I know how spoiled I am.
Rarely a day goes by, that I don't sit somewhere in and around this place and pinch myself.
Many people go on and on about how lucky I am to live in France, which is true.
The reality for me is that it is just this spot in the universe that holds the immortal magic for me.
It always feels like a "meant to be!"
It was certainly never a remote possibility in my life, as I was growing up.
As an adult, it was always something I saw for others, but not for myself.
I like to say the surprises are better than anything we could have planned.
I believe that to be true. But, the other piece to this puzzle is that often others can see in us what we can't.
My 7th Grade English and Homeroom Teacher, Mrs. McDonald, was one of those people for me.
Almost 20 years ago now, around the time I was able to buy the Chatette in 2002; I stopped in to see Mrs. McDonald. Lucky for me, she lived right around the corner from the house we bought on Elizabeth Avenue while I was at UMSL.
The last time we talked at her place, I was filling her in on the purchase of the Chatette. I said something like: "Never in a million years did I ever think I would be able to do something like this." I was being conversational.
Imagine my reaction when she said: "It doesn't surprise me one bit, Laury. You were always that kind of child!"
She saw something in me then, that I wasn't able to see in myself.
To this day, Mrs. McDonald sticks with me. She reminds me to listen and hear the people who support us in our lives. There are those who are the "yes, you can do it" people, and then there are the "no, you can't do it" nay-sayers. I learned to listen to the yes and began to believe the "yes, I can!" Thanks, Mrs. McDonald and many many others.
Happy Saturday!
