Published in Tumblr in 2013
editors note: Lori died in the Fall of 2018, but she will never be forgotten.
Today I was grinning from ear to ear as I read a Facebook post. Before I get too far into this let me just say that the greatest benefit Facebook provides is to connect me with some friends I’ve known since kindergarten. I love them dearly and I truly enjoy reading their posts. Each and every day one or two of them, if not all of them, make my day!
Today was just special because of the context of the Facebook post. The friends you’ve cherished for years…I dearly love them. I value them more each day the older I become. This individual post was special because not only have I known this person for nearly 46 years, but her Dad was a fixture in my life.
The lesson in leadership in this situation is simple. People have value! The relationships we have no matter how small are important. Those tiny connections draw us to compassion and concern and so many other things. As I grow older I realize how much I depend on the uplifting words of a friend. Or how much I think about those people that have impacted my life and made me a better person, for better or worse. In the end, each of them touched my heart and challenged me and allowed me to grow.
If you’ve read through all of this I suppose you want to know what the Facebook post had to say. After losing her dad recently she was also diagnosed with cancer. I’ve watched her grow and learn how strong she was through the entire process. Today she simply said, “I bought shampoo.” And it made my day!