7 months.

If you asked me how many times you’ve crossed my mind I would say once because you never left. I still feel your playfulness everywhere.

Love you so much, sweet boy.

February 5, 1917 - May 18, 1999

Dear Grandpa,

I wish that I could sit next to you one last time, to interrupt you reading your newspaper after the long day’s work and try to make you laugh. To shift your attention to mine.

I wish that I could stand next to you in your workshop for just one more day. You won’t let me tinker with whatever it is you’re fixing and I’ll hand you all the wrong tools but I’d be so happy being there just to hear all the funny things you'd say.

I wish that I could hold your hand for one last minute, so I could feel your big strong fingers in mine. To look up at you thinking you're the best Grandpa a girl could ever have.

I wish that I could hug you for one last hour, and tell you you're the greatest, that I listened to all you said and I learned from you, more than you'll ever know.

I miss you, my dear Grandpa. Each day, I pray you watch out for me, live in my heart and forever be my guiding light.

Grateful to my Friend, Mentor & fellow Ambassador of Fitness!

"SURROUND YOURSELF with the DREAMERS and the DOERS. the BELIEVERS and the THINKERS, but most of all SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO SEE the GREATNESS WITHIN YOU, especially when you've lost sight of it yourself"

Thank you for always being a Dreamer and a Doer. A Believer, a Thinker, and especially...a Seer!

After we spoke I happened to see the following quote. It further reinforces your point. Thanks for the validation and perspective.

Mother's Day - 05/09/1999

Her eyes met ours as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the cages. We felt her need instantly and knew we had to help her.

We chased each others tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at our cage we blocked her view from a little accident we had in the back of our cage. We didn't want her to know that our cage hadn't been cleaned yet today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and we didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read our shelter card we hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about our past.We only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at us.  We shoved a shoulder and side of our head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed our neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and we raised a paw to assure her that all would be well.

Soon our cage door opened and her smile was so bright that we instantly jumped into her arms. (Of course it took one of us longer...about 2 hours...to give her the purr she so desperately wished to hear.)

 We would promise to keep her safe.
 We would promise to always be by her side.
 We would promise to do everything we could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

We were so fortunate that she came down our corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least we could save one.

We rescued a human today.

Murray & Ira (also known as Gumdrop & Gilligan)

Promise Me

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

 

 

"Something always brings me back to you....

...it never takes too long." Performed my new aerial silks routine in this show last Sunday. I also did a synchronized lyra routine and a trio act on chandelier. Grateful to have had my mum in the audience; her first time to see me perform live! Read my character's bio below:

Skylar Skuttlebutt is vice president for global business development and day-to-day operations leader for the data analytics sector at XYZ Company. She currently leads a TOP SECRET project (CodeName: MUNDANE) that is primed to exponentially increase the bureaucracy and complacency for earthbound organizations through the innovative utilization of spreadsheets. Rarely seen without her glasses or her datafiles, Skylar earned multiple degrees in advanced mathematics, statistics, aerial dance and aerospace exploration. Considered a rising star and the heir apparent to lead XYZ Company - after all the "good ole boys" croak or 2085 whichever comes first - her once passionate, adventurous Spirit is bruised by the weight of innumerable (& inane) corporate restructuring, "profitability enhancing" cutbacks and that nasty, stock plummeting AG investigation into the sibling company back in 2004. Though she can no longer see the Sky through the Stars, Skylar still comes into work every day - for nearly a quarter century now - carrying the Glitter of Hope that Good really does Prevail and Dreams become Reality.

And then there was One...

Pioneers & poster children. We carved our own path. Several helped, a few didn't. Others followed but they all fell. It's been a very tough road and yet, we consistently demonstrated success. And still some disagree and dismiss. (Well friend, that's their SH*T, Shame on them!) Nearly 20 years, there should be no doubt...this was a successful pilot program. Mission Accomplished.

We were an army of two. A team. From the clients and businesses on through, we were a team. We won together, we lost together. We celebrated and we mourned together. And defeats were softened and victories sweeter because we did them together...
 

"Life is short and you should spend your time working with people you enjoy."

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman Google