The Soul Touchers

There are millions of people across the country dealing with subzero temperatures tonight as a polar air mass slices through the land delivering wind chill readings way, way, way below zero. It was cold when I was in Canada over Christmas, but it wasn't this cold ... this is the kind of cold that can cause frostbite in a matter of minutes and puts people at great risk for hypothermia. The National Weather Service has issued all sorts of warnings, and the news folks here in KC are encouraging people who don't need to be out and about to stay indoors. Considering the frigid weather, you can imagine my dismay when I awakened this morning to a somewhat chilly home ... even my big dog Julie was burrowed under the covers, which should have served as an immediate alert that something was amiss with the heating system in my house.

It wasn't until after I took the dogs outside to potty and brought them back in, filled their bowls with food and peeled off my flannel jammies so I could jump in the shower that I realized just how cold it was in my little abode. After a quick check of the thermostat and and even quicker shower, I donned three layers of clothes, called my favorite heating system repair guy and emailed the project managers at work to tell them I would be late. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long and it was a relatively quick fix ... it always amazes me how minor little things can cost so much money, but tonight as we sit nestled in our toasty warm house, me and my hound dogs agree that it was money well spent.

While I was waiting on the repair fellow to arrive this morning, I was perusing Facebook and happened to read an update from a friend in Tennessee ... an update that made my heating problem that seemed so huge quickly jump into the "not so important after all" category in my brain. My friend and I went to high school together, but I didn't know her very well back then. I've reconnected with a lot of people from high school on Facebook over the last few years ... people I knew very well and people I hardly knew at all. That's an interesting thing about Facebook, you know ... it allows us to get to know to people from our past in ways we never did before. I've learned about where my former classmates went to college, whom they married, how many children and grandchildren they have, what profession they are in and all kinds of other fascinating things. Suddenly, I feel as though I really know them for the first time, and they have joined the ranks of some of my dearest friends. So when I read my friend's status update this morning, my heart was filled to overflowing with deep emotion and I found myself wishing I could hop in my car and drive to Tennessee and wrap my arms around her in a strong and lasting hug. She is an inspiration in the truest sense of the word to so very many of us who have been following her journey.

My friend has been valiantly battling pancreatic cancer for the last year while never losing sight of her faith or the people in her life whom she loves so dearly. Her courageous spirit and contagious attitude of hope have lifted me up countless times. Her ever-present smile in the photos she posts coupled with her witty sense of humor have often caused me to laugh out loud as I've read her words. Even this morning ... even this morning when she shared that her doctors have told her that the aggressive chemotherapy won't work ... even this morning when she shared that she has decided to forego any further treatments in favor of having quality time with her family and friends ... even this morning she ended her update with words of hope, encouragement and humor. As I said ... she is an inspiration in the truest sense of the word to so very many of us who have been following her journey ... she is an inspiration in the truest sense of the word to me.

There are people who come into my life who are more than mere acquaintances or casual friends ... there are people who come into my life I've decided to call the soul touchers. The soul touchers are the ones who do more ... they inspire me to do more, see more, be more. They challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone and cause me to grow and teach me to appreciate the little things and the big things and all the things in between. They help me to understand that life is not about rushing the process but about enjoying every single step of the journey. The soul touchers are people who come into my life and make me a better person by being the people they are.

Thank you, dear friend ... for the remarkable gift of your friendship ... thank you for being wonderful, awesome, incredible you. Thank you for touching my soul.