life is a pretty word
  • Lena Kay Rufus Monica Sword
  • Art + Bookbinding
  • Daily Stories Hoofen Floofen Island
  • Blog

life is a pretty word

  • About/
    • Lena Kay Rufus
    • Monica Sword
  • Art + Bookbinding/
  • Words/
    • Daily
    • Stories
    • Hoofen Floofen Island
  • Blog/
Monica Images-6853.jpg

life is a pretty word

exploring grace and gratitude following loss

Blog

The mission of life is a pretty word is to inspire you to mindfully honor your heart and soul.

life is a pretty word

  • About/
    • Lena Kay Rufus
    • Monica Sword
  • Art + Bookbinding/
  • Words/
    • Daily
    • Stories
    • Hoofen Floofen Island
  • Blog/
February 11, 2017

Dayspring

February 11, 2017/ Monica Sword
Dayspring

Quiet mornings are a gift, especially when one lives near a metropolis. What time of day speaks to you?

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February 11, 2017/ Monica Sword/ 1 Comment
Grace
poetic, mindfulness
July 19, 2016

Letters from Stanford

July 19, 2016/ Monica Sword
Letters from Stanford

They say it is never too late to apologize. Will forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance make a difference? We can hope. 

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July 19, 2016/ Monica Sword/ 7 Comments
Gratitude, Grace, Lena Speaks
gratitude, grace, memories, love, mindfulness, Lena speaks, bittersweet, dreams, joy, popular
May 23, 2016

A Virtual Manifest-Storm

May 23, 2016/ Monica Sword
A Virtual Manifest-Storm

What happens when we connect with others near or far, living or dead? Can the connection with others be the hack we've longed for to manifest our dreams?

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May 23, 2016/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Grace
grace, mindfulness, balance, connection, dreams
May 09, 2016

Missing in Action

May 09, 2016/ Monica Sword
Missing in Action

“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion."
— Albert Camus in “The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays"

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May 09, 2016/ Monica Sword/ 7 Comments
Grace
grace, health, mindfulness
March 05, 2016

Tenderly, softly, gently

March 05, 2016/ Monica Sword
Tenderly, softly, gently

My voice went missing the first day of March. The best I can do is a whisper as I wonder why any of my words matter. 

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March 05, 2016/ Monica Sword/ 1 Comment
Grief
grief, mindfulness, health, time
January 20, 2016

Being a dork won't kill you

January 20, 2016/ Monica Sword
Being a dork won't kill you

Being a dork won't kill your humanness but being an asshole will.

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January 20, 2016/ Monica Sword/ Comment
Grace, Gratitude
grace, gratitude, health, love, balance, self-care, mindfulness, inspiration, life, popular
January 11, 2016

Magical is the Word

January 11, 2016/ Monica Sword
Magical is the Word

Words have power. How can a single word become a guiding force for living with intention? My word for 2016 is "magical". What's yours? 

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January 11, 2016/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Grace
grace, balance, honor, fear, time, joy, mindfulness, inspiration
December 28, 2015

Sweet 2016

December 28, 2015/ Monica Sword
Sweet 2016

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?" --Sally Edwards
Ready, set, go and write your Sweet 2016 goals with intention. May you experience your most mindful and best year ever.

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December 28, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Gratitude
gratitude, balance, inspiration, life, mindfulness, self-care
December 07, 2015

The Blue Dish Christmas

December 07, 2015/ Monica Sword
The Blue Dish Christmas

That particular Christmas is the last time our table felt full. The memories are still bittersweet.

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December 07, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 11 Comments
Grace
bittersweet, memories, grace, gifts, mindfulness, melancholy, popular
November 23, 2015

Gratitude for the Old Soul

November 23, 2015/ Monica Sword
Gratitude for the Old Soul

We all know at least one old soul. Why do we love them so? What might we learn from them? We delight in their wisdom and long for more. 

 

 

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November 23, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 4 Comments
Gratitude
gratitude, mindfulness, love, memories, inspiration
August 24, 2015

Feeling Better

August 24, 2015/ Monica Sword
Feeling Better

It is a constant push and pull. Feel better but don't forget. Honor our loss while reintegrating. Tending our hearts when grief is a comforting cloak. And all the while wondering what is real. 

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August 24, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Grief
grief, melancholy, love, nature, time, mindfulness
August 10, 2015

Bow Down Old Sally

August 10, 2015/ Lena Kay Rufus
Bow Down Old Sally

Written as a fifteen-year-old, Lena's poem reminds us of our enduring place in the universe.

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August 10, 2015/ Lena Kay Rufus/ 6 Comments
Lena Speaks, Grace
poetic, nature, grace, mindfulness, inspiration, Lena speaks, audio, popular
July 29, 2015

Drop into Stillness

July 29, 2015/ Monica Sword
Drop into Stillness

Of the many mindfulness strategies available today, this piece describes my recent experiences with ancient forms--traditional yoga and from the indigenous people of Australia, dadirri, inner deep listening. 

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July 29, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Grace, Gratitude
grace, connection, mindfulness, self-care, nature, comfort
June 29, 2015

Extreme Self-Care; Should I or Could I?

June 29, 2015/ Monica Sword
Extreme Self-Care; Should I or Could I?

It takes experimentation to find self-care strategies that are achievable within the limits of our physical and emotional abilities before they became a sustainable routine. Through the discovery process, I learned self-care is not a selfish act and I began to feel real results.

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June 29, 2015/ Monica Sword/ 2 Comments
Gratitude
self-care, health, mindfulness, gratitude
  • About/
    • Lena Kay Rufus
    • Monica Sword
  • Art + Bookbinding/
  • Words/
    • Daily
    • Stories
    • Hoofen Floofen Island
  • Blog/

life is a pretty word

Our mission is to encourage and inspire you to mindfully honor your heart, soul, and emotions following a loss. This site is a tribute to a beautiful, loving, and talented young woman who once scribbled on a scrap of paper life is a pretty word. 


 

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