Team TEAM

When the boys moved out a couple of years ago, it was a big adjustment for our family.  Well, a big adjustment for ME.  T didn’t seem too troubled.  The girls didn’t miss their brothers too much.  I’m sure on some level they did, but on a daily basis, the girls were pretty pleased.  One Sunday, Lola moved out of their shared “girls room” and set up her own room in her recently vacated brothers’ room.   We all thought that she had been upstairs playing, but she had moved all of her belongings into the boys’ room declaring that she wasn’t leaving.  🙂  We all admired her 8-year-old determination, and the boys’ room has now become Lola’s room.  The boys have been more than willing to sleep on the trundle bed in the corner on their occasional visits.

I Am In Love!

Caribou is here! From the first moment we met, there was no doubt. He was meant to be a part of our lives.

The girls and I were nervous the entire day. I think we were all afraid that something would go wrong. Maybe the breeder would call and say that we needed to wait a couple days more. Or what if, God forbid, we didn’t like him? What if he wasn’t sweet? What if he was yippy, or too shy? Or what if “something” just didn’t feel right? The girls and I were quiet all morning (very unusual!) Each of us were keeping our thoughts to ourselves, but worrying in our own ways.

Little Girls, Little Dogs, and One Old Cat

Finally…this crazy week is over.  The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity.  Working with the consultants and conducting public meetings, hosting a concert last night, responding to phone calls and emails.  It was a busy, but productive week.  I enjoyed working with my friend.  His assistance as a meeting facilitator was invaluable, and we were able to accomplish more than I had hoped.  I’m excited for the next phase of this project and many of the potential pitfalls and road blocks I had anticipated were never encountered.  Not yet, anyway.  This is a good project.  What was initially an economic development initiative has blossomed into a community development project.

Sweet Talkin’

I’m going to have to do a little bit of salesmanship (or saleswomanship) in the next few weeks.  T doesn’t know it yet, but there is going to be an addition to the family.  We are in the “family way.”  Our new addition is in utero.  He (yes, it’s a boy!) will be born in the next day or so.  I am so excited, but I’m afraid T won’t share my excitement.  I put a deposit down on a yet-to-be born puppy today.  His mommy is overdue, and I am excitedly awaiting his birth.

God Bless the Gentleman

 

I had a lovely morning coffee meeting today with a retired gentleman.  He was a gallant gentleman.  He stood up when I approached the table where he sat waiting.  He shook my hand in both of his hands.  I sat my bag down next to my chair and placed my black binder on the table before I moved to go to the counter to order my mocha.  He was immediately up and out of his seat again.  He wanted to buy my coffee.  I wouldn’t allow it.  I had invited him to meet me.  I wanted a mocha (really, really badly!) and I couldn’t expect him to pay $6 for my indulgence.  We bandied back and forth over it for a moment until I put my hand on his arm and told him that I insisted on buying my own mocha.  We got our business discussion out of the way immediately, and then we settled in to a lively discussion about travel, Italy, architecture, and historic preservation.  I thoroughly enjoyed his company, and I smiled as I drove back to my office.

I was still happy and excited as I sat down behind my desk.  I had asked the man to volunteer his professional services and serve on a committee.  He is a retired architect, and his knowledge will be such an asset to the committee, but that isn’t why I was so happy to have made the connection with this gentleman.  He may not know it, but our gentle conversation this morning helped me in a way that he would never understand.

Being treated with kindness and respect is something that meant more to me than his willingness to assist me by serving as a volunteer.  These past few years have been difficult, and I have been stripped of my trust in my fellow man.  I am like an abused dog at the animal shelter.  You know the one.  The little guy who cowers in the back.  All the other dogs horn in and grab the food first.  She doesn’t step up to the cage when people come in looking for a pet.  She hangs back.  She is wary.  She doesn’t know whether the hand reaching out towards her is going to hit her or pat her on the head.  She startles easily.  She doesn’t like loud noises, because LOUD reminds her of yelling.  I am that scared little dog in the back of the cage.  It is not impossible to turn that poor little dog around.  All she needs is consistency.  She needs to be removed from the situation that caused the distress.  She needs to be around people who are kind and gentle.  She needs to learn to trust again.

Late this afternoon, I sent the kind gentleman an email thanking him for taking time out of his day to meet me for coffee.  I thanked him for agreeing to assist me as a volunteer.  I told him how much I enjoyed our conversation and told him that I would enjoy sharing a cup of coffee with him anytime he would like some company.  Before you get the wrong impression, this man was elderly.  There was NO possibility of mixed signals!  I simply enjoyed his company, his intelligence, and most of all, his kindness.

While I was able to send him a simple follow-up thank you email, I was not able to tell him how much it meant to me to connect with a good human being or that he helped in some small way bring me closer to the front of my cage.