On Saying "Thank You"

I belong to a group of women on Facebook...interesting midlife women...authors, influencers, lifelong learners, mothers, grandmothers... Everything from an author of teen books to wonderful fashionistas grace that group...2.0K strong.

But more than that, the group has come to epitomize the online friendship that has meaning. Many of those woman have been in my online life since those day when I wrote to a "prompt" on Friday or Sundays. I loved those day because they were the ones that built the ability to get words down on the page in some order. We wrote thoughts on things that we were not necessarily passionate about but that, at the moment, were inspiring. We all know that the need to write comes from somewhere inside much like our appetite. We don't know what we are hungry for. We just know we are hungry. Yes, it is just like that.

So on that connection with midlife women there is a woman that keeps us on track even though it may be weeks between times that we visit. AND she is alway there...dependable and interesting.

I went back the other day, in a way like going home, and there she was inviting us to share our thoughts. It then occurred to me that I had not ever told her "thank you" for just being there. I decided that I would do that and invited others to do the same. At last count 69 women had come forward.

The most interesting thing was that she was sitting with  her mother as she lay dying when that thought and action came to me. Don't you wonder at that? 

So we all think of her, pray if that is our way and watch for what the outcome will be. 

Hopefully, "thank you" will help just a little bit. Be well Ann Parris and know that we all love you in our own way.

b+

What Type Are You? Z is Me

Ann is the co-founder of Midlife Boulevard.

I was looking at Facebook today and I noticed that Ann Paris is speaking at a Type-A Parent conference in NYC.  The conference is for parents that blog.  It all sounds so exotic and appealing. I love NYC and all that it offers.

So Ann's trip got me thinking about how I see myself in the "parent-type" scenario. See I think of the Type-A parent as above average. Their children sparkle with accomplishments and not only belong to everything they are the star in the show. I have know women that spent a great deal of time being sure that their daughter dated the coolest guys and the their sons leaped the highest on the track team. They were Type-A all over the place. I always felt just a little intimidated. We just average people. No rock stars here!

I will admit that is has all turned out pretty good for us. My children are rock stars in their worlds now. Maybe it was because we were average people doing the right thing day after day. Sometimes we took a u-turn (a new phrase for failure) but in the end we survived. Yes, I think survival was the mode we lived in for a big period of time.

So if there is ever a blogger's conference for old blogger that were Type-Z parents, count me in. In fact if there is any group of people that blog, are older than midlife, truly successful and interesting, let me know. No grandparents groups thank you. I may bring my Z game with me and join.

Have a great day.

b+