The Best Job I've Had

The best job I've had is actually the only job I've had (at least a job that I'm paid to do). I have been a sign language interpreter for 40 years. << That is such a crazy sentence to write! 

The places and environments where I've done this work have changed throughout the years. From community work to working for state government, back to community and then video relay work. Relay work is where I am right now. There are things about each environment that I loved. I've learned new things in each space. Grown. Made mistakes. Learned from the best of the best in each new environment. 

Community work built a love for the Deaf community and their language that has enriched my life in profound ways. Working for state government gave me a boss that I still think of almost every week, some 35 years after leaving that space. He taught me so much about dedication to community. Relay work has allowed me to witness a growth within this community that new technology has allowed. Needed and vital jobs that would likely not exist without it, families connected in new and deeper ways, independence and privacy that used to be so much harder to obtain. 

I cannot imagine a trajectory that would have me doing anything else. The Deaf community and the community of interpreters that I work with and for have enriched my life in beautiful ways.

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As a relevant-for-our-current-times aside, every one of these jobs has shown me the beauty, dedication and value to community that can be generated from well run programs within government and government contracts. The rewards I've seen for families that in turn enriched our society as a whole, have made it that much more crushing to watch the way programs have been slashed without inquiry or concern for the devastating ripple effects they will create for thousands of futures. The ways I've seen for-profit companies change the trajectory of a mission in negative ways has taught me the value of work that is not meant to make a buck, but instead to enrich our communities. I'm afraid we're losing this value as a society and I mourn this loss for all of us.

The Book That Had a Big Impact on You

Sorry, I can't do just one. You should've seen that coming. 😊

Spiritual: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I've read it more times than I can remember over the last 20 years. Reading again this year and it is fresh and important every time. 

Searching For Sunday by Rachel Held Evans. The first of her books I read. I've since read all of her books, but this hit at a particularly painful season.

Anything by Brian Zahnd.

Racial Justice: So. Many. But the book that began my serious study was The New Jim Crow. The history in that book shattered my protected white perspective and began a journey I am still on. 

History: The Color of Law and Jesus and John Wayne. Each of these gave a history of our country and the white evangelical church that I definitely never learned at school or in church.

Fiction: Just can't narrow. I'll list a few authors that never disappoint: Michael Phillips, Fredrik Backman, Jodi Picoult, Kristen Hannah, Wendell Berry. If I don't know what to read next, I can always go back to them.

I was a reader from a very early age and have always lost myself in the covers of a good story. For a few years in the thick of raising kids, especially teenagers, I found it difficult to concentrate enough to even finish a book. But I missed it and began a journey to become a deep reader again. Little by little, I found my groove again. A comfy chair with a hot cup of tea and a good book is just about my favorite space in the world. And in the last few years, it's also become a place for learning and growth as much as escape.

Let's read books instead of banning them. 

Best Advice You've Ever Received

"You are not your husband's Holy Spirit."

We were newly married when I heard a woman say this. I have tried to take this to heart. And not just with my husband, but with everyone. As I've mentioned before, Enneagram One here. At our unhealthiest, we're prone to being somewhat judgmental and critical -- of ourselves, first and foremost, but also, unfortunately, of others. It has taken me the better part of my lifetime to quiet that voice. And let God's job be God's job. He will do the job much better anyway. "It's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance," after all.

Everyone is on their own journey. Yours is not mine. Now, let me be very clear: allowing someone to go on their own journey may require some hard boundaries. Letting them figure it out does not mean we have to tolerate bad behavior or that we never have to speak out when others (including ourselves) are being harmed. It does not mean it is my job to save them from the consequences of their words or behavior. 

It does mean that I am not responsible for their change. I do not have to come up with the perfect, "Gotcha," to make them see the error of their ways. I do not have to constantly strive to figure out what *I* need to do so *they* will finally see the light. I am not responsible for anyone else's choices.

God is God. I am not.

Something I'm Looking Forward To

I mentioned a few days ago that when the world shut down with COVID we used our Scotland trip savings to purchase our camper. We have not regretted that decision for one second. I would say that given that decision, the long-term goal we're looking forward to is finally getting that trip to Scotland. No date set yet - but we can't wait until that comes!

