I thought I would share this story shared with me by my friend Tina and her Paster Robert Sims.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
James Caan, the famous veteran actor of many decades took six years off from his acting career. He has played in more than fifty films and was nominated for an academy award for his role in The Godfather. Caan considers the six year hiatus one of the best times of his life.
He spent much of the time coaching Little League. On his team was a nine year old named Josh. He was a big awkward kid who just couldn’t hit the ball. He was devastated. His head was down and he was ashamed. Caan started going to the boy’s house to coach him one-on-one. Near the end of the season Josh came up to bat. The week before he had popped up to the pitcher with bases loaded. He felt terrible. Josh slowly stepped into the batter’s box and glanced
cautiously at the pitcher. The ball zings toward him and “wham”, he drills it deep into the outfield. He runs to first and on to second. Caan, coaching at third base waves him home. Caan said, “The kid sees me waving him home, looks at me---I’ll never forget it as long as I live---and there were tears in his eyes. He stopped just before home base, jumped up and landed with both feet on the plate. He put both fists in the air and looked up to God. Every kid in the dugout raced out to hug him. Nothing replaces that. That was the best time of my life.”
Most of us spend our lives looking for the deep esoteric meaning of our existence. Most of the time it is right there in front of us in the form of a little child needing a chance to discover the joy of loving oneself; or an older person in the nursing home looking for someone to convince them they are not forgotten or a recently divorced person needing someone to assure them they are still loved and valued.
I haven't posted in awhile and there is so much to catch up on....
What to tell first....
Packing up Amy and going back to Wisconsin to see family and friends..
Dreary fall days full of rain but then finally seeing the clouds break and the sun shine on all the bright colorful trees...
Man, how I love fall in the midwest..We just don't get the colors and crispness here in San Francisco.
Catching up wtih Missy and her family - oh how I love them dearly...
Hearing some exciting news from a dear friend - keeping secrets for now...
The moment Jarin and I hugged...loving that he still remembers his "Aunt Teffie"
Jaden warming up to me after hanging out for a while...
Getting so many clothes from my sister...what a blessing that was..but also scary!
Dinner paid for and a yummy dessert to follow..
Hugs and kisses...
Breakfast and good chats with Jerilyn, Darren and baby Colten...how sweet...
Totally not believing that's going to be Tim and I next year...oh, the time is flying..
Watching Jaden dig into his Birthday Cake like he'd done it a million times before..
Blond curly hair
1 year old smiles
Dairy Queen
Chicken wings at Hansen's
Leaving friends and family - the oh, so familiar....
Sleeping in my own bed..
Being so happy to see Tim ...
Enjoying my morning oatmeal
Hearing the pounding rain outside my window and the BOOM of thunder
The anticipation of seeing my girlie friends this weekend...oh, I can't wait!
Knowing I have to go clothes shopping SOON - how long do you think I can go with my pants unbuttoned?
The news that Amy found an apt. in Chicago already!!!!!
Home alone....CAKE on the CD player....sweats on ..... Gilmore Girls on in an hour....
What more can I ask for???
It's good to be back.
So many changes in life lately
Well there are changes in life every day
But when the changes are BIG then they make a bigger difference
You can't help but see them ....face them...
Changes lately include:
My pants don't fit
I go pee all the time and even in the middle of the night which NEVER happened before!
I get headaches and I can't take what I normally would to get rid of them
I refer to the little person inside me as the "jumbo shrimp" or the "lemon" depending on what week it is and what size it is
I worry about weird things(ok not a change but...)
My little sis is turning 25 and leaving San Francisco....oh, how I'll miss her!
Yes, my little sis is leaving and going off to have her own adventures again
Going off to live her life
Going off to really find what it is that she wants to find
Going off to find her self....we all know that takes time..
Going off to explore, have adventures, live alone..
I will miss her but I know deep down she has to do it and that she'll make it.
She'll make it..
Just believe Amy...just believe..
And when you don't.. just remember I do...
I believe in you.
Always!
Happy Birthday "Amy D-B"!
I want to announce that Today ~ Friday! is throw out your lists day!
I'm a huge list person, I think I get this from my family because through out my life there was always the list of somethings on the counter. In my head there is always a list of what to do before, what to do when, what to do, what to do...well I say enough!
No more lists of To do's
or what we must do to be perfect
or the things we must do to fit into that dress or those jeans
or a list of who we love and don't love
or a list of things we're thankful for
or a list of our flaws or what we love
or what we need to do before...
and all the disappointment when we don't do what's on the list...
