An Unexpected Gift

Life is a journey that is ever-changing. We have choices and opportunities, but there are also surprises that are completely hidden from view. And we only discover these treasures by traveling a specific path. I like to think of it as a gift from the universe for taking the path less traveled. It’s something you never expected or hoped for, but it will change your life forever.

The treasures that I have found to be most meaningful are the ones that provide a chance meeting with what someone who will become a special friend. It might be a work environment, social setting, or some other happy happenstance that causes paths to cross. But upon closer reflection, it was anything but random. Clearly, we were meant to meet.

When I started See The Good, it was not on a whim, but I had no defined goals other than to reach out to others with a positive message. And maybe a tiny part of me wanted to fulfill a purpose of my father’s. He and my aunt always joked about writing a book together. This was long before the Internet was even a thought. Their idea was to share their years of wisdom to “solve all the world’s problems.” That was tongue in cheek, to a point. But they did have an incredible amount of wisdom gathered from vast life experiences that they wanted to share. Deep down, they both had a desire to help others. So, See The Good, is me doing my small part to carry on a family tradition.

Shortly after the site was launched, I began reaching out to thousands of people via email to invite them to visit the website and hopefully subscribe. And during this process, I met many wonderful people from around the world. But one stood out. We seemed to have some type of connection, we just didn’t know precisely what it might be. We were not really close in age. We lived 2000 or so miles apart. And our jobs were in the same area, but not really all that similar. However, the more we chatted, the more we discovered we had in common. We both grew up in the same small town in Ohio, but years apart. And neither of us still lived there. But something invisible was drawing us together like the force of a magnet. Could Worthington, Ohio, be our North Star that was guiding us to each other?

Over the next few months, we traded emails on a regular basis. And with each new message, we discovered another similarity. Clearly, we had far more in common than we ever imagined. Even though some of these shared thoughts, ideas, and experiences were only small tidbits of who we were. Each email was a beautiful blend of the past, present, and dreams for the future. And each was a building block in the foundation of an incredible friendship.

I never imagined that following my dream of launching See The Good would ever lead to discovering one of the most amazing and wonderful people that I would ever be fortunate enough to call my friend. But it did. And I am sure that Pam is a treasure that I was meant to discover along my journey. We continue to share our thoughts and adventures via email. And I look forward to each one as a gift from my dear friend. But I know that there is a higher purpose for our friendship. Her work and her life are a constant source of inspiration to me. She is so talented and gifted at painting a vivid picture with her writing. And yet, her greatest gift is her heart. She is constantly working to be the best and most loving person that she can be. And by doing so, she inspires everyone around her to do the same. She is truly making this world a better place for all of us. And I am so grateful to have been gifted this extraordinary friend.

So today, in celebration of her special day, please join me in wishing Pam a very Happy Birthday! May her day be filled with happiness and joy in honor of all that she does to make our world a better place. And may this remind us all to embrace the unexpected gifts that might appear on our horizon. You never know when that unforeseen event will be life-changing.