And I Say To Myself...

It has been a wonderful topsy-turvy emotional kind of week. So many things have happened...grab a glass of wine or a cup of coffee...we have a great deal to catch up on.

Sometimes we're just bumping along through our day where everything seems status quo when BAM! Everything changes in a moment. This was my week. It was great. And I am overjoyed. I tend to get overjoyed when I see great things happen to and for great people.

In the past I have shared with those in my world about my niece, Seana,  and how devastated our family was over her untimely death. What I share with you now is we have honored Seana with the creation of a scholarship in her memory. As you probably ascertained from any time spent in my world, education is incredibly important to my family...but I digress. Thanks in large part to a yearly golf tournament held in Seana's memory, we have raised enough funds to have awarded over $40,000 to graduating high school seniors over the past seven years.

Monday evening I stood on a stage in front of an auditorium of great people and amazing students to share the memory of my niece. I then proceeded to present ten young women with scholarships honoring their academic responsibility, sportsmanship, kindness, care for others, and position as role models to others: characteristics reminiscent of my niece. None of these young women knew they were receiving this award yet every one of them was overwhelmed by it.

If this wasn't enough, over the course of the week I celebrated two dear friends who have each begun a new journey in their work-life. Both are excited to begin their new positions ~ their exuberance was palpable! While I miss seeing them every day, I wish them both love and joy in their new endeavors.

My oldest daughter, one of the greatest artists I know (my other daughter being one of the others) was paid for her artwork, which will be published as the cover of a book for a local township. What an honor! She couldn't wait to tell me and I couldn't wait to celebrate her.

The week culminated in the most wonderful of surprises when one of my two mentors was raised to a leadership position in our organization. I've said it before and I'll say it again...good things happen to and for good people, and I am over the moon.

So as I go into this beautiful Upstate New York weekend (today was the perfect weather day) I share Mr. Louis Armstrong with you. Go outside, breathe in the beautiful air, and say to yourself...what a wonderful world.