A most remarkable woman (and a truly inspirational moment)...

A couple of months ago, I made my first-ever trip to Costco, at the behest of a friend.

I never made it past the front door, as I had encountered this stunningly beautiful woman. She was the Official Greeter and First Tier of Problem-Solving.

She was brilliant, an uncanny sense of sonar-type humor.

This incredible woman and I spent about an hour (my friend is a regular tsunami when it comes to shopping) there, right smack-dab in the entrance of the store. People walking all around us. She was magic, fluid. Handled those people as if they were jugglers' batons.

I was just kind of squatting there by her chair.

Her wheelchair, that is.

The wheelchair that she will be in for the rest of her life.

You see, she got tired of watching football on the TV one afternoon so she went for a spin in her fiancee's car.

The car that she wrecked.

The car that belonged to the fiancee who broke it off at her bedside.

Her bedside was in a hospital because she was pretty much gone from the waist down and she had very little use of anything else, but she was left with an inconsistent twitch in that beautiful face, too.

And we talked for a solid hour. She was simply amazing. I am not even going to paraphrase, as I could never do her justice.

The ride home was just a glide, it is nowhere in my memory..

I ran into her and her wonderful husband this past Monday at the Sausalito Art Festival.

So I walked over and said, "Hey! I know you!".

And she started laughing -- that lilting laugh, just lifting away from that gorgeous face.

She laughed and said (in that kinda halting way she has), "Of course you do, Silly. Where have you been?".

I told her that I had just been around.

And I remarked on how indeed fortunate we were to have a day (it was Labor Day, you see) off and to be able to enjoy such a wonderful event on such a beautiful afternoon.

She said, "Day off? You know, I have come to the point where I realize that every day of my life is a Day Off".


I just wanted to share this. We could all learn a lesson from this wonderful woman.
Tom

in touch with your emotions and, yes, feminine side and that, in my eyes, makes you truly exceptional. The fact that you spent so much time talking to this lady probably made her day and yours so much better. I really admire you.

it's because I was so selfish - took so much - earlier in my life.

Your comments mean a great deal to me.

It was just a matter of realization and realignment.

So I re-directed.

http://www.vizzvox.com/stories/9CBIe662CtQsI01fms?locale=en-US

(sorry for the crappy voice-over)

Tom

but I envy the Hell out of you. Sounds like you are living a perfect life. I'm going to bookmark this thread and come up to see this beautiful place.

I received this email at 12:30, nine minutes before your reply...


HOT CHOCOLATE

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a
reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress
in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen
and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups -
porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -
telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:

'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken,
leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only
the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup
that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.
In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we
drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you
consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's
cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and
position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life.
The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate
God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups.
The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make
the best of everything that they have.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your
hot chocolate!


You can just head up here any old time you want, spenbax. Just let me know in advance.
Tom

understand it's meaning, but whom it was written for. ha

But then, I suspect that she already knows that.

He sounds wonderful--a real Newt Gingrich type.


Lovely story--thanks for sharing!