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!

Life's Musings in the Middle of the Week

Friends are the backbone of life. Without them, life would be boring. It would be dull. It's only Wednesday, and I have enjoyed being with so many friends already. Sunday I met Meg at Panera's to learn about the changes at the district office concerning media specialists in Pasco County. Retired, those changes don't impact me, but they do impact others who are my friends. Good luck to you all.

Monday I participated in my Tai Chi class at the Palm Harbor Library, interacting with friends made in the past 16 months as a member of the class. Monday was also Leah's birthday - which we celebrated tonight at Chili's. It was also Samantha Slusak's service and funeral. She was only 23.  Devastating. To lift my spirits, I visited my Mother-in-Law, who is my Mother and my friend.

Tuesday I visited my other Mother, Mater, who made us soup for lunch. I was a little late because I visited River Ridge to hug a couple of the teachers who contributed to my MDA walk on Feb. 9th. Thank you, Diana, Mimi, and Grady - friends even after my retirement. Mater's daughter, Roxie, also contributed - my sister/friend. 

Today was another Tai Chi class, but first I attended the SENIOR FAIR at the St. Petersburg Coliseum with dear friends, Gene & Lou. We also had lunch with my best friend in the whole world - my husband, Michael.  Ken, another friend, and expert in lighting video productions, came along with Michael to meet Gene & Lou, and eat with us. Tonight, Leah and I celebrated her 24th birthday at Chili's and now I'm awaiting my best friend's return from a night time gig at USF, manning one of the cameras at the BasketBULL game. 

What will tomorrow bring? More friends, more adventures, and no chance of dull or boring moments.

Gratitude

Such a simple act - to say "Thank you!" To pick up a phone, and say it and remind the person you are calling WHY you appreciate him/her. To open a mail account online and write a quick note of appreciation. To write a thank you note, place it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and address it. And what if the person is in your own home? Is a thank you enough? Or is there more one can do to show appreciation? Like doing the dishes after he creates a fantastic meal, or doing the laundry when the clothes hamper is full simply because time is available and it's a nice thing to do.

So simple to show appreciation, and so many ways to show it, but how many people do it? I just finished writing eight notes of appreciation to family and friends. I thanked each one of them once again for the memories we created during the holidays. Enclosed in each note is one picture, or as many as six pictures, to refresh the recipient's memory of our time together. Yes, the pictures are online at Shutterfly or Facebook or they were sent via email. Still, there is something about holding a picture, looking at it for as long or as little as one wants, and putting it in a scrapbook or frame to keep forever or a day.

Appreciation. Gratitude. So simple, yet it takes time. But if someone does something special, and if that person took the time to do something special, shouldn't we take the time to show our gratitude? Shouldn't we say thank you? Shouldn't we show how much we care?