Springer 'Spirations
Reflections on Life's Universal Themes
Janet Springer
Hummingbird Memory Cafe www.hummingbirdmemorycafe.com Janet Springer Springer 'Spirations
Reflections on Life's Universal Themes
The purpose of this book is to share the author's personal wisdom, experiences, and insights. The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any agency or organization. It is not intended to provide professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. The information and opinions presented in this book are for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with appropriate professionals and experts before making any decisions based on the information provided in this book. The author and publisher of Springer ‘Spirations disclaim any liability arising from application of information included within.
Published 2023 by Hummingbird Memory Cafe
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Cover design and layout of book by Nicolette McDermottKetchum. Images accessed from canva.com.
Inspiration| Reflection | Creativity | Kindness
CONTENTS The World of Art and Nature It is More Important to Be Nice Friends Are the Sunshine of Life Surrender to What Is Let People Know They Are Not Alone Put Joy in Your Heart Thoughts About Memories About the Author 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 15
1 | JANET SPRINGER
The World of Art & Nature
Janet explores the concept of art and color found in nature and created by humankind.
The beautiful colors of a sunset. Mother Nature's work of art. A painting created by man. All showing brilliant colors.
Moments lifting our spirits.
Colors and art bring us happiness, love and joy.
The Art of Color.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald August 2021.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 2
3 | JANET
SPRINGER
It's More Important to Be Nice
Janet shares words of joy to inspire readers to find ways to live well in our community.
"It's nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice." --John Templeton
This is something we should remember to do. [Sometimes it seems] in this day and age, we don't know too much about being nice.
Janet encourages us to think about how we might incorporate this quote into our own lives.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald November 2021.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 4
5 | JANET
SPRINGER
Friends Are the Sunshine of Life
Janet shares words of joy to inspire readers to find ways to live well in our community.
"Friends are the sunshine of life."John Milton Hay
Friends are everything to me. They brighten and improve our day. It is so important to have the right people around us.
Janet encourages us to think about how we might incorporate this quote into our own lives.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald December 2021.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 6
7 | JANET
SPRINGER
Surrender to What Is
"Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be."
--Sonia Ricotti
This quote meant a lot to me because it reminds us that anytime in our life we can surrender whatever might be bothering us--what happened to us a long time ago can be let go. We have to have faith in what will be and have faith in our future.
New Year's is a good time in our life to start over. When we are starting over we can let go of those feelings that are keeping us down and start the new year with a smile on our face. We can awaken to a new look on life.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald January 2022.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 8
9 | JANET SPRINGER
Let People Know They Are Not Alone
Thk² ½¸e k² ² k«®¸a¸H Pe«e aÛ ²aÛ ¸heÛ d'¸ fee ¸he k«®¸ace f ²eekg «e«eH MaÛ «e«e a®e ² b½²Û ¸ha¸ ¸heÛ d'¸ haÔe ¸ke f® ¸he®²H
Le¸ «e«e ~Õ Û½ ca®e bÛ ²kkg ad ²aÛkg "he" ad dkg k¸¸e ¸hkg² ad k¸¸e ~kde²²e² he®e ad ¸he®eH F® eÚa«eI I Ôe ¸he ²ac~² f gdke² ½® ch½®ch gkÔe² ¸ ½²H
Pe«e bekg ~kd ad gkÔkg [fakke² ¸ha¸ a®e ¸ abe ¸ ge¸ ½¸ f ¸he h½²e ea²kÛ\ a Ôk²k¸I a ²ke ® a «he ca a®e ² k«®¸a¸H
How can each of us show love and alleviate loneliness in our community?
Previously published in The H½kgbk®d He®ad February 2022.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 10
Put joy in your heart, happiness on your face and have a great day!
Janet Springer
11 | JANET SPRINGER
Put Joy in Your Heart
When I read this [quote], it makes me smile.
When we have joy in our heart, it gives us a wonderful feeling. We release happiness and feel like we are going to have a great day.
When we have peace in our heart, it shows everyone how we are feeling. We are joyful and in good spirits for a full day.
We need these kinds of days with good thoughts in our minds making sure we have good days for ourselves and others.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald March 2022.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 12
13 | JANET SPRINGER
Thoughts About Memories
Memory is a wonderful thing. People even write songs about it like "Thanks for the Memories" sung by Bob Hope.
When we meet with our relatives and friends we talk about memories as we celebrate birthdays and new babies.
No two people remember our memories the same. Each memory is ours and that's how we remember it.
Our lives are so quick now. We are often in a hurry. [Sometimes it seems] the only thing we have left is our memories. Some people fear losing their memory because they feel that is all they have left.
Sometimes we find that our memories are not as easy to recall, but science is now telling us that there are ways to improve our memory. There's a fancy word to describe it--plasticity. We can practice different things every day to improve our brain function.
Memories bring older days back to us. I like to sit in the sunshine in the backyard, remembering a lot of things that life has brought to us.
When I am unable to find a word [when I am speaking], I ask someone else, "I have lost a word. Can you help me? I really need that word right now." They are usually able to help me.
I love to learn history, but I am not able to remember [what I learned] for a long time. I still have the pleasure of learning it even if I can only remember it for a short time.
It is time to look back and remember. Be joyful. We can still try to bring back memories.
Previously published in The Hummingbird Herald November 2022.
SPRINGER 'SPIRATIONS | 14
About the Author
Janet Springer has been a regular contributing author to the Hummingbird Herald, a monthly publication of the Hummingbird Memory Cafe published in the Spring of 2020 until December 2022.
Janet's work includes reflections on others' words of inspiration as well as her own thoughts about particular topics. Her faith and genuine love for others resonates throughout her writing.
Janet also actively participated at in-person and virtual gatherings of the cafe as we created collectively. Her insights and creative contributions were invaluable.
Nicolette McDermott-Ketchum, Facilitator Hummingbird Memory Cafe15 | JANET SPRINGER
Springer 'Spirations
Reflections on Life's Universal Themes
Janet Springer has been a regular contributing author to the Hummingbird Herald, a monthly publication of the Hummingbird Memory Cafe published in the Spring of 2020 until December 2022.
Janet's work includes reflections on others' words of inspiration as well as her own thoughts about particular topics. Her faith and genuine love for others resonates throughout her writing.
Janet also actively participated at in-person and virtual gatherings of the cafe as we created collectively. Her insights and creative contributions were invaluable.
Nicolette McDermott-Ketchum, Facilitator Hummingbird Memory Cafe