On Lunch

I had the most fabulous lunch today. It wasn't the food (though the food was excellent, I had Panko crusted eggplant, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, basil ricotta Parmesan on toasted flatbread, topped with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette - yummy!) it was the company that made lunch so fabulous. I lunched with someone I haven't seen in over 20 years in a nice little restaurant outside of town. She even went so far as to say I looked exactly as I did 22 years ago - boy, oh boy, I love that woman. Are you wondering who she is? Have you guessed? It was Tina, the social worker who matched me and my little brother together all those years ago. She is the woman responsible for creating a bond between two strangers that has never been broken. It was wonderful to thank her and confirm to her that she did a great thing when she matched us as Big Sister and Little Brother. We laughed and shared stories and ate and laughed some more. My heart explodes with joy thinking of it. In the year that Tina was our social worker, I learned so much from her. She encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone, she supported me, she signed me up for a parenting class to teach me how to best deal with my little brother, (I am still using those techniques today) and she applauded my successes. I would not be the woman nor the mother I am today if not for having known her. She was thrilled to hear about my successes as a wife, a mother and a mentor but would take no credit for it. Isn't it funny how some people will never know how much influence they bestow on others? Again, I ask, how great is our God?