In the short term, our lives have narrowed down to a pretty simple lifestyle right now. We are working toward building up a private practice consulting business for Brian and that takes most of our focus. We look for simpler, shorter-term ways to get away, to enjoy the outdoor hobbies we both enjoy. I always look forward to time with our kids and grandkids. And any opportunity to sit on the patio with a glass of wine and good friends is pure joy. So --Scotland is on the out-there horizon, but in the meantime, looking forward to friends, family and the great outdoors are not a bad way to pass the time.

The Most Important Lesson You've Learned

Learning the value of remaining humble and teachable is probably the most important lesson I have learned. I grew up firmly believing that what I was taught - in school, in church, in my community and culture - was fully right and correct. If it was not, they would not teach it, right? It was simply my job to learn it. And learn it well. And I did.

This belief crashed down around me a few years ago and left me in a bit of a wilderness for a while. The details of that would be for another time and post, but suffice to say, the rebuilding has left me in a much better place. What I've learned is that I will always have much to learn. I have learned that the best places to learn much of this is from those being oppressed and marginalized. History is often written by the victors. Start humble. Keep learning and keep learning from those we tend to overlook.

Your Favorite Trip

My most common answer to this question is, "the last one." I love to travel. I love the experiences of new foods, new cultures, learning the history of a new place. I love the outdoors, so exploring the great outdoors in new places is always a joy. I love traveling with Brian. He is the. best. person to have around when planning a vacation. He literally does everything. I pack my clothes and get in the car. 

We've been to London, to the Dominican Republic, to Costa Rica and each was glorious in it's own way. We've been to Colorado many times, to the Pacific Northwest, to Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, to Florida, to Arkansas and New Mexico. When the pandemic shut the world down, we used our Ireland savings to buy a camper and have enjoyed *almost* every place camping has taken us. (And we're still looking forward to a trip back to the UK at some point.) We've been with our kids when they were still at home, with friends and all our kids (can you say w.i.l.d.?), with friends and no kids, and in recent years, lots of trips are just the two of us. I've loved them all.

One of my very favorite, though one of our simplest trips, was a road trip through Colorado and New Mexico. Brian planned the whole thing, with us staying in private, non-chain motels each night (and one night of car camping) and eating either from our car and an ice chest or in non-chain, local restaurants. We hiked many miles, climbed the Manitou Incline, explored Taos Earthships, sat very still while deer wandered into our campsite. It was simple and peaceful. Even though we covered a lot of miles, it never felt rushed. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I recognize it was all that it was because of the work Brian did beforehand to plan it so well and I will never not appreciate him. 

I can pack a bag in record time, so I'm just sitting at the ready for the next trip.

People in Your Life Who Inspire You

April 12: 

This one is tough to rein in to a manageable word count. There are so many. For the sake of narrowing, I'm going with women on this prompt. And I'm posting the full text on Facebook so I can tag some of them if you'd like to be inspired by them as well. I'll miss someone, but here goes:

Cece Jones-Davis. She is a force to be reckoned with. A fierce defender of marginalized communities. I have learned so much from her regarding death penalty abolition, defending the innocent caught in the crossfire of nation-state wars, racial reconciliation and much more. And she is a powerful preacher and teacher. You know you've been to Church when you have an opportunity to hear her speak. 

Sharon McMahon. She was just as unknown as the rest of us before the pandemic. An excellent teacher, but unknown to most. During the pandemic, stuck at home, she decided to begin talking about history and government in her Instagram space. Her ability to educate, in a nonpartisan way, exploded on the scene. Since then, she has done online courses, raised millions of dollars for teachers, for those effected by natural disaster, to forgive medical debt, and much more. All of it, a few dollars at a time from her followers. She's written an excellent book, has a stellar podcast where I've learned so much. She has shown me that any and all of us can have an impact, big or small, and change at least the part of the world we've been gifted to touch, with our voice and our action.

Rachel Held Evans and Sarah Bessey. Both authors, Rachel passed away six years ago next month, Sarah is still writing and teaching. Both have had a profound impact on my life during a time I was struggling with a multitude of doubts around church and faith. Their books were, and still are, a healing balm. They have pulled me from the proverbial ledge more than once. Read anything they've written.

Shannon Martin. Also an author. Her books have taught me much on loving my neighbor. My real life neighbors with feet-on-ground, practical love. It's too easy to say we love our neighbors and our enemies, but if they do not feel that love or see it or hear it as love, it's not love. 

