Family and Friends: A Priceless Gift

We live our lives on two different levels all the time. Sometimes we are fixing sinks, driving children and getting some sleep. That’s the routine day to day life that we live without a lot of thought about its meaning. Then there are those times when we experience a loss through death or a major change in the direction of our lives and there is nothing routine about that. We may be steeped in sadness or reaching out for a friend but the problem is most of the people around us are in routine mode most of the time.

It works the same way when we hit a goal or experience a particular high point in our lives. It’s hard to share it with people who are beset with the day to day schedule and routine. I recently watched a friend of mine dance her heart out at her birthday party full of joy and life. Everyone was there to acknowledge her birthday and enjoy the evening but no one there could really match her enthusiasm. We admired her happiness but the sheer joy was hers alone.

It’s important to be sensitive to everyone around us as we go through our daily routine. Someone may be hurting right before our eyes and we won’t know it if we get too caught up on getting things done.

These last few months I’ve had really high moments and really low moments. I’ve had wondering opportunities to travel with my family and to compete overseas. I’ve also lost to cancer the best listener I’ve ever had in my life. I knew what I thought because he could stand to listen to me weigh all the sides and then in a moment he was gone.

He had a lot of contemporary music played at his funeral including Willie Nelson singing 7 Spanish Angels and Elvis singing Amazing Grace. He also played a lot of Beach Boys. 

It was standing room only and so many people came that it spilled into the fourea where I stood watching his wife say her final good-bye. The music couldn't be heard inside the church which is good because at just that moment the song Run Around Sue began to play. It tells you everything you need to know about my friend that he would have loved telling that story and would have laughed so hard himself that he would have had a hard time telling it.

It’s hard to find a way to live with passion sometimes. Today I was driving down Alligator Alley and soon discovered there was no way to turn around. A local told me it hadn’t rained lately and I could just drive over the grass to turn around. This person has not watched the effort I put into pulling out of the driveway safely. Finally, I found a way and lets not talk about if it was legal. But sometimes, don’t you just find yourself desperate to go a different direction?

Exercising Values was written for people who want to put what’s most important first. It’s for people who do want to be tuned into their family’s lives. They want to live with passion. If that’s you, know that the blog, the book and the monthly program are here to help you fit what’s important into your daily life, to share your triumphs and to share your losses and sorrows.

Recently, I watched a reunion performance by Carole King and James Taylor who are obviously good friends. Some of their lyrics run through my mind as I'm writing this. "Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend when people can be so cold. They'll hurt you and desert you. They'll take your soul if you let them but don't you let them. You've got a friend".

We stand in the gap to be the one who shares the joys and the sorrows of the people we love. Don't be oblivious to the silent needs around you today. It is true that people can be so cold and we all could use a good friend or a tuned in family member.