Monday's Warm Cocoa, 13 January 2025, "Forget Me Not"

“I fell two-and-a-half-weeks ago.” – Daniel Madewell

Forget Me Not

“I fell two-and-a-half-weeks ago,” Daniel’s text message flashed on the screen. “Still healing and rehabbing at this facility.”

There was a link for the address of the long-term care facility. So, I clicked the link to see how close it was. It wasn’t very far, about ten to fifteen minutes by car. I studied my calendar to see when I could work a visit into my already-crowded schedule.

Of course, as soon as I wedged a visit to Daniel into my datebook, the rest of the seemingly-expanding appointments shoved the just-scheduled-visit down the plan as if on automatic. Until I opened a desk drawer.

While shuffling some things around in the now open drawer to find what I was looking for, a packet of seeds stung my eyes. The seed packet was filled with kernels of Forget Me Not flowers. The bright color of emotion-tugging-flowers, mostly covering the envelope, arrested my eyes immediately.

Forget Me Not flowers carry a deep message of love, remembrance, and enduring connection with them. Its delicate petals, often adorned with tiny blue flowers and occasionally pink flowers, whisper a timeless plea: "forget me not." These bright and joyful flowers symbolize a longing to be cherished and remembered, making them a long enduring emblem of affection.

Whether found in a garden, wild meadow, or as seeds enveloped in a drawer, Forget Me Nots serve as a poignant reminder of true love, memories shared, and the bonds that tie us to those we hold dear. This flower transcends its physical beauty. It has inspired poets, gardeners, and now it was encouraging one friend to visit another. So, I pushed my friend Daniel to the top of my calendar and made the drive to visit him.

I knocked tentatively on the open door to his room as soon as I arrived, while barely pausing entry. After all, I could hear the mechanical-befriending-TV whispering its dulling charm in the background.

“Let me turn the TV off,” Daniel said as his eyes brightened immediately upon seeing me. “It is what you deserve. I’ve missed you.”

I didn’t know until that moment how much I’d missed him, as I returned his expression to inaugurate our visit. The rest of our time together was spent discussing his tale of falling unexpectedly while teaching children in a local elementary school. Of how the worried children in his classroom fetched the school nurse to come to his aid. And, how his now shattered femur was heeling. That was all important, but it was not the most important thing we shared.

The most significant part of our time together was pentimento, a visible trace of earlier painting beneath a layer of paint on the canvas of our current visit. It was wonderful to have the depth of our history together revealed and coalesced as one Forget Me Not painting.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 6 January 2025, "Unknown Impact"

“I can do hard things!” – Annie and Darryl McDaniel

Unknown Impact

“I received an email from someone I didn’t know, Annie said.

The message started with, “I don’t know if you will ever receive this, but I hope you do,” this unknown sender began.

“Of course, this unusual beginning got my attention immediately,” Annie continued, before saying, “As I continued to read the message, my emotions got the best of me and I broke down in tears.”

The reason Annie began tearing-up was, perhaps, because she had been struggling with an internal decision as to whether she was going to end her Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen work, calling and endeavor. Something she often refers to as her “inspiration,” not her work. As with many heart-felt pursuits, Annie had been enduring some disturbing opposition. Conflict that had taken a toll on her resilience over a period of time. And, as she continued her reading of the email, her heart was beating into her throat and her chest was warming. The message spoke directly to her tumult.

“I had been focusing my Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen messaging around ‘I can do hard things,’ in an effort to offer encouragement to others who are facing, often seemingly insurmountable trials. And, this email’s arrival just happened to come to me when I needed strength and encouragement myself. It seemed to beckon. It was a catalyst, urging me to sustain and continue on at a time when I was questioning my ability to do so.”

The email’s sender? The daughter of a woman Annie had never met. In fact, she had never exchanged personal messages or conversed with this unknown, inspiring sender or her mother. A follower who had been interacting with Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen for a long time.

Annie continued reading.

