Care packages carry along their own special sort of magic. Anyone who has the joy of opening one feels remembered, seen, & loved. And for the one who puts it together, it's love in motion - which has its own release of joy.

With recent events & winter approaching here on the Cape, I find myself reaching for little things to send to women I'm thinking of... Some I am holding until closer to the holidays, others I'm sending right away because it feels necessary. No matter when I send the gift or who it travels across the miles to, I tend toward the following recipe:

fia's simple recipe for a care package

• a handwritten note

any card or stationery will do, the note can be long or short, but must be written by hand. because Writing by hand not only has the personal benefit of "increasing brain structure & function", it also has an impact on the one receiving. When I see the familiar handwriting of a friend on an envelope, immediately it brings a smile.

• a catalyst for self care

this may be organic tea bags, lotion, or a gua sha stone*. anything that requires her to actively participate in a simple ritual that will nurture

*I discovered the gua sha stone last winter, when our dear pup Yoshi died. I cried all the time and was emotionally depleted. This ritual (along with a small vial of decadent face oil) was about the only self care I could manage. It helped with the puffiness & also helped me refill in a way that's difficult to describe.

• some piece of art

I tend to choose one of our contemporary or bird & brush storyblocks - because it's like a little post it note she can move around the house or work space, wherever it's most needed

• something that is unique to her

it might be a special pencil or pen or a notebook, if she writes; a few recipes if she cooks; a stone or a shell from the ocean; a scarf or a warm pair of socks in her favorite color... 

I wrap each piece simply, and then neatly box it up... it takes a little bit of doing to gather each separate piece, but that's part of the magic I suppose. When I'm out and about and see a little something that immediately reminds me of someone, I take it as a sign it's a little token they might want to have for whatever reason, on this next stretch of the path... and in this way I carry each woman in my heart not just during the holidays, but throughout the year... 

 wishing wellness & wonder,

fia elowen