Friday, January 8, 2010

A PIECE OF THE STORY

Today I had an interesting experience. I belong to a group of ladies who meet regularly for breakfast and we discuss lofty topics like grandchildren, children, our aging bodies and even spiritual things. Last week one lady in our group had a new grandchild here in town and she sent out an e-mail with pictures and a description of the baby.

I wanted to send a little gift to them, but I could not remember the couple's last name. I had the name of the baby and I could remember the first names of the parents, so I was puzzling over the best way to send the gift. This afternoon another member of our group called me and asked me if I could remember the name of the husband and I knew that. She remembered the last name of the couple and had asked the grandmother for the address. She also told me that the family had requested no gifts, so I will merely send a congratulation card.

What struck me at the end of the phone conversation is that each of us often has a piece of the story or the truth, but not all of it. However, when we get together in a group and share, all of us contribute whatever we have to offer and then we all leave with a more complete picture of the topic that we are discussing.

The same thing happens when a group of us are dressing together at our fitness center. As we gather at the mirror someone will ask if anyone knows a good doctor, or a recipe for salmon, or someone to clean their house. Inevitably, someone standing there has an answer or suggestion. We often say that there are few problems that we cannot solve in the dressing room while putting on our makeup and combing our hair. Someone will present a problem and several people will chime in with solutions.

7 comments:

  1. I love those "lofty topics"!

    I'm often saddened to hear about this one or that one that doesn't have a support network - be it a lady's bible study, or exercise team, or ???? - as they are bereft of the benefits you share.

    We sure need each other, in grand & small ways; in lofty ones too.

    Blessings,
    Kathleen

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  2. It sounds like you have a good group of friends and all together you are such a help!

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  3. I love when things come together over a cup of coffee with friends!!! Great post!

    -Alisa Hope

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  4. What a great point Pat. I just wrote about getting more information about family history from a remote cousin I never heard of who found me through some random googling and suddenly appeared in my e-mail inbox. Hopefully we enriched each other's understanding of shared ancestors back in Scotland and Ireland.

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  5. I love when this happens, it's a good feeling to know a group of people can put the pieces together:)

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  6. Pat - I so enjoy your blog. I find I miss having my family close all the time but when reading your blog I felt like being connected had little to do with distance Thank you for having a blog and sharing!

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  7. My husband teases me about my exercise group - whom I refer to as my "info network" - but that doesn't stop him from frequently telling me to "check with the girls and see if they know anyone who does so-and-so." Don't know what I'd do without them!

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