Cup 4 - Lori

January 26, 2014

While the list of people I hope to catch up with this year is long, it actually isn't comprised only of teachers I have previously worked with!  It was under somewhat stressful circumstances that I met with not-a-teacher-Lori today.  But thank goodness for friends during hard times!

Lori is a friend I met six summers ago.  My husband, and her whole family, were regular competitors at off-road dirt bike races happening throughout the province.  We would see each other a couple of weekends a month, May through September.  This pattern continued for three seasons, until three years ago, which is when Derek took a break from racing and riding.  (He thought it was a more temporary break, at the time, and still intends to get back to the scene.  I hope he does.)

Mine and Lori's bond was built around our dog, Brier.  Brier was a celebrity in his own right at dirt bike events, known and loved by everybody.  Lori has dogs of her own, but always joked (?) that Brier was her favourite dog ever.  Her affection for him was evident and heart-warming.  He was the centre of many conversations and a constant companion by our sides as we watched and waited for races to be done.  So even though Derek stopped racing, and Lori and I only see tidbits about each others' lives on FaceBook, she was literally the first person I messaged last week when Brier's age seemed to suddenly catch up to him and it appeared we may not have him for much longer.  Stressful times.

Lori drove to our house today, from Pincher Creek(!) to see Brier....and us!  I had been hoping they'd have gotten to see each other again, in the camping environment Brier loves, but today the summer seems a long way off.  How wonderful it was to see Lori's smiling face and to hear about her busy family.  How great it was for Derek to catch up on the goings-on in the racing community he was once so involved.  I'm truly hoping today might have been a spark to ignite getting his bike out from under the tarp in our garage.  How wonderful that Lori went out of her way and made time for us.  After three years!  How amazing it is to have a dog who has so effortlessly touched so many people over the years, and connected us to those people as well.

Brier is lying beside me as I type.  I'm not sure how many days, weeks or months we still have together.  But I'm thankful for how he has deepened the pool of relationships I now have in my life.  Thank you Lori, for being one of the those important people.

And thank you for loving my dog.

Cup 3 - Martina

January 19, 2014

This week I had the true pleasure of re-connecting not only with a fabulous friend, but also with her entire family.  Every member (and her home itself) is as beautiful as she is (even you, Jeff!) - probably greatly due to her influence!  

As with so many of the friends I hope to see again through this process, Martina is someone I met through teaching.  I believe we first met in the late 1990s and quickly found affinity in our common single lady status (insert song here).  After having moved here from Lethbridge and ending a previous, serious relationship,   it was fun to help Martina find the first home she bought.  (I enjoy helping other people spend their money!) The house was in Tuscany and I was living in nearby Arbour Lake at the time.  We became carpool buddies.  Carpooling from Calgary to Airdrie, for approximately an hour - total - per day is a great way to deepen a friendship and an opportunity to not just "talk shop".  When we first met I learned Martina was an avid reader (still is) and a lover of travel, photography and sports. She is a natural athlete who played university basketball "back in the day" and still plays in a women's league today.  Other memories include great games of Scrabble and a successful trip to the mall where we re-outfitted her in a new wardrobe.  (Did I mention I enjoy helping other people spend their money?)  We had many work friends in common and there are a few girls nights and weekends/conferences on record as well.  Martina used to have this cool habit of, each evening, writing 2 or 3 significant words - perhaps a short phrase - from her day on a calendar, kind of like a diary.  She could then look back into an old calendar, onto any given date, and recall the events of that particular day in detail.  Finally, I have to brag that one of my claims to fame is that I can spell her Hungarian last name full of consonants (and vowels) in unexpected places, consistently correctly!

We didn't work together for a long time.  After she transferred to a school in Cochrane we kept in touch via a new colleague, and subsequent carpool buddy of mine, who ended up renting a room in Martina's house.  This period parallels the time she met Jeff and their lives became especially meaningful as they experienced significant milestones together...

Jeff and Martina have two fantastic children, and all four of them are who I spent my recent evening with.  Grace is a vibrant, articulate and warm 10 year old who I previously last saw 6 years ago at my wedding shower.  There, we outfitted her in a dress made of toilet paper (women are weird sometimes!).  During this recent visit, Grace had the nerve to score higher than me in the game of Scrabble four of us played!  (Although her dad did beat us all...).  Grace's brother, Cache is a sweet, expressive almost-five year old who was born with a rare undiagnosed developmental condition which requires him to need almost constant medical monitoring.  He sure can flirt though!  Cache is represented as an angelic guardian on the wings of his fairy-like big sister on Grace's beautiful bedroom wall mural.  His family is a true blessing to Cache and they will tell you he is the even bigger gift.  I was honoured to meet him for the first time this week, although am sheepish it hadn't happened sooner!! (Hence, just another example of why this resolution is important to me...)