So many more out there that I certainly don't have the pleasure of one-on-one contact with, but there's a taste. 

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Now a quick list of folks I do have the pleasure of seeing in real life. Some often, others just occasionally: 

Nicole Martin: A force to be reckoned with. She proves to me the value of your voice in a world determined to silence the marginalized. And she is abundantly kind.

Melissa Ford: She'll not be stopped in the arena of making this world a better place for those living unhoused lives. I have no idea when she sleeps, but she keeps me energized to always be looking for practical ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Jamie Zumwalt: The owner of Joe's Addiction, she lives everyday showing us what it looks like to love like Jesus.

Karen Hanscom: She is, quite simply, the kindest person I know. Just watching her move through the world reminds me that we can be fierce AND kind. We do not have to choose. 

There are so many. I am blessed with a community of people, both online and in my real walking around life. Neighbors, friends, colleagues, community partners and a Church that inspire me to say what I believe, what I stand for, what I'm *for,* not just what I'm against, and then to prove it with my actual everyday life. 

I want to close with these three, because they are both an inspiration and a high example of the reason I will not be silent in the things that matter in our world. My daughters, Erin, Grace and Kelly. I know them all well enough to know their fears as well as their joys. And they are fierce mamas, loyal friends, and spectacular wives to my boys. Everyone of them facing their fears, determined to be a part of creating a better world than the one they inherited. 

Your Favorite Memory

I've thought about this prompt for the last several days and for much of today especially. I'm going to go with my first thought, though I've spent a good while going through a rolodex of happy memories. And it's not one, it's three. The birth of each of my children. All three of my childbirth experiences were 100% natural. And not because I planned it that way from the git-go. Surprise! I do pregnancy awful, but I do childbirth like a pro! Everyone's story is different and every one is beautiful in it's own way. Planned and smooth, shocking and difficult, and everywhere in between. 

I'll spare you the details, unless you want to sit on the patio with a glass of wine and swap stories. Except one for each of them: 

Erin: We were utterly clueless, made our way to the hospital in morning rush hour traffic, with no idea how fast this was gonna go. Brian "dropped me off" and the nurses sent him to park the car -- "You've got plenty of time!" -- A few minutes later, the doctor was barking orders to "go find her husband!" He made it, though no other family members did, and Erin immediately turned every last one of us into crazy people with our love for her. She's been teaching us what love looks like ever since.

Luke: We at least had in mind that time might be of the essence. My best friend made it in time, but my mother and sister did not. He was even faster than his sister. And while they're great friends now, they spent most of their childhoods in competition with one another. I was terrified I could not love another child as much as the one I already had. I was so wrong. He has been joy from the instant I first laid eyes on him. 

With Dylan, we pretty much knew by this point how fast it was gonna go and my doctor at the time was a bit if an old hippie. He asked me what I'd think about trying a birthing chair and I said, "Why the heck not?!" Not a single nurse on the floor had witnessed such a thing so I ended up with quite a crowd attending Dylan's birth (with my permission, of course). There was a lot of laughter in the room that day. He came into this world uniquely and hasn't stopped making waves, or making us laugh, since. 

As many things as I've forgotten over these six decades, I remember almost every minute of the process of my kids entering this world and changing me forever. 

The Nicest Compliment You've Received

 April 10

One of the nicest compliments I've received came a few years ago when I was chosen by my OKC office (we no longer have a local office but have now been shifted to work-from-home) as the interpreter of the year. And the reason this stands out to me is not for my skills - though everyone I work with has always been kind, encouraging and supportive of my skills as a sign language interpreter - but for the reasons given. Their reasons were for who I am, as a person - my acceptance of others, my voice in speaking out for change and in listening to and supporting historically, and currently, oppressed people.

Honestly, when I arrive at the end of my days on this earth, I cannot think of a single thing I want said about me more than I listened to and loved people well, in voice, life and action, that people always felt safe and accepted with me. I fail often, but you know -- Goals.

Things You Appreciate About Yourself

I appreciate that I am always open to learning. When I was much younger, I often felt like I mostly knew what I needed to know, (thank you very much). But life has had a way of humbling me and I realize there is much I do not know and there is always more to learn. And I often learn it in the unlikeliest of places.

