“Meraki.” [may-rah-kee] May today be a ‘MERAKI’ day. 🙂

Modern Greeks often use the word ‘meraki’ to describe “doing something with soul” … when you put something of yourself into whatever you’re doing.

Meraki is about creative, loving, soul-awakening acts. Whether preparing a meal … caring for a garden … creating something artistic … caring for someone who is ill, lonely, grieving, in pain … arranging a room … tangling … praying for a situation/person … whatever. If it’s done with soul, with passion, with love, then it’s ‘meraki’.

An ancient Chinese proverb offers a gentle reminder of ‘meraki’:
“If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.”

This weekend in some parts of the world, some are sharing ‘light in the soul’ … ‘meraki’ … in acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, loving gestures/actions as they mark Valentine’s Day. Expressing ‘meraki’, they are letting another know that they are ‘hearted’ – loved’.

Sadly, while of this is happening, some are alone, receiving none of the above. They are lonely, isolated because of illness, weather, grief, hurt feelings, poverty, self-hatred, fear – oh the fear caused by politics, evil leaders, equally-evil minions.

This Valentine’s day of commercial love is anything but a day of soul, of joy, of love.
Where is the meraki?

If you are one of those people, my hope is, if only for a moment, you will consider yourself “hearted,” and loved, and receive my little cyber Zentangle® Valentine ‘heart.’ May you experience the love that went into its creation.

May this Valentine’s Day be a little brighter than it might otherwise have been, and bring a gentle flicker of light in your soul.

May the wise Chinese proverb come to fruition, so that there will be MERAKI
… “light” in each soul
… “beauty” in each person
… “harmony” in each home
… “order” in each nation
… “peace in our hearts, countries, world.”

And may we “be each other’s strength”: https://soulistry.com/lets-be-each-others-strength

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. If you’re into tangling and would like to have the step-out of my TuliLuv (upper right corner of the heart), just let me know. Happy to send the step out. 🙂

© June Maffin
@soulistryjune.bsky.social
https://soulistry.com/blog
www.facebook.com/groups/soulistry