Unseen Things

“Patterns as funny things, for you can see them your entire life without ever noticing them.” – Jim McKelvey

Unseen Things

There was highly charged emotion during our phone call.  I could almost feel Deanna DeBrunner’s wet tears dripping directly into my ears, as they seemed to be flowing right through the Bluetooth connection into my headset.  Those virtual tears were then absorbed directly into my blood where they, then, collected around my heart.  It was a good thing I knew my physical reaction wasn’t really happening, otherwise my chest would have collapsed.

All of this was the result of something none of us can see.  All we can see are the results and indirect consequences.  And, these tears were tied to one particular indirect effect. Though perhaps an unforeseen circumstance, seeing a pattern, would have, at least, opened our understanding of a possibility.  And in the moment, it was as if, all of a sudden, I could see a pattern. Something I could see all along, but had been blind to.

In this instance, I could almost visualize Jim McKelvey, one of the founders of “Square,” sitting in the room with me saying, “Patterns are funny things, for you can see them your entire life without ever noticing them.  But once you finally notice, they appear everywhere.”

He also taught me that once one can see a pattern, it is like “finally seeing the world in three dimensions.”  In other words, one can still be looking at the same thing, yet recognition of its associative pattern will enhance the view, give it more depth, and reveal even more patterns that have and are changing the world.

We are living in, once again, hyper-change.  I say once again, because I can still remember, vividly, the last hyper-change of not long ago, the economic collapse of 2008.  It was as if an invisible hand flipped a switch and instantly, nothing was as it once was.  There was a pattern, unseen by most, leading up to this seemingly sudden change.  And, recognition of that pattern has allowed many to see even more patterns as a result.  One such pattern was recognizable during my phone call with Deanna.

The Seller of the home she was in the process of purchasing lost their job as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.  That meant they were unable to get a loan to make their new purchase.  So, they were compelled to cancelled the agreement for the sale of their home to Deanna.  This was the indirect effect from an unseen thing.  Not the illness itself.  A consequence.  As were Deanna’s free-flowing tears.  And, there is another pattern to see here; more indirect effects, affected by Deanna herself.

“Please tell them I am so sorry for them!”  She said.  “Tell them I understand and ask them if there is something I can do for them.”

As soon as these words left her lips, the highly charged emotion during our phone call changed instantly.  I could feel Deanna’s empathy and goodness flow immediately, directly into my ears, again, seemingly, flowing right through the Bluetooth connection into my headset.  They were then absorbed directly into my blood where they, then, collected around my heart.  It was pure goodness and love!  We both enjoyed a new physical reaction as a result.  Her tears were gone and my chest wanted to explode outward with consolation toward all involved.

All of this was the result of unseen things.  Yet, we can see and feel both the direct and indirect consequences.  Deanna’s good intentions and subsequent actions opened the path for a direct, indirect positive effect.  It is a pattern recognizable from our last bout with hyper-change. 

Perhaps it is the most important pattern you and I will see as we face more from the unseen; yet to offer more wonderful possibilities and patterns for our understanding. Showing empathy and giving love to all others, especially during difficult times, always opens a path to positive effect.

“Patterns are funny things, for you can see them your entire life without ever noticing them.  But once you finally notice, they appear everywhere.”

Be Someone's Miracle

“Many miracles are delivered in the form of help from people we know and often from people we don’t know.”

Be Someone’s Miracle

“I don’t know what to do!”  The voice said directly in my ear.

I could feel my heart beating harder than normal as I listened.  In fact, it was about to burst right out of my chest.  I also thought of the message I received from my friend Bart McKnight earlier in the day.

REMEMBER LAST WEEK?

WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A BAD WEEK BECAUSE OF THE TIME CHANGE, FULL MOON AND FRIDAY THE 14^TH.

WE DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE!

I laughed, nervously, right out loud when I read the message from Bart.  After all, Bart was kind enough to check on me just a few minutes after the earthquake had struck.

His original message reminded me how important the method of delivery is.

“Are you still dancing?” Bart asked.

I could read between the lines.  What he really wanted to know was if I was all right, as well as if I needed any help from him.  It was a well delivered reminder that he is ready, willing and able to help me with anything he’s able to provide.  He isn’t the only one to respond to current events with kind outreach.

That same day I was out on my morning walk when my friend, Donnetta Anderson, drove up and stopped to say more than, hi.

“We’re here to help if you need anything!”  She said with a big smile on her face.

My interaction with both of these friends on a scary day, for me and everyone else, served as a vivid reminder.  True friendship is a miracle that should never be forgotten.  Luckily, Bart and Donetta bolstered my confidence and courage as needed at the time.  

And, my friend Stephen Tibbitts, Founder and CEO of ZIVA Aero recently gave me this advice.  “Rather than focusing on how bad things are, focus on how to use the time to change the world, one at a time.”

One person’s voice, currently in my ear, hastened my attention back to the need of the moment.  So, I followed the example of Bart, Donetta and Stephen to encourage confidence and bravery for a friend.

