My friends stayed one day longer in Oregon so we could meet for coffee as they were passing through on their way home.
And I stood them up.
I’m going to blame it on my niece who had her baby the day after Thanksgiving. And I’ll probably also blame it on my bro- and sis-in-law who talked me into staying in Boise longer.
But really, it was my own flakiness. And despite this flakiness, my friends left gifts. This Life is Good mug. And two boxes of yummy teas.
Let me tell you about these particular friends. They have cooked dinner for us. Hubby and I have met with them countless times over coffee/Chai tea.
We’ve hiked together. Snow-shoed together. They’ve put up with Hubby saying, “We’re almost to the top,” when really we had a ways to go. And they put up with Hubby saying, “It’s all downhill from here,” when really it wasn’t. I’m surprised they ever went on another trail with us.
They’ve brought us expensive designer beverages when Hubby was occupying a hospital bed that took up a good chunk of our living room. And here’s probably the most loyal thing they’ve ever done for us early on in our friendship: The husband got prostate cancer so Hubby wouldn’t feel odd man out.
These friends.
I’ve always liked Life is Good paraphernalia. Maybe because of the story of the two brothers who started the company by selling T-shirts in college dorms and street fairs up and down the east coast while sleeping in their van.
And maybe because they have a kids’ foundation that raises mega bucks to partner with organizations that provide quality care for the most vulnerable of children. Like those with cancer. And those in precarious situations.
But also because of their clever mantras. My sis-in-law gave me a Life is Good T-shirt with this message: “There’s no place like roam.” It might be a bit stained and ratty around the edges after all these years, but it’s my all-time favorite hiking tee.
On the front of the Life is Good mug left by my friends who I hope are still my friends, this: “Do what you like. Like what you do.”
Why is this an important mantra? This liking what you do? I can think of at least 6 good reasons:
1. If we like what you do, we’ll look forward to getting out of bed in the mornings.
2. If we like what you do, we’ll do a good job of it; we’ll pour passion into it.
3. If we like what you do, we’ll never work another day in your life.
4. If we like what you do, we’ll probably be more content, happy, joyful, positive.
5. If we’re more content, happy, joyful and positive, it will probably overflow onto others.
6. If we like what we do, it should open our eyes to gratitude — that we are blessed to be able to live our passion.
There are so many people in my life who have encouraged me to do what I love:
To Daughter Summer, SIL Josh, Son Jeremy and DIL Denise for planning my future behind my back — figuring out options that allowed me to take an early retirement to continue the Cancer Adventures mission, to write more books;
To Jeremy and Denise who invited me to stay rent-free in their very cool industrial southern California apartment;
To friends who opened their lovely guest house on the side of a hill overlooking Bend, OR, so I could move back to the place where I left my heart;
To all the people who said: “You should turn your blog into a book,” “You should write your story,” without knowing that Hubby — just six weeks before he died — said, “You should write our story and intersperse it with some of the best of your blogs.” My very left-brained-computer-programmer husband who actually had a very right-brained idea;
To my friends who I stood up last Sunday morning and who reminded me that indeed life is good …
… to all these people and more, thank you for encouraging/making a way for me to do what I love, which means I love what I do.
What are the first steps toward being able to do what you like?
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