Find beautiful, one of a kind notebooks & greeting cards at my Etsy shop.

Scroll down to see my current products: Contemplations for the soul. Collect them all! or click the big E to shop ContemplateThisEsty!

Yes! I have an Etsy shop!

At my Etsy shop, ContemplateThisEtsy©, you will find beautiful, all original greeting cards, spiral notebooks (a different construction than my Amazon journals), and more.

My ContemplateThis© greeting cards, notebooks, and journals include all the contemplations I have published so far. My life experiences, or those of someone I crossed paths with who faced hardship or triumph, inspired each one. Their openness moved me to put pen to paper and create brief verses about the way of being human.

I write candidly about topics such as happiness, anguish, authenticity, vulnerability, touch, grief, curiosity, and more.

I hope you will find a group of contemplations that speak to you, and that you will share with a loved one or a friend, or anyone in need of comfort and encouragement.

Scroll a little further for some pictures of what I sell in my Etsy shop. Each of my products is a one-of-a-kind, original design.

Oh, one more thing. For those of you who prefer a greeting card that is blank inside, I have designed a couple of those too.

Find my novel by clicking here, and my writing prompts book by clicking here. To read reviews of my novel, click here.

Greeting cards and Journals inspired by my novel: REASONS three lives, one soul.
Notebooks & Journals from my Contemplation Series.
Greeting Cards from my Contemplation Series.
Greeting cards from my Contemplation Series – Celebrations.

Read all the contemplations from my ContemplateThis© series here:

Anguish

Beneath the anguish, there are the extraordinary and endless possibilities of love. Here’s the contemplation: “Anguish. The word gets stuck in one’s throat, then slithers out like a snake to coil about the chest & limbs. Extreme pain strips away what we once deemed of dire importance. Form. Space. They are the same. Last breath. Lonely tear. They, too, are the same. The same in love.” ©

Authenticity

Authenticity is precious, and… you are enough. Remember this. Here’s the contemplation: “With self-compassion, wisdom, and generosity, it is never too late to be fully you. You are enough.” ©

Beauty

Beauty surrounds us. This contemplation shares a few examples of beauty… and how we might see more of it in our lives. Here is the contemplation: “Beauty is whatever we feel it is. Like a kaleidoscope, it forever reinvents itself. Beauty is the twinkle in another’s gaze, the truth of a belly laugh, the trust of an unbreakable bond. It flows in a stormy sky, a reaching hand. It settles like silk in a caring embrace. Beauty is awakened by the painter’s brush, the sculptor’s chisel. It frolics in the musician’s melody, the writer’s verse, and the performer’s imagination. And, of course, it soars in the blaze of a campfire—fiery sparks sizzling and spiking into an inky black sky. We cannot limit beauty to any definition or idea. It lingers in both joy and sorrow because it is expansive and intimate—and whatever we feel it is.” ©

Broken Heart

Who of us has not faced a broken heart at one time or another? A little tender understanding goes a long way. Here’s the contemplation: “For those left behind, there is an agonizing stillness in a photograph of the face of a loved one gone. And losing physical connection drags on the broken heart, which still beats… but with dulled spirit. Nonetheless… “Breathe,” whispers the mind. For memory will keep your loved one close, vibrant, and safe. And love? Well love holds tenderly your broken heart—and even now, is making it whole.” ©

Curiosity

Curiosity with awareness can lead us to great things… step by step. This contemplation shares how this might happen. I hope you enjoy it. Here’s the contemplation: “Curiosity is a steppingstone. And in using it, it becomes a series of steppingstones. Being curious creates a pathway that can lead to revelation. In revelation is the shifting toward a fundamental change of perspective. And in this shift of point of view, the simplest solutions can present themselves with new strength and clarity. From this point of clarity, helpful action can arise. And within this action, one finds the manifestation of curiosity.´©

Defeat

Defeat can feel overwhelming. This contemplation suggests that the feeling of defeat has more to say… and it’s not all bad. Here’s the contemplation: “Within the depths of defeat… what we call failure… is much more. There is a whole to our experience. And within it… no… of it, is an expanded perspective just waiting for our awareness. In that awareness is clarity… and in clarity is the integration of defeat and reward.” ©

Getting to know you

Getting to Know You… and me. How many of us have forgotten to see ourselves and the people in our lives for who we and they truly are without preconceived ideas? This contemplation suggests how we might connect. Here’s the contemplation: “Getting to know you… and me… one truthful conversation at a time.” ©

Grief

Grief often feels as if it will never end. This contemplation might help as a companion along the way. For you or as a gift, I hope it will give comfort. Here’s the contemplation: “Grief, the word sounds like the quick slice of a razor blade. Abruptly, one is cut by its brutal edge. Sliced so deeply, one must live with it to carry on… and then threaten it with hope.” ©

Happiness

Everyone deserves happiness and this contemplation is about bringing it. It is as simple as that. Here’s the contemplation: “I want authentic happiness for you, my friend. I would even if we were strangers. May wisdom, introspection, truth, compassion, generosity, and self-compassion be your steady companions.” ©

Happy Birthday

Someone you know getting older? Fantastic. Birthdays. Let’s celebrate every single one. This contemplation suggests to truly enjoy the special day… and how life can celebrate us! Here’s the contemplation for this card: “Today, life celebrates you. And no matter how it unfolds, the best part of life is that you are in it. I’m so happy we know each other. Have fun today on your birthday. Do whatever you love to do.” ©

Holiday Time!