“You’re not alone.  I’m here for you!”  I responded with assurance.

That’s all she needed to hear.  Her tears stopped, her breathing became calm and she whispered a quiet thank you.

Many miracles are delivered in the form of help from people we know and often from people we don’t know.  Will you use your time and resources to change the world, one person at a time?

The Smallest and Greatest Way

“I have a little fund.” – Sherry Bullock

The Smallest and Greatest Way

Friday was the day we agreed to, so I drove the short distance to Sherry and Mike’s home to pick up new and gently used shoes as a donation to our Soles4Souls project.  There were two short steps to the front door and I touched the button on their Ring doorbell.  I waited.

In a few moments Sherry Bullock began to open the front door, slowly in greeting.  And, her greeting was immediately punctuated by Molly.  Sherry and Mike’s black labradoodle.    Molly had a large grin on her face.  I could tell because her white teeth were shining, highlighted as if framed by a black nose and soft curly fur.  I reached out to pet her and she wrapped both of her front paws around my arm and simply lolled there while looking to my face in an approving manner.  It was as if she understood the good that Sherry was up to.

Just two days had passed since I received a message from Sherry in response to my Soles4Souls ask for help.

“I have some shoes I’m happy to donate.  Is there a drop off location?” She had inquired.

Now, Molly, Sherry and I were talking in the foyer of their home.  Our conversation turned naturally to dogs, as Molly had seemingly usurped the whole reason for our being together.  She and I stood arm-in-arm as we conversed.  It was symbolic of how our exchange was soon to reveal how shoes, dogs and giving were intertwined in Sherry’s life.

“I have a little fund.”  Sherry said to me sheepishly.

Then she told me how she had gone to one of our local veterinarians to offer help to his clients that were having a difficult time paying for the care their pet had received.

“It isn’t much, but I hope it helps people and their four-legged family members.” She continued.

“I think it is a lot!”  I responded.  “Can you imagine if everyone ‘created a little fund’ to help others?”

It seems as if we, often times, think in terms of doing “big” things.  Giving big gifts.  Spending lots of money.  Yet, “Sherry’s fund” is proof that it is often the smallest of acts that have the largest impact on others.  It seems to be counterintuitive to many of us.  Yet, here I was, arm-in-arm with Molly, enjoying a small gesture of proof.

It was Friday, a small time before the end of the week, the day we agreed to, so I drove the short distance to Sherry and Mike’s home to pick up new and gently used shoes as a donation to our Soles4Souls project.  There were two little steps to the front door and I touched the small button on their Ring doorbell.  I waited a short time.

In a few tiny moments, Sherry Bullock began to open the front door slowly in greeting.  And, her greeting was punctuated by Molly.  Sherry and Mike’s black labradoodle.    Molly had a large grin on her face, along with a small twinkle in her eyes.  I could tell because her white teeth were shining, highlighted as if framed by a little black nose and soft, short curly fur.  I reached out ever so slightly to pet her and she wrapped both of her front paws around my arm and simply lolled there while looking to my face in an approving manner.  It was as if she was participating in the small, yet important principle that Sherry was about to teach you and me.

It is often the smallest of acts that have the largest impact.  If you and I were to combine our small acts of giving, with those being given by our friend Sherry, we could change our community in the smallest and greatest way!

Balanced Rock

“A monument to the magnificence of neighborly love and caring!”

Balanced Rock

I could feel the chilling of the winter wind whipping across the icy blacktopped road.  On this early morning, it was no longer a blacktopped road.  It had become an ice-topped road.  I could feel and hear the crunching of that ice under my boot as I walked up the road with “Hairy Pupper.”  The sun was still hiding to the east, behind the Oquirrh Mountains.  I remember thinking that the bitterness of winter was forcing its quarantine there, even as my spirit was forever hoping for its release.  I guess I was looking through “rose colored” wind protection goggles when something unusual attracted my gaze.

Hairy and I stopped to look more closely at the car tracks, encased in ice, beginning to be swallowed up by blowing snow.  Our eyes continued their search for another fifteen feet or so where we saw the broken fence in front of Marv and Jan Shafer’s home.

“I guess we aren’t the only ones who had had trouble navigating this icy road.”  I said to Hairy, as we turned to continue on our well-worn path toward the ending point of our morning walk.  Yet, the winter’s treachery and the broken fence are not the ending point of this story.

As soon as our sun was able to begin to break its chains, the ice left and the ground softened.  That’s when Hairy and I, walking up a more welcoming blacktopped road, noticed a different look.  It was akin to “Balanced Rock” in Arches National Park!  Yet, it was not a monument to the magnificence of nature’s force and beauty.  It was a monument to the magnificence of neighborly love and caring!

While I am Marv and Jan’s neighbor, I am not their best neighbor!  Randy Garrison is.  Randy, a kind and active friend, has come to the aid of the Shafers on many occasions.  For example, he has trimmed their trees where only he, a person of strength and agility, could climb to reach.  And now, right in front of Hairy and me, was his latest act of goodness.

