Leading into the first work day of the year, I knew only one
thing. I would not be jumping right back
into sharing content about the great people who are a part of The WMB. I have BIG dreams for the project that will
take time to lay the groundwork to build from. I told myself I would clear my office of all
things related to my photography business, clean (envision the space of a
creative…organized chaos throughout the room), clean, clear out, clean AND write
one HCC post. When push comes to shove,
this creative being can clean and organize Martha Stewart style. Especially when filled with fear about doing
the last task…clean, organize, avoid, worry, clean, day dream about all the connectivity
thoughts screaming through my mind, all the while hoping I could be inspired to formulate my
thought and hit "publish" but worried I would get to the end of the work day with just a clean office. That was the direction my first work
day of living my dream year was heading ntil I
received a call at 9:26 this morning…
An hour into cleaning my phone rings. I look at the caller ID and see a friend’s
name that I think I have talked to on the phone maybe 10 times in the duration
of our 15+ yr friendship. My first
thought was that something horrible must have happened to a mutual friend or her family. Even after answering and a few minutes
talking about kids getting back to school, work and holidays, I was still waiting
for her to drop a bomb. Something must
have happened to motivate the call. Neither of us are phone talkers—we text or
see each other in person…something is bad but she just isn’t getting to
it. We keep talking and I am actually super
psyched to actually start my day off talking with her and hearing her voice, but
I am waiting for the bad news. What
could it be???
And then, ten minutes in, the answer surfaces and kind of
knocks me over. She said since it was 2015,
she was starting something new. She is
going to call people when she is thinking of them. “Texting and Facebook just aren’t doing it
for me. I have time when I am on my way
to work or traveling with work to call people…I never do. And now I am going to and I am starting with
you because you inspired me a last year when you sent out a letter…” Our conversation continued a few more minutes
until she arrived at her office. Her
call seriously made my day. It was
simple. Nothing earth shattering was
shared but it was so good to hear her voice. We both acknowledged how
great real connectivity is. It does not
give you something tangible to hold up for proof of importance but I know my
head and heart lift with even the smallest human connection. It matters.
Ester Frey’s call this morning provided me with the little pebble I
needed to carry me through the day. And
then stars begin aligning.
In the midst of writing this post, I went and found the
letter I sent out to last year that she had referred to for her new years inspiration. Last new years, I was
inspired by my friend who had passed away the previous summer. When I found the letter, I was surprised to see how I started it...January 6th. That is tomorrow. Without Ester’s call, I would not have been
inspired enough to write and hit “publish”.
Without her call, I would not have thought about last year’s
writing. And her call now has Stacey
sitting at the top of my mind. She was
one incredible woman whose life ended way too soon. As I sit here thinking of her, I remember EVERY
SINGLE TIME we were together, somehow she let me know, whether through telling
others about my work or a recent adventure of mine or telling me directly what
she thought of me. She always said she was my biggest fan.
So today, as I am embarking on my dream job (the scariest thing I have
ever done), I know my biggest fan is cheering for me loudly and because of
Ester’s inspiration to connect I am hearing Stacey loud and clear. Tears are filling my eyes while confusion still clouds my head but I will
follow my heart and my vision because I am lucky to be touched friends old, new
and those unknown in the days ahead.
In closing, I will share the card I sent out one year ago this week. The picture above is from the front of the card. In the left corner, you can barely my title for the image, "A New Dawn". Fitting for today's post. Happy New Year and may 2015 be a year to celebrate human connections, new, old, big and small. I will be sharing mine here and I hope you follow along, share with friends and maybe even share with me how human connections have impacted you.
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