Lorraine was Right

Lorraine Bergstrand Schneider sits at or close to the top of my lists of favorite people, favorite teachers and favorite mentors. I'm sure I'll come back to her example again and again. One of the many things she was right about was that life isn't over at 50. And that life is full of possibilities. She may not have actually said those exact words but she lived them right before my eyes. I met her in 1986 (the year my dad died and my son Karl was born) and knew her until her death in 2008. She was born the same year as my mother in 1918 around about July 28 or 29; she never really knew which. She was a very feisty lady at age 68 when I met her. In those first two years, I took an active listening class from her called "the art of listening." This "listening' class became a support group that worked with her for 5 years at least. This wasn't her first career. She was first a mom and wife. Then she was a florist. And after a nervous breakdown (depression) and therapy, she learned the listening skills needed to answer the phones for a crisis hotline. From there she wrote her own curriculum and landed in my life to teach me a huge chunk of what I know about living. At age 70 something, she fell in love with a very sweet man and had this wonderful marriage to Jim for 9 years before he died. They led marriage retreats together. Amazing.

So now I'm closer to that age she was when she started over as a teacher of active listening. And I'm learning again from experience that she was right. Life just keeps growing and changing and becoming. In every age and every stage of life, there is possibility for new life, new love and new friends.

Tonight I accepted an invitation to go to a new friend's 28th birthday party. As a result, I met 6 more new and amazing people I never knew before. And just when I thought I had lost most connection with old friends, I had the opportunity earlier today to spend 5 hours with a childhood, life-long friend. The new connections and the old connection were equally inspiring, sweet and uplifting. Lorraine was right. It's important to keep some of the old and to keep adding new. It's important to stay in the game and not give up. You never know when you're going to meet the next great person. wow.

I'm grateful. for Lorraine and for all of you. Indeed, I'm rich.

blessings on you all,
jules