Conversating with Susie

I'm a firm believer in conversations.  I think it brings us together and is the glue of our relationships.  In the words of Sam to Diane on Cheers, "I like to conversate."

Every day I have opportunities to conversate with many people very important to me. Today was no different. I talked with my husband and luckily all three of my kids, two of them in person!  It was a stellar day for conversations with my immediate family.

I also was able to talk with my mom and my youngest sister which while pretty standard is always a fulfilling part of my conversations each day.  My mom is 83, so how many more of these conversations will we have?  One never really knows.  Having lost my dad at the tender age of 16, I know not to take these conversations for granted.

I talked with my staff and teachers today on several fronts, on several topics and in several different ways.  How they delight me with their intelligence and passion for our mission.  I talked with parents served by our program and felt the passion rise in me as I heard their needs expressed so vividly.

I talked with one of our preschoolers about his art project and how he was going to give his painstaking gift to his grandma and why and to my two year old friend who got her first potty sticker.

I talked with my career coach and my mentor who guided me beyond myself and my worries and my fears and led me to places I know I need to go and need to grow.

I talked with my passionate board members who dismay me every day with their love for what we do and their willingness to seek better ways of doing it.

I talked with the internet guy about repairing our slow internet and while it wasn't my favorite conversation he promised to help me, so he's my new best friend.

I had a deep, abiding, conversation with one of my closest friends about life, love and happiness which ended in hugs and prayers for each others intentions.

But my final conversation of the day, the one that was the time best spent, was with my sister only two years younger than me.  You see, this conversation is different from all the others.  When I call Susie it is a return call because she has tried to call me twice already about this.  Once last night, and once today and has been put off too often and needs to tell me about the movie she watched last night.

When we first get on the phone she initially informs me about the weather report for the next seven days.  All of which she lists, then gives me the details...followed by her recommendations for the children, i.e., "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday the weather will be sunny and nice, so tell the teachers the little kids can go outside, but Friday, Saturday, Sunday the weather will be cold and rainy so let the teachers know the kids need to play inside."

I am then asked for a full report every few days about what the teachers said when I told them what the kids could do.

You see even though my sister is only two years younger than me she is eternally about the age of six. This means that sometimes I am short on time or patience and I find myself doing several other things besides listening to her report when she calls. But tonight was different.  I was alone in my car and I was so glad I called.

Susie told me about a movie she watched.  A home movie...one where many of our family members who once were alive and are now gone, were in the movie.  She told me everything they said and everything that happened in the movie and before I knew it I was transported back into time and could see us all at the lake, perched on the edge of the dock, playing "King of the Dock" pretending to be knocked in by her and the incredible joy that brought her and us!

Before I knew it we were giggling like little girls again and I was suddenly eight years old and she, her eternal six, and we were just sisters having fun laughing at our combined family antics that were the mainstay of our childhood.  I was a little girl again and the time travel was genuine.

How many of us are lucky enough to have someone who reminds us so clearly of who we were when we were young?  I've known Susie all of my life and don't remember a time that she hasn't represented our childhood.  This is different from our siblings or childhood friends, this is truly someone who still sees the world through the eyes of a six year old and always will.

I had a lot of really wonderful, life changing conversations today with people I love, people I admire, people I adore and people I treasure.

But the best conversation I had today was with Susie, who reminded me of where I came from, who I was and what's really important in life....good weather and conversating with those we love.