Author: jflier
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The Gift That Keeps on Blooming
Every spring, the banks of the Potomac River burst into beauty as thousands of cherry trees show off their blooms. The sight draws millions of people to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival. There’s a rich history behind this event and the trees at its center, marked by a relationship that spans…
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Lessons for Building Your Legacy Game Plan
Green Bay, Wisconsin, produced the first splinter-free toilet paper (aren’t we all thankful?!). It is bordered by one of the few rivers in the world that runs north (the Fox River). But it’s probably best known as the home of the Green Bay Packers football team (the winningest of all time). What sets this team…
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4 Ways to Pass on a Legacy of Love
It started as a simple holiday centerpiece – a bouquet of flowers and a few candles on a decorative tray. As she gathered the items from their storage bins, Anne came across a few mementos of holidays past, and an idea was sparked. What if these small treasures became the table’s focal point? This would…
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The Surprising Instance Where Cash Isn’t King
Two men went fishing at a nearby pond. They brought poles, bait, and supplies to cook their catch over a fire. The first fisherman quickly caught a big, beautiful fish, but the second man went hours without a single bite. Finally, his bobber disappeared. He reeled in a huge fish…only to immediately throw it back.…
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3 Gifts Your Family Will Always Treasure
Michael Johnson had a unique obsession: car keys and key fobs. His passion ran deep and so did his collection. After he passed away, Michael’s parents planned to keep the treasures that brought him so much joy. Then three years – to the day! – after his death, his mom saw a Facebook post from…
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Creative Giving Creates Greater Impact
Certain posts on Twitter go viral because they’re so relatable, like this one from a mom in North Carolina: “My 8-year-old daughter met a girl at summer camp last year named ‘Internet.’ I said no way, that can’t be her name, but my daughter has been adamant. For almost a year we’ve been having this…
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Tap into Iceberg-Sized Generosity
In the early 1800s, British citizens were obsessed with Arctic exploration. Some historians even refer to the time as “polar mania.” To satisfy intrigue, polar explorers frequently published their journals and Victorians bought them up. They also sang polar-themed songs, threw Arctic-themed parties, and attended theatrical re-creations of polar expeditions in gardens and parks. Our…
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Do Generous People Live Longer?
We’ve all heard “it’s more blessed to give than to receive,” but did you know there’s scientific data to back it up? Over the past 20 years experts have found that giving creates a “warm glow” of dopamine in the body; lighting up the same parts of the brain as eating dessert or receiving money.…
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6 Ways to Experience More Peace Today
“A study showed that in 1968 it took 15 hours to record one hour of pure nature without the ambient sounds of airplanes, cars, and other manufactured reverberations. As of the year 2005, it took more than 2,000 hours of recorded time to yield the same hour of pure nature sounds.” * Can you even…
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3 Surprising Benefits of Generosity
Most parents would agree their children are one of the main reasons they have joy in their lives and gray hairs on their heads. But as wonderful as every child is, there’s something different about the ones who are “yours.” Our kids and grandkids burrow into our hearts in a special, deep way. It’s our…