Giving

Last week I got older. I had my 60th birthday and celebrated with friends. What is really incredible is, as usual, my friends. I have met with this same group of women for over 19 years. We met and started fund-raising at our kids preschool. One day we realized that what we really liked to do was be with each other so we started two groups: Bunko and Bookclub. We would meet once each month for each group.

We still meet. Bunko has turned into TOTT (time on the town) but Bookclub remains the same. And each December we all meet, as a combined group (not everyone is in both) and celebrate Christmas with a gift exchange, which, of course involves stealing! I am still the champ, though, for stealing back my own gift! But that's another story.

This year we met again, on the day after my birthday. I didn't know we would celebrate it, as it had already passed, but I got songs and a delicious cake home make by Carole. But the best gift was that they all contributed to Second Harvest of Santa Cruz and San Jose, in my name, and raised over $500 dollars! I am humbled. I am over-joyed. I am so grateful, as I really do not need anything, and there are so many here that do need the basics, like food on the table.

These women amaze me. Their generosity has provided over 2,800 meals! Unbelievable! Awesome! WOW!

Second Harvest is a group that I give to because I believe in their message. There is no religion attached to it. Corporate Honchos and field workers work side-by-side to distribute food. The community gathers and distributes food. And they do it humbly.

Last year I collected food at my shop, but without my shop I wondered how I could make up that difference...and my girlfriends did it!!!

My girlfriends: We've shared wonderful times; We've shared loses, cancer, chemo, children growing and leaving for college. No marriages yet, but that will be coming. We've laughed and sang together more than most people. I think that we truly love being together. We've traveled. We've just stayed put. We've read a huge amount of fabulous books, and a couple of stupid ones, who knew. But we've shared it with one another.

And now they have shared with me and my community this wonderful, generous gift.

Thank you Gretchen, Carole, Tracie, Lynn, Deb, Karen, Debbie, Alison, Carol Ann, Gail, Shari, Kim, Nora, Dana. You are the very, very best that anyone could ask for in friends. I look forward to many more years of our being together.

Cheeriest of Holidays to all of you. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

 Let's make 2010 better than 2009.

Peace.