What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

This is a question I have often pondered.  Sometimes it’s a hard question to admit the answer, other times it’s easy.  Recently, I was sitting in a potential clients meeting room and I looked up to see this very question on their wall.  I stopped to think about it for a moment…have you ever wondered?  

 

When I was about 8 or 9 years old my Dad bought me a poster for by bedroom wall.  It said “Dare to be Different”.  There were 20 apples in lines of 4.  All of them were red except for 1, it was green.  When I asked him what it meant he told me it was for me to always remember not be afraid - to be my own person - to make my own decisions, - to dare to be different from the rest.  This was difficult, as a young child my main goal in life was to “fit in”, be accepted, to almost blend in.  I would be horrified if I was pointed out of the crowd for any reason. 

But as I grew up, I began to realize the meaning behind it.  When I was 15, 18, 22 there were choices I needed to make - Choices that would affect the rest of my life.  I could choose to be like all the rest, or take a leap of faith and make my own choices. 

As a parent I see now why he put that poster in my room when he did.  Maybe he didn’t even know it at the time but it would be something that would stay with me for my life.  I have always chosen the path less travelled.  I got my drivers license on my 16^th birthday (you could do that back then).  I left my home town for college as soon as I could muster the courage.  Travelled the world with my passport and a backpack and I loved every minute of it and wouldn’t change it for anything.

But as I sit here on my back deck, my husband beside me reading the paper, and 3 kids playing in the backyard, I can’t help but start to think.  ‘What would I do now if I wasn’t afraid?’

This made me think of a good friend who told me about a book she was reading.   Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.  I had just read an interesting article about it a few days before and was thinking about doing some additional research.  I clicked onto her Leanin.org website, and the first thing I see on her page is the statement “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” 

Enough said, I am going to read this book.  I will tell you what I think of it.  Until then, tell me, what would YOU do now if you weren’t afraid?

Daddy to The Rescue

This is a tribute to my husband and loving father to my 3 kids.  This is an honest to goodness true story.  It happened to me (us) this morning.

I was getting ready for the day, I could hear the kids downstairs eating their breakfast and getting their day started, everything seemed to be going smooth…until... I heard the very distinct sound of one of them crying.  I could tell it was my daughter without even seeing that it was her.

Moments later, she appears in my doorway, crying, blood dripping from her mouth.  She had a loose tooth.   So loose, that it is ready to come out.  She was sobbing at this point, probably reacting to my facial expression.  Loose teeth are not my thing.  I can be a good tooth fairy, explain to my kids why teeth need to fall out, help brush them (when they are in the mouth) - But show me a loose tooth and I’ll turn various shades of white…Especially when they are turned sideways and go almost horizontal. 

She begins to inform me that she couldn’t go to school like this – and for those of you who don’t know her, losing a tooth for my daughter is an all day ordeal.  We’ve been lucky so far, these types of days have so far landed on a weekend.  She sits in her room and cries about the impending tooth falling out.  As soon as it’s out, she can move on with her day – but truth be told, some have lasted an entire day.  But today was different, today is a school day and she didn’t want to miss out on learning (I kid you not).  So it (the tooth) needs to come out ASAP!  I come to this realization, and my stomach turns.  I knew she was going to ask to unthinkable - Mom needs to pull this one out. (…or do I)

She gives me some tissue and I try to pull. Trying to stay strong, I gave it tug - I have to say I didn’t pull as hard as I could.  I was afraid if I heard or felt that all too familiar pop sound, I may have thrown up.  I tried again, and again.  After the 4^th try, she falls on the floor saying “only Daddy can do it, and he’s gone!”

At this point I run to the phone.  My husband works about a ½ hour drive away from home.  I looked at the clock, he would be almost there.  But I have nothing to lose at this point, right?  I give him a call and hope for the best.  He gets on the phone and I tell him what has happened so far.  He asked to talk to our daughter.  Now I have to tell you, my husband is not the kind of person who would normally turn around and come home.  He would usually try and convince me that this can be taken care of at the end of the day.  I only hear my daughter’s side on the conversation.  It’s full of, ‘Yes Daddy’, and ‘Oh Yeah Daddy’ and ‘Ok Daddy’.  She gives the phone to me and all I hear from him is ‘See you in 15 minutes’.

