Why are YOU here?
This is a question I ask myself a lot about people in my life. I think the universe/God/the spaghetti monster (shout-out Kelly Stroud)/whomever or whatever you believe in, puts people in our life for a reason. Some are meant to bring joy; others are meant to teach us patience or kindness or to strengthen some muscle we need to work on. I think sometimes the same types of people are put into our life repeatedly until we learn some lesson about boundaries and what behavior we will and will not tolerate. Some people are meant to be the pathway to other people that may have a huge impact on our lives. As I go down the rabbit hole in my mind, hindsight being 20/20, I can always connect the dots: that had to happen so this could happen. It’s fun to think about.
Transversely, we are placed where someone may need us the most. I have a magnet on my refrigerator that my mom gave to me eons ago. It says, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” You never know the impact you have on a person’s life. Because they may not tell you—or they may not even know until decades later. I think about this, especially with kids. They are watching every move you make. Their interactions with you are shaping who they become as adults, and the good or bad will spread. That’s pretty deep when you think about it and speaks to the responsibility we all have to younger generations, whether we are parents or not.
All of this rumination about people is leading somewhere. I may not always know why certain people are placed in my life until years later, but I do know why animals are in our lives: to show us what unconditional love is; to remind us that even when you don’t feel good and you’ve had a rough day, you should always look happy to see the special people in your life. They are here to remind us to make time to play—to stop and enjoy the little things, like just taking a walk and sniffing the air; to remind us that we should stop and talk to people on that walk because they might just be our next best friend.
As I write this, my sweet Lucy is not doing well. She’s been such a big part of my life, and CH2 for so long, I wanted to share that with y’all. Just a gentle reminder to love your people and love your animals while you can.
2020 really is the worst. But it has been great for a few things … like real estate and golf, which we highlight in this issue.
Love & Pixie Dust,
Maggie Washo
