My attention is committed to spending time with friends since my retirement. It is the highlight of my day to have conversations with people I cherish. The conversations have been full of laughter, while others have been a deep dive into shared life stories.
I am grateful for each of
the people who willingly have allowed me their time. Yesterday, I spent lunch
at Wok of Flame in Davis with my close friends, Ginger and Kim. An occasion of ‘mostly’
laughter because that’s how we roll. There is even the possibility that we
laugh at things others might cry over. We are friends who would call each other
if we had to bury a body. Not that any one of us has a plan that would lead us
to bury a body. Just sayin.’
Today, Deb Haggerty met up
with me for lunch. She is a true gift from the universe. I attribute Deb’s
connections, and willingness to use them, as the reason my daughter, Megan, has
such a passion and love for animal rescue. I met Deb in the swimming pool at a local
work out club in 2013 – we were independently water walking. As we talked about
exercising in water one thing led to another and Deb shared with me about her
passion for a local Golden Retriever Rescue – Homeward Bound.
I told Deb my 21-year-old daughter
had filed an application with Homeward Bound to volunteer and had not heard
back. Deb asked my daughter’s name and then followed up on Megan’s application.
Next thing we know, Megan was volunteering!
It was an incredible
opportunity for Megan to be exposed to people of all ages, work with dogs of
different breeds and temperaments, and to grow in her own self-discipline. In addition
to learning about dogs, Megan was learning about herself. Deb also gave Megan
the opportunity to house- and dog-sit a few times, while Deb was traveling.
Megan has stayed connected
with the Homeward Bound community since 2013. She volunteered off and on over the
years whenever she could in her work schedule. When she was home from Minnesota
this past November, Megan (and Jeremy) took a few hours during their short trip
to go out to Homeward Bound to walk dogs.
Long story short, Deb
Haggerty is one of our Coehlo/Cook family angels. Someone who helped to put the
wheels in motion and stayed around in our lives to see the fruit of her good
works.
Back in October I ran into
Deb at a local restaurant. She was dining with one of her many friends and I
was at a work lunch. In the few minutes we connected, I told her I was getting
ready to retire and move to Minnesota, she responded, “Let’s get together and
have lunch after you retire.”
Today was that magical day.
We enjoyed Mexican food, margaritas, and flan while sharing our thoughts and life
experiences for three hours. Oh, my goodness, what a blessing! I loved how
openly Deb shares her life – the good and the sad. If we hadn’t both needed
naps, I suspect it would have been time to order dinner before we left.
One topic Deb and I talked
about was her training as a death doula. This is an interest I have been
considering over the past three years, only I didn’t even realize there was an
official death doula training available. Something to delve into further.
Another topic we discussed
today was our shared belief about how important it is to share experiences and situations
with other women to let them see they are not alone – whether it is menopause,
mental health, the reality of parenting, or picking ourselves up after a life
event knocks us down.
I will be processing our time
together for days to come. Meanwhile, if you have a friend like Deb in your
life, please call her today and let her know how much you appreciate her!
❤
ReplyDelete