“Every day, I give up
for twenty minutes
but decide to push
through on the twenty-first.
survival is a ritual,
a ceremony,
and a practice.”
~ Rudy Francisco
mentor
I had errands this afternoon, and who should I see in the yogurt aisle but my old friend and mentor, Becky Ryder! I thought I’d be funny and holler her name, then duck behind the center pop display. And it would have been funny if she had heard me…any of the four times I said her name. I finally gave up and began to follow behind her and said her name. This time, she heard me. Okay, well, the second time I said her name, she heard me. It would have been worth it if it had taken a thousand tries because, when she finally turned around, she immediately gave me the biggest hug I’ve had in years, followed by 30-40 minutes of great conversation between the Sprite and Canada Dry. She laughed at all the jokes (bless her), and regaled me with retirement stories. We vowed to dine together soon for a proper catch-up. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I was to talk to my old friend. I owe so much of what I know and value about preservation to her tutelage. Such generous souls should never be taken for granted, and I hope I never abuse that generosity.
friend
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