When we start something we never think to ourselves, “I am definitely not going to finish this project.” We do sometimes say what we are going to do when we have completed the project, but too often the completion of one thing does not lead to a reward for ourselves, it leads to another project. We barely allow ourselves the opportunity to even rest and enjoy the achievement. This is not good for us. At what point in our life did we decide that we don’t deserve stickers or stars?
Oh my goodness do you remember how glorious it was to receive a scratch and sniff sticker in kindergarten or first grade? Those were always my favorite thing to receive! I remember distinctly one day after kindergarten, my mom picked me up in our little red car, it was raining and I was so excited because the sticker on my work smelled like bubble gum. It was a yellow sticker with a pink bubble gum! I don’t have the paper anymore because that was just not how my life was, but I have that memory. Why as adults do we not give ourselves the stickers anymore?
I decided last year if I won the championship with Annie, I was going to have a belt made for the buckle to hang on. I envisioned hearts and a hidden Mickey Mouse on the belt since that is what solidified that Annie was meant to be my horse when I saw her pictures that the rescue took the night she went to auction as a throw away horse, too skinny for even the auction house to let her through. One of the things I was most looking forward to was the smell of the leather. I am still a scratch and sniff kid I guess.
In early August I finally reached out to my friend at LR Leatherworks in Valley Center. I told her what I wanted, paid her the money and waited for the first design to come out on paper. I was so excited! Initially she had forgotten my want for the hidden Mickey, but after a quick reminder, she put it into the middle of the hearts. The best part, it really looks like Annie’s actual marking! I know that marking better than anyone but she was thoughtful enough to make the Mickey, Annie’s. So then I waited just a bit longer, due the leather needing to be carved and dyed. When the message came over my phone regarding the belt’s completion, alerting me that I could go and pick the belt up, my excitement grew all over again.
When I picked the belt up the first thing I did was pull it out and touch it, then I smelled it. My scratch and sniff sticker for my accomplishment took on a different form, but it was the same feeling as when I was five years old. Annie and I earned that belt, we have worked hard to make our partnership true and trusted. There has been a lot of sweat and multiple bouts of tears along the way, but now Annie and I always have a marker to our accomplishment in that belt and buckle.
In the Bible the Israelites were told to make memorials/alters to their accomplishments. When they crossed the River Jordan they built an alter out of rocks that the priests took from the dry river bed that was created by God as way to remember what had been done for them.
All through out history people have put up statues or built memorial walls to remember events or people that were historically important. This is a tradition that we need to uphold. When we graduate from high school or college we receive a diploma to mark the occasion. Don’t stop creating markers for your achievements.
In a digital age where we look through the lenses of a camera a lot to get that perfect Instagram or Facebook picture, we need to remember that there are times we need a tangible item to hold on to. We need our scratch and sniff stickers. We need to acknowledge our accomplishments not by just moving on to the next thing!
Hold on to your dreams and when you achieve them, take a pause, scratch and sniff, then share your accomplishment with someone you trust to share your happiness with you. Celebrate you once in a while and don’t worry about what anyone else says. If you worked for it, you deserve to celebrate! You are worth it.
“God Is Great, Most People Are Good, and Kiss Those Furbabies ❤️”
Harmel's Helping Hands 