My husband comes home.  Well it actually looks like he is flying in with his cape waving behind him – superhero like.  With a tissue in hand and his little girl on the chair, out comes this tooth and a smile returns to her little face.

As he turns around to leave she runs up to him and gives him a huge hug - but not too long because our Super Hero needs to get to work and our daughter is already distracted with other thoughts...Like how much $ the tooth fairy is going to leaver her tonight.


   

Getting Ready for NYC

INTERPHEX 2013

 

The office is full of excitement this week as we are getting ready to send the sales team down to Interphex 2013 New York, the leading edge trade show for the pharmaceutical industry in North America.

We have packed our booth, and shined up our tools, and we are all set to see you at you there.

Another Morning – The Art of a Slow Start

Today was a rough start to the day.  We woke late and I knew when I looked at the clock we were going to miss the bus.  As I laid here checking my messages I thought this could go one of 2 ways…  I scream, yell and fight to get us on the bus, or take a deep breathe accept that we are late and drive the kids to school myself.  Not the end of the world…or so I thought, until I broke the news to my oldest who proceeds to tell me that riding the bus was one of his favorite things to do – all this as he stomped away.  Needless to say, I felt like a heel - but on we went.  Got the youngest one dropped off at the sitters, and off we went onto the ‘Big School’. 

As we entered the school it was evident that we were arriving during morning announcements.  Everyone was standing still listening intently.  The office was right in front us and I could see who was talking and what was going on inside.

As I looked through the window I saw a teacher holding up the sign with the words prepared, the principle was holding the microphone for the kids talking.  They were in Grade 1 and making an announcement for an upcoming fundraiser. You could tell it was organized chaos!  The girls were giddy with excitement, singing their songs and telling their stories.  The principle sat very patiently with them, whispering the harder words to them so that the whole school couldn’t hear him through the PA system.  The kindness and compassion shown by the teachers and principal just melted my heart.

It was nice to have a distraction from the all the negative in the world - and this little window of sunshine did wonders for my heart!

Fun in the Snow

It has been crazy weather these last few weeks in Southern Ontario.  Rainy one day, snowy the next with the sun popping out once in a while.  Being a good Canadian I truly enjoy all 4 seasons.  Fall for its colours and warm cozy sweaters - Summer for the warm sun, long days, and a friends swimming pool! - Spring for all the freshness it brings and - Winter for all the cold snowy days when we wait out the storms snuggled in front of a warm fire, and then head out to the ski hill to enjoy the fresh snow. Those are my favourite times. 

All of my kids are enjoying the slopes this winter.  One sunny winter day, we all headed out for the nearby slopes.  My oldest son was snowboarding with a friend, my youngest son was learning how to ‘snow plow’ and my daughter and I were heading down the hill together.  Now I have to admit, I am not a great skier.  I can get down the hill, turn when I need to and stop almost on a dime!  I can even cut the snow under the ski and get that cool crunchy snow sound when I turn or stop.  For that my kids think I am the coolest. 

On this particular run we were heading down the hill, my daughter was in front of me.  For 7 years old, this girl is pretty brave; she has trick skis (I didn’t know what I had bought at the time) and likes to switch on the fly from going down frontwards to backwards.  As I was following along behind her, I saw that she had cut someone off and was about to do it again – So I had to yell out to her and try to get her attention.  She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to tell me she knew exactly what she was doing (7 going on 17).  As we were continuing on down the hill and talking about what had just happened, I totally wiped out.  This shocked the heck out of me.  I laid there, snow in my face and down my jacket, legs twisted and one ski managed to pop off.  My knee was sending a little yelp of pain (…help), but nothing too severe.  My daughter skied over as quickly as she could to see if I was ok.

I laid there wondering – “Am I too old for this?”  It was only a fleeting thought.  “How could I be too old?”  I am outside enjoying the fresh air with my whole family.  I pulled myself together made sure the chairlift wasn’t full of people laughing, checking out to see who else may have been witnessed my spill on the slopes, and continued on with the run.  What an amazing day with my family.  A little snow in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting memory with my family and I wouldn’t change a thing!