“My mother battled ovarian cancer for a long time,” the email-sender continued. “My mother was never able to tell you how much your posts had meant to her. So, I am fulfilling her desire to thank you, as unfortunately, my mother recently succumbed to this horrible disease. Yet she remained strong and hopeful as a result of your continuous encouragement. In fact, she wore her ‘I can do hard things’ t-shirt, purchased from your site, regularly. She wore it at her passing and into eternity.”

“I received an email from someone I didn’t know, Annie said, with Darryl, her husband, at her side.

It is just like the two of them, Annie and Darryl. They offer encouragement to people they know and don’t know, naturally.  It’s just who they are and what they do during the course of daily living. 

And, someone unknown, returned their encouragement and goodness, as if on cue, just when they needed encouragement themselves.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 30 December 2024, "Pajama Train"

Riding the “Pajama Train” with Santa Claus

Pajama Train

The Johnsons were rushing to catch the Holiday Pajama Train. Their hurry seemed to be a representation of the holiday season.

“One of us would not get his pajamas on so we could get here on time,” Kilee Johnson said, while sharing her getting-readying-challenge with her most energetic and youngest son. “But we’re here and everything is all right.”

With that being said the five Johnsons began to walk up the ramp to board the Arkansas Missouri Pajama Train with Santa Claus. The family, along with the other riders, were all dressed in their Christmas Pajamas.  And, the Johnsons walked onto the train in their new, matching Christmas PJs, where Jeff, the train’s conductor welcomed them warmly.

Jeff was in his festive-enhanced conductor’s uniform. He wore a red Santa hat, trimmed in white faux fur. His tie was a caricature of Santa, diving head-first into a frosted top, red brick chimney. He even had gingerbread men neatly tucked into each side of the hatband. The red, green and white embellishments stood out brightly against his black suit and white shirt. He was perfectly matched with the waiting Santa Clause, who walked up to greet the family almost as soon as they took their seats on the soon-to-depart train.

As the train began to ease out of the station Santa walked up and down the aisles of each car greeting everyone personally. He also handed crayons and coloring pages out to the pajama-clad-children, so they could add color to this holiday memory. Jeff followed Santa closely while handing out music sheets. So, the train was soon purring along with caroling; the tracks clicking to keep time.

Oh’s could be heard between the verses of song, as the children looked out of the train’s windows at the passing scenery. They pointed to community decorations and enjoyed nature’s beauty. It was as if the world had stopped, allowing the merrymakers to breathe joy into their lungs and hearts.

“What does Rudolph’s nose do?” Jeff asked, as he came into each carriage to recite Christmas trivia questions and hand-out small, sweet prizes to those answering his questions correctly, before the train pulled back into the station.

“Everyone please sit down as we pull into the station,” Jeff announced all too soon. “We don’t want anyone to fall down as we’re coming to a stop.”

And, as the train stopped, the joyful experience did not end. The now comfortable and Christmas-Spirit infused passengers began gliding off the train. In the end, the Johnsons and their fellow passengers were no longer rushing through their holiday season. They were relishing it. Hurry was no longer representing their season.

Christmas joy was now the track they were riding. After all, they had taken the pajama train to leave the feeling of bustle and stress behind.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 23 December 2024, "Spot-check"

“Sometimes the pain is just too much.” – Christie Davenport

Spot-check

It was a joyous occasion. There was food, drink and smiles on every face. But two. 

Those two walked into the room, separately, greeted a few people and pasted an obligatory smile on faces that showed strain in every other expression. All seemed just fine on the surface for a casual observer. So-much-so that others, attending the social, continued to swim around the room without giving a thought to little, other than celebration of friendship and cheer.

The music of joy was adding to the ambiance of merriment, yet it did nothing to ease disquiet whispering to my heart. Perhaps, it was because I recognized the look on those faces. Seeing them was like viewing a five-o’clock-shadow. A shadow causing me to the scan the room for a spot-check on the two friends.