Randy had extracted the broken post and installed a new one, while placing a flat paver, perching it on top, to hold it in place while the cement anchoring its base dried.  As soon as I saw this masterpiece of goodness and engineering I recognized it as Randy’ handiwork!  It was not more than a few days hence, that he had filled in the hole and strung the horizontal slats into their rightful place.  It is a thing of beauty!

The beauty of Spring is now emerging, perhaps because of Randy’s neighborly love. I can no longer feel the chill of the winter wind whipping across our formerly icy road.  Today, on this brighter, early morning, our street is once again a blacktopped road and it is trimmed with the fully repaired white fencing that surrounds the Shafer’s home.  I can feel the love radiating from the Garrison’s home as I continue to complete my walks with Hairy Pupper.  And, it seems as if the sun shines a little brighter as I approach their houses of these two great neighbors!  In fact, because of the love shown by the Garrisons, I said to Hairy this very morning, “I can hardly remember the bitterness of winter, that had forced the sun’s temporary quarantine.”

My spirit soars as the sun shines on Erda Way’s Balanced Rock, a monument to what it means to be a great neighbor!

I guess I keep looking through “rose colored” wind protection goggles for good reason!

Divvering Forward

“It is one thing to see a path forward.  It is another to have the courage to walk that path.”

Divvering Forward

I know where Foothill Village is.  There was no need to punch up my GPS for directions.  I’ve worn many different paths there.  So, when my friend Jim Divver suggested we have lunch at Hi Sushi all I needed to do was get in my car and, almost on auto pilot, drive there.  It was a beautiful late winter day, the sun was shining, there was no obstacle to hamper my passage along the path.  Yet, I was about to learn more than I’d ever really considered about a journey’s path.

Both Jim and I are getting along toward the end of our life’s path.  Of course, no one really knows when their mortal path is going to come to a close.  Luckily, we’ve both had lots of experience in navigating through intersecting family, personal, health, spiritual and business paths. And, now that I think about it, if I could choose to get advice about how to proceed on almost any of life’s paths, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather counsel with more than Jim.  He seems to always have more to offer than I anticipate whenever we spend time together.  This day was no different.

“Tell me how your family is doing.”  I said as we finished ordering our food.

Jim proceeded to tell me of the path each of his children have taken.  I marveled at how he had been involved in the small details of their lives.  Additionally, I sat in amazement as he told me the story of his interaction with his son as he was seeking a position to begin his career after college.

“My son told me he had applied for a position, but he hadn’t gotten a response.  He also asked what he should do because he was about to leave town to go on a long-planned vacation to the Florida Keys.”

Jim’s eyes sparkled with emotion as he spoke.

“I told him he needed to contact the potential employer to say, ‘I haven’t heard from you, so I was just checking in.  Your response will help me plan my way forward.’  Once you do that you can go on vacation.”

His son has a long history of receiving great mentoring from his father, so he made the call!  He left a message and then he left town.  Of course, it had to happen, when he arrived in Miami on the first leg of his trip, he turned his phone on in the concourse.  Ping!  He had a message.

“Dad!  I got a call!  They want me in to come for an interview tomorrow!  What should I do?”

“Do you want the job?”  Jim asked.

“Yes!”

“Then get on a plane and get to the interview!  You can always go back to Florida, but you won’t be offered the job if you don’t go!”

When the father, son call was finished, Jim’s son told his friends he had to fly out immediately.  They protested, “But, we’ve planned this trip for more than a year!” He flew out of Miami to San Francisco any way. Then, just before his interview, he called his father for one more piece of advice.

“I told him to tell the interviewer what he had done to get there!”  Jim said with his eyes glistening to highlight the story.

Talk about a path and how to navigate forward!

“He’s lucky to have you!” I said reverently, in earnest to Jim.  “Do you know how many people have a father like you?”

Jim, as he always does, told me that he hadn’t really done a thing.  His son had done it all.

I smiled.

“It is one thing to see a path forward.  It is another to have the courage to walk that path.”  I said in response.

After all, I know where Foothill Village is and I know a great father when I see one!  There was no need to punch up my GPS for a description of fatherhood.  I’ve seen the many different paths people take toward fatherhood.  And, when my friend Jim Divver told me about walking the path with his son, during lunch at Hi Sushi all I needed to do was sit in my seat and, almost on auto pilot, see the example of how to be a great dad right in front of me.  It was a beautiful late winter day, the sun was shining, the food was great and there was no obstacle to hamper my hearing Jim’s heart-warming story.  And, I learned more than I ever really expected, about how a father walks the path on life’s journey with his children.

Oh!  But this path tale isn’t over.  When Jim’s son received the job offer of his dreams, the company representative said, “All of the final applicants looked almost identical on paper.  It was what you did to get here that set you a part from everyone else!”

It is one thing to see a path forward as a parent.  It is another to have the courage to walk life’s journey, hand-in-hand with those that are most dear to us. I call it, Divvering forward.