you’d like to share? We’d all love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and become part of our Search For Happiness Community! I’d love to hear from you.
Have a wonderful day, and if you have some bubbles at hand, blow some now!!!
The Experiment ~A 365 Day Search For Truth, Beauty &
Happiness: Day 1 ~ Introduction To The Project
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda
Bubbles, yes! I’ve always found bubbles to be very therapeutic. Just reading about them made me smile.
Hello Barb honey! Yes! Bubbles! There’s just something so magical and delightful about bubbles. You know something else I’d like to get — and I think it is almost the most wonderful smell in the world, I hope it still smells the same? — PLAYDOH!!! I remember what fun it was, having loved it as a child, to have playdoh again with my own children. To open a new can of playdoh and that SMELL!!! You know what else I’d love to have? One of those old Magic 8 balls that you turned over and up floated the answer, Yes, No, Maybe. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories, OH! And did you ever have the original set of Colorforms? That’s before they had all kinds of cartoony characters. They had lots of shapes and you MADE things with them. I always remember those. I bought a 50th anniversary set of them for my grandson Lucas when he was little. He’s 13 now! Where does the time go??? Love to you Barb honey. I hope you have many beautiful moments in your day… 🙂
I love this, thank you ❤️ Matri. I am going to fill a Emergency basket. We had a bubble machine we put out for Halloween and the children loved it.
Oh Jean how wonderful! A bubble machine! And can you imagine giving little jars of bubbles instead of candy? And yes, I think the Emergency Basket is a must! And oh what fun it is to put it together! And thank you so much for coming by today Jean. It made me so happy to see you here! 😀
I never thought about giving out bubbles instead of candy! But maybe I could give out bubbles AND candy. I would not like to disappoint the children. Thank you for the suggestion Maitri <3
Jean, my daughter works with children with autism and she always carries bubbles with her in her bag. She said you can go to Target or other places like that where they have party favors and get a big bag of bubbles (10, 20?) for like $5, they are tiny bottles, perfect for a Halloween giveaway! I think it’s a delightful idea! And you could offer both candy and bubbles and see what they choose? Fun! 😀
You are absolutely right, bubbles are glorious! ❤️
Ellie! Yes! Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles! Always! 😀
Bubbles at the hospital! Now that is a story you don’t hear often! But you are right, bubbles are an instant mood-changer!
Yes Modern Gypsy, it was quite a day at the hospital! I think none of us will forget it because even the people who weren’t generally very cheery people laughed and had fun. And can you imagine how much fun it would be to take a box of jars of bubbles into a nursing home? I think they’d be a mood changer for sure! 😀
I love bubbles! I bought myself three little pots of bubbles a while ago, and as soon as I read your post I ran into the kitchen to find them. I took one of the pots out onto the front step and blew glorious bubbles! They sailed up and away over the roof, you should see my smile. Thank you Maitri!
Oh Jenny it just made me smile from ear to ear to read about you blowing bubbles on your front step! Yay! What if we each bought 2, or 3, or 5 bottles of bubbles, kept one for our baskets, and gave the rest away to family or friends or co-workers or neighbors who needed a smile? Wouldn’t that be lovely? It was SO wonderful to see you here today Jenny, I hope you’ll come again soon! 😀
Bubble are like tiny pieces of magic. I have always loved them, too. Thank you for reminding me of the joy bubbles can bring ! I love the “joy emergency kit” idea as well 🙂
Nolwenn, how lovely to see you here! 😀 And yes! Bubbles ARE magic! I was just wondering how it would be if we all kept a bottle of bubbles in our cars and when we get stuck in traffic jams we could roll down our windows and blow bubbles at the car stuck in traffic next to us? Just imagine! People get so upset and out of sorts when they are stuck in traffic. I think I might just DO that!!!! 😀 And yes, make an emergency kit and I’d love to hear what you and others put in your emergency kits!
aawww, this made my eyes fill up. What a beautiful way to remind and bring joy to others. Bubbles are delicate, colorful and fleeting. What a brilliant idea. <3
Shannon yes, they are so lovely and so magical and such happy things, you just can’t watch bubbles being blown and be mad or sad, at least I hope not! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to comment, come back and share some lovely memories with us sometime…
I have a “play” box secreted away in the bottom drawer of my dresser. I have a few things I can add to it for an upgrade…
I also posted about bubbles on Instagram today to get that thread back on track. Good reminders – thank you! 🙂
Oh Victoria how wonderful!!! I would love to know some of the other kinds of things you put in your play box. I’m looking for more ideas for a future post. I keep thinking of fun things from childhood, like Playdoh! We’ve been having fun today on my page on FB remembering our favorite childhood toys and playthings. I have been delighted to be reminded of things I totally forgot about. You are NEVER too old for play!!!
Love you Victoria honey! MWAHHHHH! 😀
Godmorgon Maitri,
This post makes me smile because I remember when I last blew bubbles. I had read that cats liked to hunt bubbles, so I bought some, and started to blow. Åskar looked at me as saying. “OK, if you’re happy doing that, go on”, and then he went back to sleep.
Margaretha
The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.
William Lyon Phelps
Darling Margaretha,
I loved reading about you blowing bubbles for Askar and him not being the least bit interested! Reminds me of times I have prepared special meals or bought special toys for the pugs who looked at me as if I must have lost touch with reality and then slunk off with a disinterested shake of the head. Ha! I hope all is well where you are, I hope your weather is good, I loved this happiest people quote and I hope you still have your bubbles so you can blow them JUST FOR YOU!!!! Do you? 😀
Have a lovely day sweetie, sending you three kisses from North Carolina…
I love the idea of an emergency basket. What a blessing that could be on dark days! And bubbles—my grandaughter has a necklace with a heart-shaped bottle of bubbles on it. You never know when a tiny stream of bubbles is going to float up! I don’t know where she got it—perhaps the dollar store, but it’s iridescent blue/green plastic, with a screw top that holds the bubble wand—about 2×2″, I think. It reminds me that happy fun isn’t just reserved for big, expensive things.
Oh Janice how wonderful! I’D love a bubble necklace!!! What a delight! And yes the Dollar Store is full of treasures, and I think the MOST fun things, and memories we had from childhood, that warm our hearts and make us melancholy were NOT from expensive things, they were simpler times and such sweetness in simple things like bubbles or playdoh or coloring. Ah, Fall always makes me feel nostalgic in a very sweet way. Thanks for writing honey. Come again and share more happy thoughts and memories with us… 🙂
A happy experience I’d like to share is that a sent a personal thank e-card to a support worker who had helped my head-injured brother in the past five years. I wanted to acknowledge her input because I knew in that length of involvement she would have come to know him very well and probably feel attached to him. She really appreciated the card and sent me a lovely response thanking me for the acknowledgment and sharing some of the little things that would bring pleasure to him.
Oh Joan, how absolutely wonderful! I just love this. I just know that your note meant so much to her and it’s lovely that she wrote back with ideas for things that would bring him pleasure. This is surely a happy story for today. Thank you so much for coming here to share it honey! 🙂