Sherry, Cynthia and Debbie

I hope you have had a great week. Mine was unusually busy but invigorating (at work).

I have not seen Sherry since she retired almost ten years ago. She worked in our district office in VA and became one of my bosses right before she retired. Before she was my boss, she was our district's accountant. When she was the accountant she was always so helpful to me when I needed her. She was a dedicated employee and I could always count on her. She cared about us as individuals as well as employees. When she became my boss, I recall her saying she had no idea of all the stuff we went through trying to do our job. (I guess we were so good at it, we made it look easy). I liked that she spoke her mind and did not pussy foot around. That didn't always sit well with everyone but I respected her for it and I do miss her. I think she is enjoying traveling around the country with her husband in their RV.  What a life!

Cynthia was a life saver to me when I was on dialysis. She is an aromatherapist and I met her years ago at a wellness expo. She first helped me when my chronic cough got worse and worse. She gave me a mixture that gave me some relief.  When I went on dialysis and thought I would have to go to the funny farm because I couldn't get relief from INTENSE and CONSTANT itching she came to my rescue. When I tried about 6 different kinds of sleeping pills because I couldn't sleep, she gave me "Blessed Sleep" and that worked better than any sleeping pill I had. I could just call her up and go by her house and pick up my remedy. I still use "Blessed Sleep" when I need it. Her business is called "Loving Scents".  I would encourage each of you to give aromatherapy a chance if you have any issues. It really works.

Debbie works for a customer of ours and I have known her about 8 years. When I came back to work in March 2010 after having to go on dialysis and when she found out why I was out, she IMMEDIATELY said "Oh, you need a kidney?  You can have mine".  I was so moved and touched that she would not even hesitate to offer this gift of life. I told her it was so generous of her to offer and tried to change the subject. ( I was so shocked that I really didn't think she was serious). But she continued, wanting to know where she would need to go and who she needed to contact to do the testing etc. It turned out that her son had some heart issues and her husband also faced some medical issues. I just didn't think that it was the right thing to do to put her through that additional stress. However, I will always remember her amazing, selfless offer and that means so much to me.

Hoping you are a light for someone who may be in the dark!
Warm wishes,
Annie

Dearest Hubby and Carol

Happy Sunday!
There were not enough words to let my dearest hubby David know how much he means to me. It's hard to believe we have known each other more years than we haven't. We met at work 29 1/2 years ago and have been married for 25 1/2 years. He is so smart and has the most wonderful sense of humor (DO NOT play ANY type of trivia game with him as you will get your butt whipped). He really loves to unwind with his favorite sit-coms and he will just roar with laughter. We are opposites in so many things but it just seems to work for us. He is my knight in shining armor. He was so encouraging and supportive when I was on dialysis; I couldn't have done it without him. He is a fantastic father and a great role model to our son. He makes sure his mom is taken care of and does errands whenever she needs him. I feel tremendously blessed to have such a wonderful friend and husband.

I sent my dental hygenist Carol a card. She has cleaned our whole families teeth for over 10 years. When she cleans our teeth, she is so upbeat and positive. She always has a smile and definitely likes to talk (this makes the time go so much faster!) She always asks me how David and Nick are doing, how my job is going, how my health is, etc. I know she genuinely cares about each of her patients and I really appreciate her.

Here's hoping you make it a great week!
Warm wishes,
Annie

Pete and Sylvia

Hope you had a loving, wonderful week.  I got such a heart warming email from Sharon. She said that her husband Mike got my card and was really touched  to hear from me. He is suffering from depression and showed her my card. She said he put it next to the couch and would re-read it. He has not heard from anyone at work since he has been out. She got her note in the mail the next day and said it meant a lot to her to get words of encouragement as she deals with the myriad of issues that his illness brings.

Pete is another guy I know from working with him in Raleigh. He married my former assistant and friend Veronica. He has been out on medical leave and is also suffering from serious depression. I sent him a card telling him I was praying that God would comfort him and give him strength. I told him that I believed in him and that what God brought him to, he would see him through. Anyway, Veronica called me early the morning after he got it and said when she saw his card, she broke down and cried. She said it meant a lot to him to hear from me and to her as well.

I have known Sylvia for 29 years. We both work for the same company and she started about a year and a half after I did. I knew when I met her that she was a good friend and a great asset to the company. She worked her way through many different jobs, including a Manager of Customer Service. She lost that job when the department she was managing moved to St. Louis. She is a project specialist now and is such a hard worker and really knows her stuff. I remember when our son Nick was born, she was the only one from work that came to visit us in the hospital. She has a good head on her shoulders and is always willing to help me at work if I need anything. I just wanted her to know I appreciate her.

I hope you have a memorable weekend and don't forget to look for all the goodness that surrounds you.

Warm wishes,
Annie

Alex & Alice, Sharon & Mike

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful spring weather we are having; some rain, some sunshine and the start of that yellow haze.

Today is David's brother Alex's birthday. Alice is his wife. I sent him a card telling him how much I admired him and enjoyed being around him. They live about 2 hours from us but whenever he and David are together they laugh and laugh and I love to hear them. They both have such a great sense of humor. They are so quick witted; you really have to be on your toes to keep up with them. Alex and Alice have two wonderful, respectful, loving sons. They are examples to their kids by the way they live. They have a strong work ethic but they also make time for themselves as a couple. You can't have a better example than that.

