One Person Matters

Yes, no matter what you believe about yourself, you do matter, and what you say and do influences others as well as your own demeanor and attitude. In high school, the sponsor of the newspaper told me that I did not matter, and that one person could not influence another. How wrong she was! I may not remember her name, but I remember her words. It has taken me many, many years to realize how wrong she was. It took more than 25 years teaching in Pasco County, FL, to completely convince me. When I retired after 35 years, I felt completely validated in my belief that one person matters. With so many former students/forever friends influencing me, and vice versa, I still have hope that the world can be a more peaceful, saner, and safer world for all of us and future generations.  Working together, we can make a difference, even with so much heartache in the world, and daily occurrences of violence and destruction, in the midst of a shifting climate and uncaring individuals contributing to fires, floods, and earthquakes. One person matters so that the world can be a better place.

Though this morning's news of fires out west, the worst drought in California in a century, a non-existent cease fire in the Gaza Strip, and the report that all died on the Malaysian airplane shot out of the sky by a missile launched from the Ukraine, I kept thinking of what mattered this week:

Bowling with friends in New Port Richey, and dinner with Tim & Dean in St. Petersburg on Sunday.
Tai Chi at the library, and dinner with Lori & Vicky at Maggiano's  in Tampa.
Visiting with Denise and taking my other mother, Mater, to lunch and her doctors on Tuesday before a mediocre dinner with the fantastic Jarrells in Ozona.
Getting a second opinion on the car from friends, so that it could be fixed correctly the first time at Sun Toyota on Wednesday, going to Tai Chi at the library, and seeing a really dumb movie with the very intelligent, kind Brumblays at Westshore.
Seeing Paul at Panera's before picking up my car on Thursday, so I could be home, talking to friends on the phone before cuddling up with Michael to watch Jack Ryan save the world on DVD, complements of Redbox.
Texting with Steppy in Germany, and Jamie in Tampa, before lunching with Patricia at Mimi's, and finally cleaning the kitchen before Michael gets home from work today, Friday.

It all matters: yesterday, today, tomorrow. It's not just about me, and I do matter. You matter, too: what you say, think, do, now and tomorrow. Now, if we all matter so much, love so deeply, and care about the future, what is the matter with this world?

Friends as Family

Michael works for Video Art Productions with the Tampa Bay Rowdies - as a camera man in the heat, rain, and noise from 2011-2013, and this year in the cool control room putting up graphics for the live feed. This year, Carla is a soccer fan, participating in all of the marvelous mayhem as a member of Ralph's Mob which urges the team to win. This year, they look for each other after the games, and sometimes they find one another - like they did this past Saturday. This picture says it all - two of my favorite people, with big, beautiful smiles, happy to be in each other's presence.

Carla has been "my baby" since she was born to my best friend, Rebecca. Becky knew I could not have kids, so Carla had two moms for the first few years of her life. Now, it's Aunt Courtenay, and that's okay. Becky is the best mother a kid could have, and I would never compete with her. Being an aunt means I can be her best friend and confidante when a mom might be too close to whatever situation needs perspective.

Carla probably knows this since she has been and will always be my first kid: I could not be prouder of all she does, all that she has done, and the person who she is today. In fact, before Michael and I could marry 33 years ago, she had to give her seal of approval. That she did, as they bonded over Smurfs in her Pinellas County home 34 years ago.  He's her Uncle Mike, and he loves her as much as I do.

Who is your family? Who do you love more than blood itself? All of us are born into a family, for better or worse, and whether or not we associate with family members becomes a decision we make as we age. Friends come into our lives at all times of our lives, and some become strangers due to time, distance, or other reasons. Some become extended family members. Though we are not bound by blood, we are bound by love, respect, and history. These family friends, too, will be with us until we leave this mortal plain - for better or worse!

Thanks be to God, and also . . .

A cancer survivor is profiled in the local section of the Pinellas edition of today's Tampa Bay Times. Her mother painted on their fence, IN 2012 MY DAUGHTER SURVIVED CANCER. THANK YOU, GOD! Yes, God should be thanked, and I, too, thank God for surviving my 2009 bout with ovarian cancer. In addition to this incident, I thank God daily for many things. Yet, when it comes to surviving cancer, I also thank my doctors, friends, and family members who helped me through my ordeal and contribute to the life I love today.  I thank God for guiding medical professionals to find the cancer in me so that it could be eradicated, for giving them the knowledge to help all of us understand what had to be done and needed to be done in the future to prevent its resurgence, and for providing all of us with strength to survive this and future ordeals that tested my faith and threatened my placid, easy going way of life. God was and is a part of all of this, but no, He's not the only entity that I thank each day for surviving cancer, or anything that threatens my life.

Every morning begins and every evening ends with gratitude to God for my life and life in general. To me, He is my guiding force, inner voice, and model to be a better person. Just as He is not to blame for floods, fires, and war, He is not the only reason for glorious days, meaningful lives, and peace in parts of the world. People of all religions, and those who believe in the absence of a supreme being, daily perform heinous acts, and God is blamed for the horrific actions that ensue.  Typhoons, earthquakes, hurricanes, drought, and untimely deaths occur, and God is called to task. Why? Why is God to blame? If these individuals truly believe in a God, or they have a superior sense of self, how can they declare war on this earth. and those who are attempting to live here, in His name or the name of Allah? How can God be held accountable by those who contribute to the poverty and famine near and far? I can not blame God for all that is evil, nor can I be totally grateful to Him for all that is good or miraculous. He is the reason I believe the world can be a better place. He is the reason I am the person I am today. But He is not the only reason.

God is my partner, teacher, friend. He is the creator, the spirit around me, and Father. I won't blame him for the injustices or horrific deeds I witness. Instead, I'll ask him for guidance to do what is right to correct that which I can control. I'll credit him for as much good as I can, knowing that if all of us followed the simple precept - DO UNTO OTHERS - we would not perpetuate the evil that permeates our world. I will give him most of the credit, and pray that those who believe in Him will follow his precepts, leading to a better world. He is the antitheses of evil. He is forever, and He is love.

Celebrating Life

It is not just about the BIRTH day. It's about life, and what you do any day, and with whom you live your life. July is my birth month, so I celebrate all month.

I enjoyed receiving flowers and a helium balloon from my loving husband. The balloon is still flying high, but I'm on a second bouquet. They smell so good.

I enjoyed having dinner with my husband and Gary - former student (1978) and forever friend. His family is our Italian family!

I look forward to more dinners and flowers all month long - all year long!