Our human connection

...is sometimes difficult to ignore

She realized she couldn't meet her friend at the time they had planned. 

When the phone rang she was relieved to hear Deborah wondering if the date could be changed... to the same weekend she herself was going to propose.

They hadn't seen each other for a few years and Chicago seemed like a great place to get together to celebrate their friendship. She was traveling from Ontario, Deb was traveling from Missouri.

They met on the first weekend in June, 1994.

They were tired after exiting the Art Institute of Chicago, but nearby the Blues Festival was in full swing, where thousands of people crammed Grant Park. They grabbed a beer and she led Deb through the crowd then stopped and stood listening to the music and feeling the sunshine.  They stood in front of a group of people, friends to one another. A handsome man initiated conversation.

We met in Chicago on the first weekend in June, 1994.

Bill was in a serious relationship, I had just gotten out of one.  He lived in New Hampshire, I lived in Ontario.

Our lives collided. The connection was so strong there was no ignoring it.  I felt as though we had known each other our whole lives. And the discovery of details diminished uncertainty.  My birthday was the same as Bill's deceased father's.  Our mothers' birthdays were the same date, five years apart.  His great-grandparent's names were Bill and Emily.  Bill had quit smoking the day he flew to Chicago, and believe me when I say I would not have given him the time of day if he smoked.

We were married three years later.

And recently we celebrated our twenty-first wedding anniversary.  We're enjoying some incredible experiences with two children we love with all our hearts.  We are blessed, and I am so grateful.

Never underestimate the power of connection. To fellow human beings, to friends, to family, to lovers, to strangers.

Have you felt a powerful connection to someone that was difficult to ignore?  Celebrate it!

P.S. Artistic credit to my daughter, Lena, who made the paper doll cutouts when she was about nine, and now wishes she had made them more diverse.

Bill & I, 1995

L-R: a cheeky me June 4th, 1994 | contact info written June 5th | and my friend Deborah also June 4th

Forget Reading This Post

Be present and focus on what matters most instead

This Christmas season I hope you will be with people you care about, doing things you enjoy, and taking time out to celebrate what matters most.

Why dwell on what didn't get done, what could have been, or what's missing? Whether you're alone, with a few people, or a brood of family or friends, stop time and notice what's right in front of you, who is around you, and why you're part of it. 

Cherish relationships that give you strength and take in the earth's beauty and the creativity that we are surrounded by every day. Even the snow that sometimes impedes our travel has incredible beauty if we're open to seeing it. 

As this year comes to a close, my family and I wish you many joyful moments to capture, if not in photos, in your heart and mind.

And express gratitude.  It is powerful.

(P.S. The photo above is of my husband, Bill, our daughter, Lena and son, Nolan, about eleven years ago)
 

Gone Fishin'

Celebrating long-lasting friendships

It is a place to enjoy the best martini after a long drive, where the food is amazing, where the camaraderie fits as well as your favorite pair of shoes that you can slip into anytime and walk for an eternity. It's an annual event that takes place on a lake in Ontario, Canada, the second weekend in July, the setting lovely and inspirational, and the people incredible.

I'm talking about Girl's Fishing Weekend.  I'm talking about friendships that have stood the test of time.  Thirty-three years of fishing weekends to be exact.

My college girlfriends and I have made it okay to share triumphs, joys, challenges, sadness, and our vulnerabilities. It's a time and a safe place to reflect on the year that has passed, milestones during the decades we've known one another, and what the future holds. It's where we discuss the latest trends in architecture, art, travel, relationships, style - or lack of it, food, and wine, health, and maybe the lighter side of politics. Turn up the music, throw in a goofy game or two and laughter ensues.

And, for those of you curious to know the type of fishing gear we use, or the bait that's best for the kind of fish in the lake... news flash: we don't fish. Why waste time?  We named the weekend because we wanted to give it validity for the other important people in our lives.

Girl's Fishing Weekend is our way of celebrating and preserving what matters most - our friendship.

I hope we all have or strive to pursue these kinds of friendships in our lives, and that we take the time to celebrate them. They are worth their weight in gold.

Bye now... I'm goin' fishin'.