Martina recently shared with me an opportunity they were afforded thanks to Cache and which I know she is comfortable with me sharing further.  Perhaps readers know others who need a wish granted or who would like to help the wishes of others come true:

http://www.childrenswish.ca/en-ab/wishes/1040

Martina is a friend with whom I enjoyed many fun times in our "younger" days.  Some of those times even seemed meaningful.  But it's the optimism and sincerity she exudes today, through her perspective and daily living of a life one couldn't have predicted, which is actually meaningful. And inspiring.  And motivating.  And so important.  

~A.

PS - Thanks for the wine Martina!  (It was too late for coffee!!)

Cup 2 - ???

January 12, 2014

The good friend with whom I enjoyed my second reunion is very private when it comes to the online world.  Although I admittedly didn't ask her about being recognized in this blog, I know she is opposed to Face Book and so I doubted being named or pictured on the World Wide Web would be something she'd acquiesce to!  I respect that.

I do not find her wishing to be "un-Google-able" as any of sort of flaw.  Certainly, she has way too many other admirable qualities worth mentioning.  While I worked with this friend for less than two years, over six years ago, she provides an important balance in my life.  She is the most spiritual person I know in terms of understanding her place in the universe and what she knows she has been put on this earth to do (and she'll tell you, she's not doing it....yet).  Her mind is wide open to all possibilities.  She is impressively knowledgeable about Eastern philosophies and the power of the the human mind, body and spirit.  She asks big questions and challenges people with provocative ideas.  If I'm being honest, she makes me feel small....but not in a negative way at all.  It's hard to explain....

And then, while I'm feeling "small" as it relates to a "greater purpose", this friend is probably also my most vocally and overtly supportive and encouraging.  She could be the president of my Fan Club - of any of her friends' Fan Clubs!  I will never know anyone so outwardly and genuinely excited to know the details of my personal and professional life.  She is loud and boisterous and enthusiastic when she asks and speaks about those she loves, but in a completely sincere way.  And then there's her laugh.... Our friends in common who recognize her in this post will know what I'm talking about...

I admire her passion.  I admire her introspection and wisdom.  I admire her honesty and the way she calls a spade-a-spade (don't cross her, she is fiercely loyal!!).  I admire that she doesn't seek recognition or any sort of notoriety but that she only wants to fulfill her own purpose which, of course, will ultimately be to the benefit of hundreds if not thousands of others. Or more.

I wish her nothing but the best and the utmost success.  She'll know when she has achieved it to her inner satisfaction.  I hope those in her circle will too.  It certainly won't be because of anything the rest of us ever sees on Face Book!

Love you B!

Cup 1 - Diane

January 5, 2014

Diane is one of my BFFs who she and I sometimes let long stretches go without seeing each other in person, or even connecting with via phone, text or social media.  We know each other is "out there" though.  Being that this was the last week of our Christmas Break we sought an occasion to meet for lunch.  Yes, I did also have cup of coffee.  (I couldn't not have one my very first week of posting!)

I first met Diane in 1994 when I got my first full time teaching gig at Airdrie Middle School.  She was the grade 6 resource teacher (teacher friends, can you even imagine, now, having a full time learning support teacher per grade?!) and I was covering a grade 6 homeroom which included many of the students with whom she would be working.  One of my first memories of Diane was her touring me around the school, introducing me to new colleagues as "Laura".  I remember punching her good-naturedly in the arm after a repeated time of her doing this and then instantly regretting it; I had only known her for an hour!  Thankfully she wasn't put off by my infraction into her personal space and our relationship continued...

Out 6 years together as colleagues, and even team-teaching partners was seamless, fun and was the foundation upon which our friendship was built.  But our bond goes far beyond the job.  While we continue to enjoy professional conversations we also share other interests.   Family is important to both of us.  Our handyman husbands have a lot in common about which we commiserate (we love you Mark and Derek!).  I proudly co-emcee'd her wedding in 2007.  We are also proud Aunties who brag about nieces and nephews.  Under the guise of professional development and conferences Diane and I have enjoyed travelling together, as long as the destination includes either a Macy's (that girl can shop!) or an Earl's (not very "international" but I can't recall an ATA Summer Conference in Banff when we didn't have at least one dinner there.)  We share a love of games, animals, civic pride and Grey's Anatomy.

Diane is a very resilient person who has bravely fought through losing her dad far too young, conquering health battles and, most recently, dealing with being evacuated from her home for 6 months following last year's flood.  She is a sincere and honest lady and someone I'm proud to have shared my first of fifty-two cups of coffee in 2014.

Happy "20th Anniversary" Diane!

XO

~A.