No matter where you are in the world or how or what you celebrate… love embraces yous. Here’s the contemplation for this card: “Look around you. Love is in your community. It’s in the meadows, the rivers, the loons, and the wolves… the galaxies, the stars, the paintings, the poems… the notes, and the songs, the sorrows, the joys—love is in everything. Celebrate with passion.”©

Hope

Hope is what keeps us going. Sometimes, it feels elusive. This contemplation might show us to be patient in hope as it unfolds its story. Here’s the contemplation: “Maybe hope isn’t meant to be forsaken. No matter the downward spiral we perceive, hope, like an invisible superpower, adapts. And in this, despite our immediate anguish, hope can strengthen us. We become open to an expanded perspective, where the whole of what hope offers, we will one day realize.“ ©

Horizon

The horizon is steadfast. This contemplation suggests how it might guide us. Here’s the contemplation: “In the sunset, we see accomplishment, a toning down, a calmness. In the sunrise, we see a newness, a cleaning of the slate, a gateway. With a clear view of the horizon, we may well embody a sense of abundance and self-expansiveness. And, leaning into this wider perspective, find self-compassion, generosity, understanding, and even forgiveness. We might observe the contours of distant mountains, scan a blue sky laid flush to the edge of a green field, peer at oncoming storm clouds blending into the plane of an ocean—or we simply shade our eyes from the sun as we gaze at a nearby treeline. The horizon, whatever it shows us, helps us feel part of something bigger than us. Through contemplation of the horizon, maybe we will get closer to the mysteries that lie beyond it—and there, in wonder and awe, find the freedom we seek.” ©

Joy

When we experience joy, we are floating in bliss. This contemplation suggests how we might remember to bask in our joy for longer and share it. Here’s the contemplation: “Joy comes on as quickly as a single heartbeat. It revives like spring rain collected on fresh petals. It mesmerizes like snowflakes drifting from a seamless, infinite sky. And it shimmers like moonlight, reflected bright and quivering on rippled water. Held aloft in joy, we are oblivious to all but our bliss. Joy is not something to keep hidden. Instead, we must wear it like a beacon.” ©

Just because

Be uniquely you. Seek family and friends who treat you and themselves with respect. You never have to chase love. Speak up when you have something to say and listen well. Do what you love for “work”. Learn resilience, self-compassion, generosity, and humor. Seek to know an expanded perspective. Love is love. ©

My Love

Whether Valentine’s Day, birthday or a wedding anniversary… or just because, sharing your love for another person is one of life’s most special pleasures. This contemplation is one way of showing such love. Here’s the contemplation: “I love you because you are funny and smart—and great for this world. You are caring, and gentle, but fierce when it’s needed. Your wisdom is in your open-mindedness to the differences between us humans and in learning how we might connect. You show strength in listening and learning rather than in the need to be right, treating yourself with love, kindness, and respect—and others the same. Your strength is your courage to be vulnerable. These are a mere few of the reasons I love you. And, my love, just by knowing you I am a better person.” ©

Nature

Nature is powerful and resilient and awesome. We can all learn from it. Here’s the contemplation: “Nature is where a fresh breath of air lives—and where we can breathe it in like an elixir. It’s where we recognize ourselves in the trees and the moss and the lily-pad ponds.” ©

Reading

Reading is one of man’s best friends. This contemplation is for that special reader in your life… or for you! Here’s the contemplation: “Because books and their stories take us away, scare us, uplift us, and if we are lucky, change us for the better.” ©

Senses

Senses. They are powerful, full of information… intuition and more. Life involves our senses every step of the way. This contemplation says a little bit about that. Here’s the contemplation: “As your senses repeatedly fold and unfold you… as they lift you arched and soaring, suspend you wondering, sometimes fearing… as they lower you, once more soft in settled surrender, uncertainty and all… believe them when they show you that life is this, just this.” ©

Sorrow & Exhaustion

Sorrow & Exhaustion. Is it possible to have one without the other? Not likely. But we can share some understanding and this contemplation does that. Here’s the contemplation: “Sorrow and exhaustion are mates. Working in tandem, they seem on the verge of stealing all that sustains us. We push on, each moment consumed by pain. At times, the reality feels surely not ours. But it is. We know this because its seed is love. And in this, we surrender.” ©

Touch

Consensual touch is a wonderful thing and comes in many forms. This contemplation speaks to its importance in our lives. Here’s the contemplation: “Human touch. A lover’s embrace. The gentle pressure of a friendly squeeze. The comfort of a father’s sturdy grasp. A soft kiss on a cheek or forehead. Mother and child. Hands clasped in love. These are the precious moments. They nourish and manifest essence. And with presence, they are forever.” ©

Tragedy

Life is surreal in the grip of tragedy. There is light beyond the darkness. Here’s the contemplation: “Maybe, when tragedy hits, we’re wholly sucked into darkness. No outside ‘life’ gets in. When we survive, ground zero has settled, and newness has arrived, the tragic event is nearly surreal, a bubble in time, intimate and ours, but evolved, enhanced by the light trickling back in.” ©

Vulnerability

Vulnerability is not easy for most of us, but it can lead to great things. Here’s the contemplation: “Sometimes, vulnerability feels like teetering on the brink without a safety net. And yet, in it, we can let go. We can show ourselves to others, and self-compassion to ourselves—and love, too. It’s okay to embrace vulnerability, where the true self finds room to breathe… and expand.´©

Youth

On the outside, our youth is less noticeable as we age. On the inside? Well, that can be a whole other experience. Here’s the contemplation: “Youth often takes itself for granted—until it is momentarily startled by the aged image in the mirror. Then, it leans in for a closer look, contemplating, a little solemn, a little mischievous. And when it recognizes itself, it sees form and space, energy, and attitude, and it knows it is timeless.” ©