Mother Teresa, I'm not......

A friend of mine posted an essay to her facebook wall  that she had written in school about people who where an inspiration to her.  So as I began to read it I was expecting to see the usual names Gandhi, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Prophets of the church. You know, for some reason I was expecting to see the people who inspire me. But when I read a little intro and then saw the line "The person who has been the most influential in my life is Jenn Jam." I about died. Of coarse, she mentioned many of these other people but then she mentioned me. After reading the entire story I was in tears.
Years ago when this employee worked for me I had to terminate her for some pretty poor choices she made on her part. Later in life we met up again and she was working for the same company. We became close friends. I never once held against her the transgressions of that first mistake that she made. She was able to grow and become quiet strong and confident, holding a very prominent position within the company. With the economy the way it was when we both lost our jobs she and I lost touch but when we reunited. I found that she was raising her children on her own and was just finished with school. She said it was advice from me. I had told her always she could be "Whomever she wanted to be,she just needed to make it happen."
She did make those things happen. She never gave up. Yet she says I inspired her, she said had I held against her those initial transgressions when we reunited again for the first time she would never have never learned so much from me. She would never learned to become strong and confident. She would have never learned how to "Just make it happen."
I was so humbled by this story and am so blessed to have this friend in my life. I am very proud to see how far she has come in her life and am glad I could be a part of it.

"How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment when you realize we have discovered a friend."

~ William Rotsler
I have shared time and time again how blessed I am to work with the people I do and how much they have made a difference in my life. Today though, I realized that I have never really expressed my thoughts about my co-workers.

For some reason when you work with individuals with disabilities you become very close to your co-workers. The relationships are very close and can be very personal. I have been amazed at the compassion, strength, and love of the many co-workers I have had.

Over the years I have heard it all. Oh what a special spirit you must be. You are so kind. I could never work with "those" kind of people. All kind of different things. I have heard it and my peers have heard it.

However, non-of those kudos have ever mattered. Most of us do what we do because we make a difference in some one's life. We know that at the end of the day, maybe, because we went to work that day. That persons life was just a little better.

We had a huge blow come to at work this week. Dozens of my peers learned that by the end of this month they will no longer have jobs. But there was not throwing fits, sulking, morning, everyone just went on business as usual. Putting there all into their jobs, seeing to it that the services they were providing to the people they are supporting where the best of the best. Exactly what they deserved.

I have to say I am honored, I am humbled, and I am blessed to have not only had the privileged to work with some amazing people over the years. People that I am still very close with to this day. But also, people I am working with now. Those who have had rugs pulled out from under them and their lives turned upside down. Those who put on a brave face for the people they are supporting. Those who have dedicated years of their lives to making that everyday difference. May each and everyone of them be blessed with the journey that lies ahead for them.

Date night with the boys....

I asked Guido what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said he wanted to go out to dinner at his favorite restaurant. So we packed up his friends and off we went to .....

Featured Sushi was the California Roll and the Arches Roll. It was funny to watch the boys taste and sample.Daring each other to try Wasabi and taste different kinds of Tempura.

We have been customers at this restaurant for so many years they have seen Guido grow up, so I was shocked when they came out with Sparkling Cider for everyone to make a toast to him for his birthday. I was even more surprised and so very touched when each of these boys made a toast and each one of them toasted to the same thing" Friendship."

Friends are like bras....close to your heart & there for support

Ever since my car was stolen, I will suffer from boughts of Post Traumatic Anger. (not a real diagnosis) Triggered by suddenly realizing I am needing or missing something that was taken when the car was stolen. Last week I was so mad because I discovered that my jumper cables no longer exist in my car. Luckily, the person I was trying to help out had their own set.
Anyway, about a month ago I was talking to a friend of mine on Facebook This is a friend I have reconnected with and if it wasn't for this wonderful forum of technology it would probably be years before I saw her again. We spent years working together and were really good friends. So we are doing the chat thing and I was telling her how mad and frustrated I was because I had lost most of my CD's when my car was stolen. She empathized and we chatted about other things.
Well Saturday I received a package from her in the mail. I could not believe what was inside. She had sent me about 30 CD's. So many memories and so many good times, just wrapped up in a little package and on all of these great CD's. I couldn't wait to get them all loaded up and ready for the gym.
When I thanked her, she in her shy little demeanor said" Well that is what friends do for one another." That is so very true and I am so very thankful to have such a wonderful friend like her in my life.

I get by with a little help from my friends...

My friends are great blessings in my life. Whether I see them every day or not for years, I am so thankful to have great friends in my life.

Girls Night Out....

Last night was date night for my friend Ane and I. First we went to the Blue Iguana, an amazing Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown. There food was incredible as was the atmosphere. They had a lovely couple singing, the wife sang while the husband was playing the guitar.

After dinner, it was on to the Ballet...

They opened with "Songs of the Valley", a great compilation about the pioneers. It was a lively and cheerful ballet, not the usual thing you would expect but wonderful non the less.

The next ballet was called the "Three Preludes" which consisted of three incredible pieces accompanied by a very talented pianist.

The concluding ballet was "The Dream" it was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream.

All three ballets where beautiful, the dancers are so very talented and the music was perfect.

Ane and I have been friends for over 20 years now. We love to get out and laugh, that is one of our favorite things to do. I am so thankful to have such an incredible friend. We have seen so much in one anothers lives and it is so nice just to get out an enjoy each others company.

"We're adults... When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?"

One of my closest friend became a grandmother today, a grandmother, I keep saying it over and over but it doesn't sink in. When I look at her I don't see a granmother, when I look at her I see my friend out rafting on the river, out climbing up and down cliff faces, I could go on and on and on. Just like when we look at our brothers and sisters, our friends do not age either. We still see one another as we once were. I don't notice the gray hairs starting to pop out, or the wrinkles starting to form at least until they are pointed out.

I am guessing that I have many years ahead of me before I am a grandmother. So I imagine this whole grandmother thing will eventually sink in. Eventually....