The first thing you have to know about these breakfasts -- they truly are in a somewhat random order. I did not take my own mother to breakfast until number 55. And now Terri is clocking in at number 64. If I was ranking women in my life, they would both be top 10. They share a common characteristic, both of them are very excited about this breakfast project and I knew I could count on both of them to go to breakfast at the very last minute. They would both accommodate their own schedules to be there for me. This is not once or twice, this is every day of their lives. They are always putting others first. Terri, I cannot think of a better person to compare you with then my mother. I now believe that there is something of real value in these breakfasts. My two big takeaways are: (1) being intentional about your actions and (2) working hard at giving time to your friendships. But even in these breakfasts or this project was worthless, Terri would still be on my side supporting me. I could tell Terri Gaffney that I was carving the entire senate out of zucchinis and she would be excited for me. "Have you done Blount yet? That is a great McCaskill, John," she would tell me. "I don't know it does kind of look like Jeff Flake, the senator of Arizona." I could be doing something that means nothing to her or she knows nothing about, but she would be supportive of me and would brag after a softball game that John Magee has carved 65 senators out of zucchini this summer. You should see us together at the Wheel of Fortune slot machines in a casino.
Somewhere on one of the computers, I have in the past tried to depict all the different ways that the Gaffney family has inspired me over the years. Terri will play softball tonight on Field 3, a place she has been a fixture at for more than two decades. Here is what will make Terri a little unique tonight, she will truly want all 20 players on the field to have good games. If I kid her about it tonight, she would be somewhat surprised that other people do not want their teammates and opponents all to do well. Terri would like Team Bud to win, of course, but she would like every play for the other team to be an extra base hit where they are thrown out at third by great fielding plays by her own beloved, Team Bud.
I know a lot of good, helpful, and handy people in my life, and Tim and Terri fit that bill, and speaking about fitting the bill.. . . . If they knew my kitchen faucet was not working (nobody move -- it is working fine), they would be over tonight to fix it. Somewhere along the way they would realize that they needed another part. Either Tim or Terri would go out, buy the missing faucet part and come back and fix my faucet. Then when it was done, would not even let me pay for the part. Ask around I bet many could tell these same stories.
I need to get in shape, and probably should have gotten over to Terri's pool for some lap swimming. I would have showed up in the middle of the day and there would have been some people in the middle of the day that I did not recognize. Somehow, Terri has invited the world to her house and her pool and thinks nothing of it. I have known Terri and Tim for over 20 years now, and I would not recognize tomorrow the people at the pool. There seem to be an infinite amount of friends that Terri and Tim have that I barely know. And guess what, every year more people get added to that Gaffney friends list. I have done Blackthorn Softball much longer than the Gaffneys and I recognize people when I see them in different places, but for the most part I only see these people in the summer. Terri and Tim are like best friends with people on 13 or 14 different teams, and that might be an understatement.
With all of the Biloxi trips, I have noticed that Terri is not an early riser and not a morning person. It kinda does not fit with the rest of her. I finally figured it out as I drove home from Tower Grove Park tonight. Terri puts about a day and a half of working, being there for friends, being there for family, and being there for strangers into every single day. I think she just needs all of her sleep because she is doing so much each and every day. Next time you see Terri ask her what she is doing this week. It will include: working as a travel agent, giving swim lessons to youngsters, being Grandma at least a couple of times a week, being the hostess/greeter/head cheerleader for Adam's smokehouse, umpiring softball every Tuesday, playing and organizing softball every Thursday, being a good friend, being a good mom. taking care of Tim (I think Tim is very high maintenance--big sarcasm here) and always being ready to do anything for me at a moment's notice. Grammar police, sorry for the run on sentence--but Terri Gaffney's life is a run on sentence. So yeah she might get a little tired.
Tonight in the middle of this description, I went over to do an odd job for mom and dad. My mom was genuinely happy after reading the first paragraph that I compared her to Terri. She sees Terri about twice a year, and every time Terri sees my mom they greet like they have been friends their entire lives. My mom was quite flattered that I compared her to Terri.
Sam and Megan and Shelby and Hayley and Emily and Maggie and Mary Grace and now a whole lot more are wonderful examples that a woman can do anything she wants to do. Each of these young women charge into their lives with confidence. They also make sure that they are always thinking of other people. Each of them has spent hours watching Terri and a bit of who they are, as women who will serve and conquer our world, comes from the example that Terri has shown them.
This is what community looks like.
No comments:
Post a Comment