After looking hard, I located one of them standing alone near the Christmas Tree in a quiet corner of the room. I swam through the crowd seeking to have a conversation with her.

“You can’t hide back here,” I started.

She laughed. “I had a hard day.”

She told me of a day filled with anxiety, misfortune and unforeseen events. Her tale was one I identified with. As a result, there was an undeniable connection between the day’s events and my own experience. Sharing this connection allowed a genuine smile to ease across her face for the first time during the evening. Our discovered nexus allowed me to glide toward my other friend with a lighter heart, one more attuned with the purpose of the evening. 

I caught sight of her moving toward the exit. Her face clouded.

“You’re leaving?” I asked.

“Yes. Standing here is painful for me. My lower back is shooting pain down my legs,” she responded.

“I wish I didn’t understand,” I replied with heart-felt empathy.

There was a brief glimpse of appreciation on her face.

“Sometimes the pain is just too much,” Christie, said in an almost whisper, with an understanding smile.

“Yes. It does,” I said, speaking of shared pain.

It was a joyous occasion. There was food, drink and smiles on every face. But two. 

Those two walked into the room, separately, greeted a few people and pasted an obligatory smile on faces that showed strain in every other expression. All seemed just fine on the surface for a casual observer. So-much-so that the others attending the social continued to swim around the room without giving a thought to little other than celebration of cheer.

At the same time, sharing an empathetic moment with two dear friends allowed the celebration of a deeper moment in friendship.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 16 December 2024, "Seeing and Sight"

“It is not what you gather but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.” – Helen R. Walton

Seeing and Sight

“Having to call someone to drive me where I need to go isn’t easy,” my friend Jay said to me over the telephone three days ago.

My heart went out to him as I responded, “I can only imagine how hard it has been to for you to be losing your eyesight. But, your vision is beyond measure!”

I was speaking of his ability to impact the future through sight, beyond eyesight. Jay has an unusual ability to see opportunities that go unseen by others. And, he quietly moves forward to change the world around him, for the better, as be moves steadily forward. Such sight is one of his gifts, as well as a gift to the rest of us. Luckily, he’s not the only one to share such a gift of sight.

Helen R. Walton said, “It is not what you gather but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.” The Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center is the personification of this vision. Yet, looking more closely allows everyone to see how much she has impacted life in her home town by following her philosophy of enrichment put into personal practice. Create a healthy, nurturing environment focused on intentional play, exploration and family well-being.

The seeds Helen planted over a lifetime are flourishing everywhere, in her hometown, as the invitation to accept her vision has been accepted and implemented by thousands of people. They’ve fused with her focus of building an environment of healthy living, art and outdoor recreation.

When the town was ravaged by a bevy of destructive tornados on Memorial Day this year the people joined together to shelter and feed those most affected before going out on the bicycle trails with shovels, wheelbarrows and chainsaws to rebuild them. A task that continues to this day as a result of catastrophic damage. Perhaps, such damage was most apparent around the one-hundred-twenty forested acres surrounding the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Crystal Bridges houses one of the largest private collections of American Art in the world and allows free general admission for all to come and experience enrichment of the soul to by viewing artisan visions of our world in its galleries and experiencing art throughout its nature-rich grounds. The beauty of Helen’s life in on full display here and the people who love it have not allowed a natural disaster to destroy her vision. Just as natural deterioration of my friend Jay’s eyesight hasn’t disconnected him from his vision.

Jay continues to scatter his kind of life, as he fully embodies the distinction between simply seeing and sight.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 9 December 2024, "Zoning Your Focus"

“This year we’re focusing on our zone.” – Andrew Bart

Zoning Your Focus

“I should have been on top of this long before now,” Andrew Bart said with an undertone of regret.

There was more to that regret than what could be seen by a surface surfer. The deeper issue, one under the surface, was that of a potential loss of a precious personal relationship. And, while a friend’s lack of work performance was beyond debate, Andrew’s ever-present focus on strengthening rapports was foremost on his mind. It was important to him to keep his relationship with a close friend and collogue, of more than twenty-years, intact.

