I guess, if I think about it, the three quotes that have "graced" the top of my blog for a long time are "all about" being a gift to others--"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~Leo Buscaglia; "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it for I shall not pass this way again." ~Stephen Grellet; "I've always thought that people need to feel good about themselves and I see my role as offering support to them, to provide some light along the way." ~Leo Buscaglia--and yet, those words "the gift of people" really spoke to me. Maybe it was in context with the rest of the words of the post (it was a beautifully written hopeful and faith-filled post despite the circumstances), or maybe it just "fit" with reflecting back on 2009 and all that made that year special...
I don't even have to look any further than my living room mirror to see some of the gifts of people God has given me. The living room mirror is where I hang Christmas cards that end up staying all year long. Not only do I have pictures of two (former :o) ) patients and their families, but also photos of four families whose children were my patients before they passed away. All of those families, and their children, were brought into my life for very special reasons. I learned from all of them, and the gifts they shared with me during their time here will remain with me forever. And, there is no way I could look at those cards and not feel like I was/am special to them too.
What else is on that mirror?
*family (of COURSE those people are gifts!)
*the family of a co-worker from a job I did in high school and college
*cards from three co-workers who "randomly" became special friends
*the picture of a little girl all grown up whose mom was instrumental in me choosing my college (I "treated" myself to baby-sitting her on one of my birthdays)
*the family of a woman I met when I was doing a job with the State
*a young woman who once was the 5-year-old in foster care at my house when I was in high school
*the woman who was assigned to me as a "mentor" my senior year in college
*"blog friends" who have become "real life friends"
(I am still planning to send cards...guess they will be New Years' ones!)
At this point in my post, I was curious about what I wrote last year when I reflected back on 2008. I think 2009 is a good year to reflect on the "gift of people" because I never could have imagined a year ago the wonderful people He would place in my path. (2009 WAS also the "year of the baby" that I wrote about in last year's post...I was going to make a slide show of the "babies of 2009" but realized that I either didn't have pictures of some of the babies or they were babies from the blogs I read which would be kind of weird) Anyway, I am glad I went and checked last year's post because it brought back some good memories. I called 2008 the year of Friendship and Miracles. (If I actually have a "reader" who is new to reading about "me", that post has lots of links to the "highlight posts" of the previous year) At the end of that post, I shared part of a comment I received that read "...may 2009 hold great joy and many surprises" to which my response was "I am sure He has more joy and surprises than I can even begin to imagine." How true that was...and I'm sure will continue to be...
The gift of people...I am sure there will be more to come on this because I just love that (even though I used it in slightly different context) and this post is a bit disjointed! I also would love to do a "year in review" but my lap top remains out of commission and for some reason it is just harder for me to do that on my netbook (I erased this whole post a couple times, but was able to "rescue" it thank goodness). It's also nearly 11:30 and I stayed up until 1AM, got up before 6AM, worked for nearly 13hours, and possibly will be working again in the morning. So, I should get some sleep.
2009 was a really good year...and of course will be remembered as the year I became an aunt , among many other things...including a fantastic trip to Chicago (I haven't watched this slide show in a while...maybe I'll do that before I go to bed...ha!)
So, a fond farewell to 2009 (at least for now) and hello 2010. Wow, 2010...that once seemed SO far away and here it is! I'm sure 2010 will be filled with friendship, miracles, joy, surprises, and gifts...more than I can even begin to imagine.
Good night.
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