For 1 day I say the hell with lists!
I want to TRUST myself enough to just do what I want to do and remember to just BE. Be who I am and then everything else will follow.
We aren't perfect. I hate to tell myself that or let you all in on the secret but we're not and we need to QUIT telling ourselves we have to be or that we are or whatever else our inner critics keep feeding us. Keeping those lists won't ever make us perfect and checking off all the "to do's" won't make us perfect either.
Let's just live today .....
Being gentle..
Being gentle with yourself...
What a concept...
What a concept to actually be gentle with oneself....
Knowing that it's ok that you didn't do the laundry
Or call everyone back
or email everyone back
or do the dishes
or say the right thing at the right time
or buy that piece of art
or write that journal entry
or ...or...or...or
Being gentle with yourself like you would with someone else who is going through life just a little too fast.
****
Good things...
~Andrea's great storytelling
~Anne Lamott is back at Salon
~yummy ice cream in the middle of the work day
~finding a decaf Chai tea! man, was I happy to see that!!!
~a surprise walk in the middle of the work day
~gentle advice from a friend
~a gentle email from a good friend
~open studios - such beautiful pieces of art
~watching "Love Actually" with dear friends
~the excitement of our first ultra sound!!!!
I had the unique and wonderful experience of spending an evening with the beautiful Sabrina Ward Harrison tonight.
A bonfire
A circle of women and men
A scarf
Readings from her new book "Messy Thrilling Life"
Photos
Discussions
Dear Friends
Sabrina's new book "Messy Thrilling Life" is out and it's a beautiful told story of New York, tragedy, love, moving back to the Bay area, love lost, finding one's true self. It's that and so much more. Sabrina speaks the truth, the deep dark truth of herself. Through her photography, collage and her writings.
She makes me think about myself and that I really am ok just the way I am right now at this moment. That being scared about having a baby is ok, that it's never the "right" time, that it's never the perfect feeling. It's all messy and thrilling! Totally true! I had such an AHA! moment after talking with her.
What a perfect night.
If you haven't registered to vote yet - please get out there!
Register.
Listen and Vote!
You have the right to and you should take advantage of that right.
Even if you think you're vote doesn't count for some reason ~ please just get out there and vote!
If any year we needed everyone to vote - it's this one!
A friend is selling some cool shirts- She19 promoting the 19th Amendment - when women were given the right to vote.
Get out there and use your voice!!!
To the world you may only be one person
But to one person you may be the world
~unknown
HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY TO ASHLEE TODAY!!!
11 years ago Ashlee was born to Tim's brother John and his wife Tammee...
11 years ago Heather and Michael got married...
11 years ago Tim and I met.... and the rest is history....
*****
It's weird how "anniversaries" of time become such milestones of life.
11 years ago I was in such a "different" place.
In college ~ very confused, angry, depressed, lost. Not a good place.
Thank God for my friends who pulled me through.
I thank them for giving me hope, love and all the support.
Then it was time for all of us to go on a road trip for our friend Heather's wedding..
Where I ended up meeting Tim....
WOW, how life changed after that. And it's kept changing ever since .... now 11 years later we are expecting our first child.
Oh, how the time flies and the universe keeps giving us all that we can handle.
****
One more anniversary - we've been out in California for 5 years now! Who would of thought, that we'd be here for 5 years and counting!
Here's to all the people who said ~ "Oh, you'll be back in a year!!"
HA! We made it 5 years and we're still making it!
Happy Days!!
Fall is upon us - the crisp air, the changing of the leaves, the colors, the moon, everything changes. Fall is my favorite time of year.
Living in California you don't get too much of the change but you see it in little bits all over the place.
I remember growing up in Wisconsin we'd rake all the leaves from the oak trees in our front yard and make piles and piles while we ran and jump right in. Raking them up again to do the same thing again, over and over.
Then my sisters and I would make our own little roads through out the yard with all the leaves... those were the days of just playing ...
The days of fall - where you got to bring out your sweaters and sweatshirts when the sun went down, cuddling up to a fire or even a bonfire outside. Thinking that summer is gone for another year...
Out with the old and in with the new....I know Fall is the beginning of the long hard winters in the midwest and I'm happy to say I don't have to deal with that anymore but it's also leading up to the Spring where the new comes alive...and our little one will be born.