LIVING LA VIDA FEARLESS
SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK

May 13, 2008

When all you have left is a plaque

I was on my walk today down by the lake. It's been a few days since I've been there and I have missed the water. There is so much more wildlife visible now: ducks, geese, swans, baltimore orioles, red wing blackbirds....puppies and dogs of course and trees full of buds ready to blossom out into leaves anyday now.

This park that I go to has plaques placed strategically around the park and on the backs of the park benches. The plaques are placed there as a comemorative gesture in honour of a person that they loved who is no longer on this Earth. It's a loving thing to do I think.

Today when I walked I saw two women standing at one of the plaques and looking down at it. One had bent down and was gently sweeping away the weeds and little pieces of grass that had crept overtop of the name etched onto the plaque. I was deeply moved by how loving the caress was, as if the person themselves were still standing there with them. I was honoured to have been witness to such a kind and loving emotion.

As I walked further along the lake I pondered, as I am wont to do, about the honouring of somebody with a plaque and how that could actually be done prior to one actually having departed from this physical world.

I read a story this week from a friend of mine in a great online magazine http://www.mimimag.com. She was talking about her role as a mother many years ago and how her decision to leave her husband and give him full custodial rights to the children was absolutely the right thing to do at the time and the hardest thing she had ever done. I encourage you to read the full story online. I thought about how hard that must have been for her, for her family and for her children. She did it out of love for her children: now that's a sacrifice. In my opinion this woman deserves a purple heart and I've told her so: this is bravery at it's finest.

If I were to award other medals and/or honours they would go to the clients I work with. Courageous, brave, honest, committed to finding their passion and following it: now that's bravery. Taking a stand for yourSELF is a brave and bold thing to do in this world of conformity. Most people don't like change and if you're the person making the change in your life that is guaranteed to bring up some uncomfortable places for other people. Be ready because it's gonna happen folks!

So here's what I came up with today. I don't want to wait to hear what people have to say about me on a plaque: I want to hear how they feel now, good or bad, right here and right now. What about you?

Thanks for listening, Living la vida fearless,

Jan

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