To All My People (Part 4 of 5)

This is the fourth piece in a series of 5 pieces.

This is not an exhaustive list, but an important list of people I owe so much who have brought me this far. God is my ultimate companion, and provided me the love and support of these people to help me through my earthly journey. I am forever grateful for you teaching me:

Mom – We are all human, and everyone is doing the best they can. Mercy and grace are amazing gifts.

Kevin – How to pick myself up, “rub some dirt on it” and move on.

Mitch – Trust is worth it, and chivalry is not dead…in fact it can live on well into a relationship and make a woman feel incredibly grateful every day of her life.

Lacey – True love means telling the other person when they need to check themselves, even when it’s gonna hurt.

Celeste – Being real and being vulnerable is the ultimate form of beauty.

Grandma and Grandpa C – Love is more about giving than it is about getting.

Jan and Ed – Love and care can come from outside your immediate family, in the form of never missing a birthday, holiday, or any other milestone without something as simple as a card and handwritten note.

Jamie – Going after what you want and taking that trip makes life a little sweeter.

Katie – Silence is a gift, and most often where the magic happens.

Grandma Dick – Hard work pays off. Saving pennies adds up. Life is too short not to eat chocolate chip ice cream any night you want.

Leanna – Family is important and worth it, no matter what the struggles.

Anne and Kevin – How to be there for someone in their darkest hour and love them through it.

Mo – Unconditional love through friendship…no matter what.

Kathleen – The importance of prayer, and what it looks like to serve others.

Lindsay and John – The power of positivity, looking at the bright side of every circumstance, and praising God for all of it.

Nate – How to choose passion over pension and be happy.

Leighton – Helping me see what I couldn’t, and pulling out of me what I needed to share.

Brooke – Investing in people and a dream are the best investments you can make.

Gregg – Giving me a job and purpose when I needed it, and showing me that if I work hard, I can do anything.

Matt – Giving me space to find my way but keeping the safety net close by.

Jim – “Be yourself, but be your best self.”

David –  “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

Lane – Being authentic and direct is effective. And that “think time” (planning) is as important as “go time” (doing).

My “Birches” – How good it feels to climb a mountain…like you can do anything!

The rest of my friends and family – For encouraging me to have the courage to be completely myself…the good, bad, and ugly.