“The Anniversary Box Group Sessions”
Christine Rice, Director of the Glen Cove Senior Center, hosted the initial “Love Messages” session for thirty participants. The program is now being expanded. For more information, contact Tom Murphy at Tom@tommurphy.org.
“Love Messages”
Learn how to bring the power of love into your life!
Jackie DeShannon sang, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” We give people a chance to tap into their life experiences and write “Love Messages” to create stronger bonds with those in their lives.
The “Love Messages” session was first offered for thirty seniors at the Glen Cove Senior Center in February, 2023, see photos on the left. Based on that success the model has been expanded to give other groups, especially seniors, an opportunity to participate and write their own personal “love messages” to share and keep.
The program draws upon twenty-four love messages in the novel, “The Anniversary Box – A Love Story,’ by Tom Murphy, who facilitates the sessions. Tom guides participants to express how love has added value to their lives and share insights on ways they’ve kept love alive despite hardships, losses and ever-evolving challenges. Tom plays songs, such as Jackie DeShannon’s tune and others, to prompt discussion and teach participants how to craft their own “Love Messages” that reflect their view on the richness of love – as well as how to initiate it and sustain it.
Participants get in the “flow,” smile and enjoy an hour and a half of connection-making.
Participants gain an opportunity to tap into their memories of love in their lives and craft a “Love Message” to keep as a reminder – maybe post it on a refrigerator – or share with loved ones, including family and friends, to offer them personal insight to keep love alive in their lives.
Senior, families, couples – gain an opportunity to be vital, engaging and proactive. Plus emerge with a personally inspired “Love Message” on a card to show how to make the world a little brighter.
While having fun!
The session is especially timely now as news reports chronicle a break- down in “connection- making.”
Kudos to Jackie DeShannon for her wise guidance on the role individuals play to inject a little love into the world.
Here’s background on the story in the novel, “The Anniversary Box – A Love Story:”
A young woman, Peggy Moore, is about to get married when she learns that her parents struggled during the early years of their marriage. Each year on their anniversary during their twenty-four-years of marriage, however, they would write a message together to solidify their bond. The messages express fresh new ways to make their relationship stronger, then they’d seal the messages away in a special case, their Anniversary Box.
Six weeks before her wedding, Peggy finds herself getting cold feet. She would consult with her parents for guidance on how to make things right with her fiancé, but her mom is deceased and her dad has suffered a debilitating stroke, so she sets out to find their missing anniversary box to learn the secret to keep love alive before stepping to the altar herself.
For additional background on the novel see this trailer.
Tom Murphy gives a portion of profits from the book to cure lung cancer.
Click to Purchase book on Amazon
For information on how to arrange a ‘Power of Love” session for your group, contact us.
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