Thanks, my friend! (June 13)

In the spirit of supporting each other as women and citizens of the universe, I accidentally on purpose started what I hope to continue as a weekly a meme.  The great people at MissRepresentation.org encourage us to recognize other women for their special qualities.
    
This week I want to put my sister, Christy, in the spotlight.  She is the person who taught me to read, and she continues to be a source of learning and great inspiration.  Christy worked hard to put herself through the University of Missouri while employed part- and full-time.  She then moved to St. Louis and eventually made her way to California.  
It was her life-long dream to live by the ocean, as she could not settle for living in the Midwest.  Some people are just not meant to suffer through cold winters.  She has lived in her CA haven for almost 30 years now.  We drove half-way across the United States to get her there back in the early '90s. That was quite a ride!  
Working her regular multitude of jobs, Christy has continued to teach fitness classes, do massage, and aid in physical therapy.  I think she found her life's calling in physical wellness.  She is also an experienced cat-care expert and has done feral cat rescue for several years.  The feline world has a heroine in her, too.  
As if caring for others isn't enough, she has the somewhat  double-edged distinction of being a cancer survivor.  Christy's diagnosis was a defining moment for our family.  I will never take health for granted, and thank the universe for every day she is on this earth to share her life with us.  She fought through surgery, chemotherapy and recovery without the bitterness and cynicism most of us would profess to the world.
It gave me gave pause to think of my sister grinding through her spin classes while I mentally whined about my simple step aerobics.  I often chided myself that, "Christy can teach spin, and I can't get through this?"  She is an inspiration of strength and determination.  
Many adventures and much laughter mark our past (my 21st birthday, Tiki island, canoe trips, a head full of seagull poop, et al), and I look forward to a wild array of more together.  Christy is a powerful force to behold.  I salute my sistah and thank her for being one of my biggest supporters and a great friend!  


Please share your feelings for an important woman in your life.  Use the little "here's to you" image at the top of this page if you'd like.  It only takes a second to tell someone how important they are.

Life, death, and all that matters

I got a ring last night from a student caller at my alma mater asking for money, as usual.  My first thought was that I had only recently made an alumni donation for the year, so it seemed too soon for another one.  The young woman asked if I remembered a particular professor from the Comm Studies department there.  Of course I do, as she was one of my favorite instructors.  Come to find out, they're creating a scholarship in her name because she died back in December. 


The news struck me.  Dr. Koehler and I had corresponded just back in November, less than four months ago.  I had no idea she had since had open-heart surgery and later died at home.  My email was sent because I wanted her to know what an important influence she had been for me in college and that I had mentioned her in my novella.  She was basically the person referenced with the main character's line, 

Noting some wise words from a former college professor, she tried to remember never to treat anyone there as if she was better than them.  She had sought out the mentor's advice about her apprehension of moving back to small-town life.

There are people in life who ground you.  I needed to hear those words from my own real-life mentor at a time when being humble was necessary.  It makes me wonder if the universe sends people your way specifically, but I'm not a big believer in fate.  Let's call it serendipity or a lucky coincidence.  


Regardless, she said to stay in touch and asked me to send her my address, but I hadn't done that.  My vacation and the holidays were coming up, and I didn't get around to it.  Now I regret it so much.  Never put off doing something that you may not be able to do tomorrow.  While I feel overwhelming grateful to have heard from her in a couple different emails, I am sorry for not staying touch.  It would have been right before her surgery, and now it's too late.   
     
Her obituary mentioned doing a selfless thing for another person in Carol's honor.  A "pay it forward" type of thing was what she would want people to do in her memory.  It was sad to learn so many wonderful things about her from the obit that I wished I had known while she was alive.  She was so insightful, no doubt from her experiences and travels.  There were over a hundred comments just on that condolence site.  I can't imagine knowing that many people, much less having them give online praise like she deservedly received.  


Hers was a life that touched so many people in such outstanding positive ways.  I can't remember reading the word "love" so many times in one place online.  A multitude of expressions of love given and received there.  There are so few truly inspirational people in this world, and we're definitely missing one of them now.  

‎"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss 

(in honor of Dr. Carol M. Koehler, 1938-2011)