I appreciate whatever it is within me that wants the people within my radar to feel safe and accepted with me. Now, I also have RBF, so even though my inside is very open, I often have to be conscious of the story my face may be telling. 😉

I appreciate my desire for community. I am an introvert, of this there is no doubt, but I have also learned that I do not particularly like who I become when I overfeed that side of myself. So I am thankful that my desire for connectedness keeps me from folding inside myself. I am better for each of you being here.

Skills or Talents You Have

Today and tomorrow are gonna be rough for this girl. If you're familiar with the Enneagram,you will understand when I tell you I am an Enneagram 1 - my inner critic is always on and she is most often directed at me. As I've aged, I'm trying to learn to recognize her sooner, tell her something along the lines of, "Hello, friend. I see you, but I'm going to be moving along now," and I try to take her with a grain of salt. As I move through today and tomorrow's writing prompts, I'll try to give her minimal brain space.

My skills or talents. My first thought is my skill as a sign language interpreter. While there are many, many interpreters that far exceed my skills, folks I am constantly learning from, I do feel like I perform my job well. I feel like I convey the message faithfully between two different languages and cultures to the best of my ability. I also know my limitations, when to bring in a team to make sure the message remains accurate, when I am not qualified for a specific situation and to step aside in those circumstances. Knowing my weakness as well as my strengths IS a strength. (In this and most other areas of life. To know when I need help or need to say no is critical.) I love my profession as well as the people, culture and language it has allowed me to know.

Organization of chaos into something functional. I have the ability to look at chaos, break it down into manageable parts and then begin to bring order to the scenario. (I think this why I enjoy my yearly minimalist challenge.) I know some people shut down when faced with too much chaos, but I am energized by the challenge!

I can bake a pretty dang good loaf of sourdough bread. It was a challenging beginning as I learned all the ins and outs of the process, but I'm there now. It is a joy to make it, to eat it, to give it away.

I'd love to hear what you think you're pretty good at!

Your Best Friends

April 7: Your best friends

Two brief stories here. The first is from 40 years ago. Brand new married. New town. New church. New job. Zero friends - at least locally. I still had friends of course, from high school and college, but no one close by. Everyone was friendly, but no close friend. And I was very lonely. I had gone to a retreat during this time and cried much of the way home, praying my need for a friend to Jesus. I can no longer remember the first time we met, but it was within days of that prayer that a friendship began its early days of growth with LaDonya. She and her husband and Brian and I spent untold nights playing Spades, learning to dance, country style (this was a sad affair for them, I'm afraid - we were not students who excelled in this - lol). She and I spent untold lunches together, she was with me when my babies were born, we swapped babysitting. She and Jesus saved me during that season of everything new. I will never not be thankful for her.

God has continued to be faithful throughout the years, both before and after this, with seasons of friendship that were exactly what each of us needed. Not all friendships last forever. Some are meant for a particular season, some simply morph due to moves or changes that are out of our control, some are put on hold as they've been lost to death, for now. I am thankful for those that have only grown deeper through the years, but I am also thankful for those that were for a season.

Second story is just something I picked up from Mandy Patinkin (of "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die," fame) - I was listening to him on a podcast a few years ago and he talked about his morning prayers - that people from all over the world reach out to him, asking for his prayers and he tries hard to be faithful to that. One way he does that is to speak their name. God knows the need of each - he does not need to. So he lifts their name to Him, as He knows what is truly needed. I loved this. So often I do not know what to pray, or how a need is best met. We can often think we know - but do we really know what is best? Anyway, I've prayed this way often when I feel at a loss for words - when someone comes to mind that I haven't thought of recently or the needs are so great I do not have sufficient words - I assume there is a need there and lift their name -- I "hold" it for a bit and sit with them in some spiritual plane where God knows what I can never know.

Below is my list of many of my closest friends throughout the last 62 years. In anticipation of this prompt, I've spent a couple of days thinking back through the years, lifting each name as it comes to me. I'm certain I've forgotten some, as my memory is often filled with gaps and for this I am sorry - it will come to me in spurts and please know your name will be lifted when that gap fills in.

Gayla
Susan
Sonia
Valorie
Shelley
Duane
Gina
Lee Ann
Monty
Patrick
Cathy
Brian
Stephanie
Mama
LaDonya
Lisa
Beth
Michelle
Pam
Heather
Jes
Sherry
Traci
Erin
Dylan
Luke
Grace
Kelly
Greg
Kimi
Mandy
Karen

If any of you find your way to this post, please know that you have shaped me, you have made me better than I was before you and I have lifted your name up to the One who knows us best. Thank you. I am praying for you today - and often.

The Biggest Supporters in Your Life

 April 6 - Biggest Supporters in Your Life

Brian. I've already talked about this. Hands down, he's the best there is. I honestly cannot, in 40+ years of knowing him, remember a single time that he has not supported me in every way possible. The longer I know him and love him, the more I value what an honorable, good, man he is. You will not find a better person to call your friend.

Michelle. She's been among my dearest friends for nearly 33 years. I cannot count the words we have spilled between us. The laughter, tears, rages, celebrations. All of it. I worried a bit when we moved away a long time ago, that our friendship would suffer. And while it suffered in missing actual in-person presence, for sure, she has never not been there for me. She has helped me move, helped me raise my kids, helped me navigate foster care, kept loving me through all our many differences. After Brian, she is my go-to when I need to talk through almost anything.

I'll stop with these two, simply because it would take a book to go through those that have been here for me. I do not take for granted those who have held me up through the years or those I've come to trust and lean on in recent years. It is a gift to know you are loved and encouraged no matter what. 

Each of them have taught me the value of presence. The value of allowing people to be who they are, to grow, to change and to still know they are safe with you, no matter what. The value of encouragement. I pray I will be the kind of person each of these have been for me.

Your Greatest Achievement

April 5 writing prompt: Your greatest achievement:

My greatest physical achievement is probably the Manitou Incline in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Brian and I did this a couple of summers ago. We scaled 2,744 steps, gaining nearly 2,000 vertical feet in 0.9 miles, with much less oxygen than our flatlander selves are used to. It was, hands down, the hardest I've expended myself physically (other than child birth, but I really didn't have a way to get out of that one 😉) in my entire life. There were multiple moments that I honestly did not know if I'd be able to finish. But I did! 

My greatest professional achievement is becoming a certified sign language interpreter. A decision I made some 40+ years ago, this profession has been the best decision I could have made. A beautiful community of people surround me. The language itself is stunning. It is a privilege I will never take for granted to work with and for the Deaf community and world-class interpreters, both of whom I will forever look up to and continue to learn from.

What do these two things have in common? Years of preparation and commitment. Brian and I didn't just show up at the bottom of that mountain one day and run to the top. We were able to get to the top of The Incline because we have committed ourselves to a healthy lifestyle that continues to strengthen and challenge us, we've read and followed people smarter than us in the areas that interest us, we've adjusted our diets, we've changed our exercise habits. And we've done it for years. I didn't just decide to become an interpreter, take a 10-week class and start interpreting. It took years of education, of surrounding myself with folks in the Deaf community, learning from the best of the best, testing, ongoing education, workshops, reading. And work, work, work. 

Nothing worth having is easy. Pick your thing. Find your mentors. And get to work! The work is worth it.

The Best Thing That's Ever Happened to You

The best thing that's ever happened to me - good grief. I've been on this earth for over 61 years - A LOT of really profound things have happened. but hands down, everything that has passed through my brain as I've thought through this one, it's been people. Not "things" or events - but people. People change everything.

My first thought was to choose to not default to Jesus. This is a writing prompt *challenge,* after all, and that's a no-brainer answer. My second thought was that choosing Brian for my life partner or becoming a mother would also feel like cheating. But also also? I have a lot more days to go and these things matter and have indeed changed the trajectory of my life, multiple times.

We don't have much say in where and when we're born, who we're born to, what that culture is or is not - but being born in a time and place and into a family and community that allowed me to begin my journey getting to know Jesus has indeed changed and impacted every single thing since that time. My thoughts and beliefs have morphed through the years. I've shed some things that once seemed irreplaceable, and I've learned and picked up new things along the way that I never dreamed would be a priority - but the constant in all of it has been Jesus. I have never stopped believing that His words, His ways, His plan for the redemption of all things is the path I am to walk. With Peter, my mantra has become, "Lord, where else would I go?" So here I still am.

Brian. He is truly the constant for me. Always. We are as different as night and day. HIs extrovert to my introvert, his networking and making friends to my hiding in the corner with the one other person that hates small talk, his risk-taking to my need for security, his 12-year-old-boy humor to my eye-rolling. But he has never once made me feel like I should not be exactly who I am or who i am striving to become. I have been in relationship with folks (both before Brian and with colleagues, friends, etc.) that hang the health of a relationship on agreement. This is not the way to health. Ever. To be fully accepted by him as I learn and grow has been everything.

Becoming a mother. There's not enough paper. In the beginning, they shut my world down. The focus of what matters slid down into a pinpoint. As they grew and became their own person(s), they've taught me that a lot of things matter that I hadn't seen or even been aware of until their needs showed them to me. After bringing everything into pinpoint focus, they then took me to a much bigger view of the world. Some of that through pain and suffering (both theirs and mine), some of it reveling in the wild, imaginative differences God places within each of us. I am a better, kinder, more whole, more respectful person than I would ever have become without the ways they have shaped me.

People. People are the best things.

The Kindest Thing

April 2 - The Kindest Thing Someone Did For You

The "kindest" thing is a daunting prompt. My life has been filled with people that have taken the time to show me kindness when they absolutely did not have to. This has been a good exercise in thinking back through the years of so many. 

A dear colleague that reached out to mentor and encourage me when, after more than 30 years, I had to sit for my professional evaluation again. I was terrified and she made that process 1,000 times less awful. 

Friends that have sat with me through some of the hardest seasons of life, not attempting to fix anything, but just listened and were a steady presence.

Many, many long walks at the lake, lunches with Dr. Pepper and chocolate while our children played like they were completely feral. These people know who they are and literally saved my life.

My mom staying with me as we brought each child home, patiently being everything I could not be. My dad telling me his high school breakup story when my high school world felt like it would never be okay again. (Spoiler: it did indeed get better.)

Friends that know exactly when to say, "You wanna meet at the coffee shop and visit?" 

Those that have patiently walked with me, answered my questions, listened to me rant and mourn as I've walked this long wilderness journey of seeing my world get both bigger and smaller at the same time. They did not have to be patient. They did not have to answer my questions. They did not have to wait for me to finally "get it" - but they have.

Friends that just know when I'm drowning and step in to help, or send a text at exactly the right moment, or a reel or a meme that we're the only two people in the world that will think it's the best.

Friends that have sent me fancy tea, a new mug, a baby Yoda, new earrings. Each of them had no idea that the timing was perfect. 

The folks on our outreach days, both those we serve with and those we're there for - especially them. With absolutely nothing to give, they give themselves. 

Each of these have taught me to never ignore the voices that tells me to call someone, to reach out when someone comes to mind, to pick up that little thing that made me think of them, to have enough flex in my schedule to have time for the unexpected conversations. 

Because we never know when that thing we said or did is the thing that kept someone's head above water for a few more hours. That gave them a reason to keep trying. That reminded them they're not the failure they feel like they are right at that moment. 

Be kind. It matters.

The Best Thing That's Happened This Year

 April 1 -The Best Thing That's Happened This Year

The best thing that has happened so far this year has been Brian's surprise 60th birthday party. I'll start off up front with the confession that I am terrible at parties and I am terrible with crowds. My husband is fabulous with both of those things and I knew he would love an event like what we ended up throwing for him. So I dove into the planning! 

My next confession would be that I hate lying. And there's no way to plan a surprise party for someone you spend nearly every minute of everyday with without lying. A lot. But guess what? Apparently, while I hate it, I'm pretty good at it! 🤣

It ended up being such a joy to pull together folks that have impacted and been impacted by Brian's six decades of life. Seeing so many of these people together in one place at one time, to hear their words of joy and encouragement, their laughter as we recalled so many funny memories together --

What. A. Joy. ❤️

These people have stood with us through all manner of joy and hardship, tough times and easy, flourishing and wilderness. I was reminded, once again, that God never intended us to live this life alone. He means for us to thrive in community. And the community we have been blessed with all along the way -- it has morphed, sure, but so many have stayed the course with us. And it is absolutely life giving. 

Life is often hard, but hang on to your people. 

Even if you're as bad at it as I am, make up reasons to have a party with the people you love. Hug them. Share good food and drink. Tell them how much they mean to you, and be specific. Tell them you love them. Loud and often. Make it weird.

We may not get out of here alive, and some seasons are unspeakably difficult, but we do not have to be here alone. For this, I am grateful.