I know Sharon and Mike from work. They also met at work and got married. Unfortunately Mike is out on permanently disability (side effects from diabetes). He has been out of work over a year and I know he is suffering from depression in addition to his many medical problems.  I sent him a card of encouragement and just wanted him to know that I missed him and that I was praying for him. I also sent Sharon a card just to let her know she is also in my prayers and that I know she is under a lot of pressure working full time and taking care of and worrying about Mike.

I encourage you to take just a few minutes this week and send someone you know a note of encouragement. Just one. You may not think it will make that much difference, but I have gotten so many calls and notes/messages from people who thanked me so very much for the card and kind words they received from me. Many of them said they really had a rough day and my card was waiting for them in the mail and really turned their day around.

Here's wishing you a day of joy!
Annie

John, Wayne and Liz

I have missed blogging this week, but I have been keeping with my notes and am up to date. Hope your week was a great one.

John, (aka Johnny) is my husband's best friend. They have known each other since the first grade. He lives here in town with his lovely wife and two wonderful daughters. John is a very devoted husband and dad. He is a great friend. He has been very helpful in offering job leads to our son. It's very rare to have a friend for over 40 years and that is a real treasure.

Wayne is a co-worker that works in our warehouse. He just celebrated his 20th anniversary and I wanted him to know how much I appreciated all his hard work and dedication in making the company successful.

I simply had to send another card to my friend Liz. She already knows how much she means to me, but I sent her a congratulations card as she recently passed the 2nd part of the CPA exam. She is finishing up her Master's degree and has passed the first and second tests. I am SOOOOO very proud of her as she has worked and worked extremely hard to accomplish this goal. She is an inspiration to others that it is never too late to accomplish something if you work hard and believe you can.

I need to dig deep and see what things I have a passion for accomplishing.... I am not quite certain.

Warm wishes,
Annie

Kathy and Stacy

I have know Kathy for many, many years. She works for a competitor but has worked for several other competitors over the years. Her previous jobs were eliminated when the companies she worked for merged or were bought out. She has always been very sweet and caring to me. She has helped me out on more than one occasion when I needed information or help with a particular customer. She has brought me food and flowers when I was out on leave and I appreciate all she does.

I sent a note of appreciation to Stacy at Duke University Hospital. She is the lucky one to have drawnn my blood on my last few appointments. I told her how much I appreciated her professionalism and her knack for getting my blood. It is not that easy as my veins roll and I only have one big vein in my left arm. She is very personable and friendly. I know she sees dozens of people each day and I am sure that is not an easy job.

I hope you have found people in your daily life to be thankful for. Maybe it's the guy at the drive thru at McDonalds or the teller at the bank. Keep your mind open to the amazing people all around you.

Warm wishes,
Annie

Nicholas

I sent a card to my wonderful son Nick. I used to put notes and encouraging letters on his pillow case when he was in school. I would also tape notes to his mirror telling him things I loved about him. He was such a wonderful baby, he slept through the night when he was 6 weeks old; he was a great car traveler and was pretty easy to take out to eat in public.

He has always had such a loving heart. He has gone on 4 mission trips over the years in high school and college and was a boy scout till high school. He is a devoted member of the young adults group at church. I never hear Nick gossip about anyone or make judgements about them either. I am proud to be his mother and happy to have such a wonderful and loving son.

Hoping you make your day a great one!
Warm wishes
Annie

Nephews Jack and Scott

"Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world.  What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking but reflects your choice of what you want to see"

I saw that quote and REALLY loved it.  I hope you read and re-read that and just sit with that thought; let it really sink in. If you have a situation you can't change and it bothers you, change the way you think about it.

I was so delighted to send Jack and Scott cards. They are our nephews and are both such terrific kids. Jack is the older (new teen) brother and I have never seen such a loving, kind big brother. Jack is incredibly smart and mature for his age. He is athletic and is also getting into the guitar and trumpet. He is a well behaved, well rounded young man and I love seeing Jack and Scott together. You will rarely see them fight. They simply adore each other. Scott is such a loving, carefree youngster. He always has a smile on his face and has a wonderful imagination. He is a cub scout and I know he will be a great boy scout and is sure to be a leader in his troop. He draws people to him with his personality. I wish we could see them more, but I know they both have a great future ahead of them.

I have gotten such lovely feedack from the people who have received my notes. Many of them have said it came at just the right time to cheer them up. Many of them said they didn't deserve my praise; maybe they don't see themselves in the same light as I do.

I hope you have a wonderful day and don't forget to spread the joy/gratitude.

Warm wishes,
Annie

Cheryl and Rory

Today is the start of a brand new week. Tomorrow is my birthday and I am so very grateful to be having another one. I know it's typical of us all to complain about getting older but I am thinking of it differently. Of course I would like to not LOOK quite so old, but we have to embrace having another opportunity to greet a new day.

I sent Cheryl a note of encouragement as she is going through some health challenges right now. Unfortunately, the doctors can't seem to find what is causing her troubles. She works in our district office in Richmond. She used to be a bookkeeper and was one of the best ones we had. She is so sharp and level headed. Since we only have bookkeepers at our corporate office now, Cheryl helps our district accountant. She has been with the company over 30 years and is a big asset. I pray the doctors find the cause of her problems so she can come back to work and she won't be suffering anymore.

Rory is my son's best friend. They have known each other since the 9th grade. Today is his birthday so I sent him a Happy Birthday card. I told him that I believed in him and that he could do whatever he put his mind to. He has been a really good friend to my son and I wanted him to know I appreciate him and believe in him.

I wish you a blessed day and I'll talk to you soon.

Warmest wishes,
Annie