“What are you talking about?” I quickly responded. “You were on top of it! Have you forgotten the action you took, months ago, to personally step-in to focus on this area of the business?”

Andrew, like the rest of us, is often burdened with having a focus fixed on being the harshest of self-critics. That doesn’t mean he, and we, don’t make mistakes. It’s just that humans tend to be focused on personal faults while viewing most other things as blurred, background reality. And, the capacity to adjust this natural focus is rare.

“Thank you,” Andrew said just before saying, “this year I’m going to zone my focus.”

He then went on to explain his coming-year’s business plan by initially describing his relief at having already completing the hard thing. A lack of performance discussion with his close friend and colleague. 

“It went better than I feared,” he started. “He knew this was the first time he’d let me down and he apologized. Then, we agreed to reassign him to a more suitable position in the company. I’m so relieved to have been able to maintain our relationship while keeping his talent with our company moving forward.”

That new focus, subsequently outlined by Andrew, became possible as a result of clearing the distortion of conquering the hard thing first. It allowed him to seek additional clarity. First, he recognized the value of his business’ existing attributes. Which allowed him to diagnose a lack of need to create any new products at this time. Second, he created a new plan to use existing products more effectively. Third, he was able to reorganize the company to turn those assets into meaningful returns.

“I should have been on top of this long before now,” Andrew said, just before he was reminded of how ably he’d stepped up, while failing to recognize his own success and focus. Then, he had the courage to do the hard thing first. Doing so opened the way to it find additional clarity, so he could recognize opportunity.

“This year we’re focusing on our zone,” Andrew said of his described process. A practice you can I can put to work in our own lives.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 2 December 2024, "Ragtag"

Being a Samaritan

Ragtag

There was a line of people waiting at the door. You could say it was a ragtag group of people. And, you’d be right. The people in line were not from a cookie-cutter mold. They all looked different from each other. There was no one-size-fits-all assumption for the group to be made just from looking at them. Yet, there was one serving person about, being helpful.

The front door would open briefly and she would walk out with a hot cup of coffee in each hand. She was smiling as she offered the steaming cup of comfort to one person and then she’d empty her other hand by gifting the last cup of her jaunt. Her accepted offering was received with warm gratitude as was the morning crisp, on the cool side. And, for the ragtag group either standing, sitting in a wheel chair or leaning on a walker, waiting on the concrete sidewalk, the morning felt even more cold and inhospitable.

Such frostiness was what I was expecting as I gathered myself to weave through the dissimilar crowd of unknown people. Yet, the waitrons were anything but coldhearted.

“You’ll need to pound on the door so they can hear you,” one after another said as I wound my way through the fifty or more people waiting for the Samaritan Community Center to open for service. They were lucidly experienced in such matters and their advice proved to be flawless for an inexperienced. As it didn’t take much knocking before a bright and welcoming gatekeeper came to usher me inside and toward the volunteer desk to receive a name tag and instruction.

The tutoring was painless and swift for the small group of volunteers, all scrunched together learning and watching. I gazed around at the faces surrounding me to find additional commonality.

It was a ragtag group! We were disparate people prepping for service in a kitchen just to the left of the front door. You could say it was an inside-ragtag-group to complement the ragtag group coming in from the outside. And, you’d be right. The people inside were absent a cookie-cutter mold. They were all different, each one. There was no one-size-fits-all assumption for the group to be made, just from glancing at them. Sure, they represented one business, yet as individuals they were distinctive. Until you measured one unifying trait.

“Suddenly, miraculously, a Good Samaritan leaned over and handed the cashier a dollar bill on my behalf,” with reference to Luke 10:33 in the Bible.

We, all of us, inside and once outside, were gathered together to be charitable or helpful to each other. Those outside helped me with kindness when I was in need. And, those I was serving with inside, were now handing two bags of Thanksgiving Dinner fixings and a large turkey to each of those, once outside, now inside.

Together. Being helpful.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing