 Recently I was listening to a fabulous interview with Gloria Steinem. The interviewer, Debbie Phillips (founder of the AMAZING group Women on Fire) thanked Gloria for a time, years prior, when Gloria made a positive impact on Debbie's life. Gloria, who did not recall the situation, thanked her for telling the story and said "What that proves is that we all need to do the best we can in the moment because the moment may turn out to matter." Those powerful words struck me. How true! We never know when something we have said or done makes a difference in the lives of others. So, wouldn't it be great if we always tried to do our best?!!? Then, I began to think about moments in my life when someone did their best and made a positive difference for me. I remembered many moments including when... I was struggling through one of life's rough patches and a friend checked in on me and made sure that I wasn't spending too much time wallowing in my pain ...it was good to know that someone cared! A supervisor taught me to look beyond a negative first-impression of someone and consciously look for his/her strengths ...a skill that has served me well throughout my life. I moved into my residence hall for my freshman year of college, my RA greeted me and made me feel welcome ...and amidst that transition a her friendliness made me less anxious and helped me to thrive. A stranger at the grocery store complimented me on my parenting ...and since being a parent is so hard, it was so nice to be reminded that I don't completely suck as a mom! A friend conspired with my husband and planned a wonderful surprise for my birthday ...it's nice to feel loved. But, I bet many of these people don't know that those moments mattered to me. So, this week on Facebook, I have decided to thank people who did their best in a moment and positively impacted me. (I am going to use #MomentsMatter and the image above - please feel free to join me use both on your social media pages!) What are the moments that have mattered to you? Is there anyone you want to thank? Please share your moments in the comments below, or on Facebook! 
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 My sons Alex (10) and Owen (9) at Yellowstone this past summer. One morning last month, as I woke, I found myself mentally composing a letter to my sons. Because of the powerful way the letter spilled from my dream into my waking reality, I knew these words could not be ignored. So I grabbed a latte, sat down at my computer and this is what I wrote.
After I finished the letter, I got the chills. I knew that what I had written was from my heart and it felt important. I also realized that these hopes, while inspired by my sons, are not just for them. They are what I hope for everyone I love and even for myself! So, in effort to have a visual reminder of these sentiments, I plan make a piece of artwork for each hope listed in the letter. My goal is to finish all 12 pieces this year (hopefully well before December). This week I drew some sketches and am really excited to start to add color and textures!  I will give updates and share pics throughout the creation process. Have a Happy Day!  PS - What are your hopes for your loved ones?
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