Many of you have followed me on social media for years. You've encouraged me to write a book on multiple occasions. Each time I read those comments my heart soared a little. Could I really do it? Would people even care? Then one day, one random, unplanned interaction pulled the trigger for me to get started. Here's that story.
Why not wait until the summer you’re about to turn 50 to become a server in the food service industry!?
One day as the rush was over, I seated a family of 3. I’d never seen them or met the mom before. I treated them like I do every other customer, with a smile, and tried to engage in pleasantries. As I was delivering some dirty dishes to the back, the mom met me in the hallway right in front of the bathroom.
“You probably don’t recognize me do you?” she said very hesitantly.
I hate this scenario. It happens pretty frequently. I would rather eat a raw toad than admit to someone I don’t know them when they clearly know me. It makes me feel like a superficial human who can’t take time to remember each person and interaction. It's completely opposite of the way I want to make people feel.
“We don’t know each other or anything but I sent you a friend request on FB recently and although I don’t know why you would, you accepted it. I had seen a comment you posted on a friend’s status one day and what you wrote instantly connected with my soul. I have to tell you that although you are raising girls, and I have all boys... There are days that something you post is the only thing that gets me through that day. The fact that you’re honest, share your Lucille Ball Moments, the good things and the mistakes just gives me hope to keep going! I love what you’re doing with your page and thank you for being uplifting and trying to inspire everyone to just keep going.”
I did not know how to answer her that day and I really am kind of at a loss for words now on how to react to that moment. At one point I had lived through a time where there Was No option for hope, joy, or inspiration. I remember at my lowest point telling myself “you should smile right now - a normal person would smile right now.” Through God's intervention, I came through that time with a song in my heart, joy in my soul and a burning desire to help others find that life worth living.
She told me later that her family was completely shocked when she approached me that day. So much so, that they told other people about it. “Several times I have started to message you but never did. My family thought I was crazy . . . Do you know her? What did you say to her?!? I told them I “knew” you from Facebook and that you inspired me and I felt like I needed to tell you that and thank you.“
Then I proceeded to have the worst Lucille Ball moment with ”her“. I attended a wedding a couple weeks later.
During the reception afterward, all of the women were in a circle dancing together because some of the husbands were just a little more reluctant than the women. I see her standing on the outside of the circle watching us, dancing just a little bit, but staying just outside the fringe. Knowing from the restaurant moment she was a very hesitant, shy person, I knew she would not just walk up to the circle on her own without an invitation. I danced over to her, place my arm around her shoulders squeeze her a little and tell her ”it’s so good to see you! Come on girl, join the fun!"
Later that week, I messaged her on FaceBook. "It was so good to see you at Fancy's wedding! I’m sorry I couldn’t chat longer, there was dancing to be done you know?"
It wasn’t her.
She informed me that she didn’t even know Fancy's family and it was definitely someone else but this was the best Lucille Ball Moment she had been privy to so far! I really thought it was her! Nope! I literally walked up to a complete stranger, put my arm around them and basically man-handled them right up into the women’s dancing circle. I am an idiot. I’m an inclusive idiot, but I’m an idiot and stories like these just make people feel ever so much better about themselves.
People have always told me they love hearing about my “Lucille Ball Moments” because I freely am able to tell my most embarrassing stories, or parenting goofs along with my marriage mess-ups and allow people to laugh about how life just has a way of keeping all of us humble. It was in that moment, standing there in Boomtown Pints & Pies I knew I could do it. I could write a book, find a bigger way to reach out to more than just my friends list and encourage them to grab some joy especially as they grow older and take life by the horns instead of just letting life happen To them! I really want to help people overcome their pain with humor, and joy. I want them to grow older Intentionally and iron out all of the nagging wrinkles that have internally plagued them. There are no do-overs and we don’t get any of this back! Let’s take inventory of our lives, checking things off one at a time and allow ourselves to love life while being completely at ease with who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we are headed!
I love this! Cannot wait for the book!
Can’t wait to read this!!
Soooo proud of this AUTHOR!!!