After receiving some sad news this week, I wrote a poem. We Will Meet Again sums up my feelings on the death of a family member who I didn’t have an opportunity to know because of circumstance and distance. 

Welcome to week 43 of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week. In addition to a poem about the lost opportunities of distant relatives, this week I look at the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils, ice cream innovation, Thriftmas, and recycled gift exchanges.

The Sunday Spark – Week 43

On my mind this week: We Will Meet Again

Last week, I wrote about the guilt of needing to fly to see faraway loved ones from a sustainability perspective. This week, I had a sad reminder of the lost opportunities of distant relatives when I got the news that my nephew in England had passed away suddenly, just a few short weeks after his father’s death.

When my family emigrated to Canada 50 years ago, my oldest sister stayed behind in England. As a result of the distance, I’ve never spent a lot of time with her branch of our family.

The news of my nephew’s death hit me hard for a couple of reasons. Primarily because he was too young to go. In his early 50s, he should have had many more years of life to look forward to. Beyond that, though, it was a reminder of how little time we’ve spent together in our lifetimes. Being separated by thousands of miles and an ocean meant I didn’t have a chance to know him as well as I could have.

I’m not much of a poet, but I sat down and wrote this brief poem to capture my thoughts this week.

We will meet again

Another goodbye
Can’t believe you’re gone
Too soon
I barely knew you
Yet often
You were in my heart
And my thoughts

We will meet again
Until then
Fly safe
Enjoy the peace
Rest well, Beloved

As the Christmas season approaches, focus your heart and your time on what really matters. At the end of our days, all the presents and fancy decorations in the world can’t replace time together. This year, focus on presence, not presents.

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• I received several nice emails from members of our church choir saying how much they missed me while I’ve been away.
• After losing about seven games of Skip Bo in a row to Colleen, I finally won a game on Monday evening.
• On Thursday, I attended a wonderful gathering of the Alpha group at church. We sang some uplifting and inspirational music, and then enjoyed some snacks and fellowship. I signed up to be a group helper for the Alpha program that’s starting in February.

Three things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

Essential oils vs. fragrance oils

If you’re a fan of essential oils, be sure to read labels carefully when buying. Some fragrance oils are packaged to look like essential oils. The difference? Fragrance oils contain synthetic ingredients. Make sure the product you’re buying says “100% Essential Oil” and contains the botanical name of the plant the oil is derived from. (Source: BrenDid – Green Cleaning Simplified)

Ice cream innovation

You might not be thinking about ice cream at this time of year, but Unilever has come up with a new ice cream recipe that can result in energy savings of 20-30%. This new formula creates ice cream that can be stored at -12°C instead of -18°C, without impacting taste or quality.

What’s more, Unilever has indicated they will share a free, non-exclusive license for 12 reformulation patents with their competitors. That’s what I call a good corporate citizen. (Source: Trend Watching)

Merry Thriftmas?

If you’re like me and love Christmas but twinge at the waste, you’ll love the latest TikTok trend! #Thriftmas encourages regifting and thrifting as sustainable alternatives. Now that’s a trend I can get behind. (Source: Maximum Gratitude Minimum Stuff)

Sustainable living tip: recycled gift exchange

If you’re not ready to do all your Christmas shopping at the thrift store, why not consider a recycled gift exchange? Instead of spending money on a new gift, everyone brings a gift of something they already own. It can be a new or gently used item.

We’ve done recycled gift exchanges at work, and with my husband’s family, and it’s a lot of fun. You can even turn the exchange into a game. Check out this post for game instructions and printable game cards.

I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.