My Monday Hero ~ Splendid Cynthia

For someone so fun and funny and full of life, there are precious few photos of Splendid Cynthia! The smile she shares here is just a smidgen of her humor, with a quick wit accompanying her kind words. 


Cynthia is one of those rare finds ~ the woman who remembers the small things in life. Altho' she has been to my home on only a few occasions, she will randomly hand a small gift to me which is either totally my interior decorating style or something boasting my favorite color! While many of us never realize the value of "intermittent rewards" (a behavioral modification term), Cynthia practices it regularly. By providing kind deeds, words, gifts, and thoughts in a seemingly random manner, Cynthia prompts others to do their best in friendships and in life.


With an opera-star voice, Cynthia could shatter the finest windows in the most abundant cathedrals. She can easily reach those ultra-high notes on the scale that I have to think about just to be able to read them on sheet music! And she sings them with clarity and vigor. Incredible, indeed!


Cynthia, you are my hero. . .my "angelic-voiced" friend. Were it so that I could have a portion of your natural musical ability!

My Monday Hero - Stunning Susan!

Just look at her ~ isn't she beautiful? My entire life I have admired the natural beauty my cousin Susan carries with her. It is an inherent outpouring of her equally-stunning spirit. 


As an adolescent, when my family visited the Idaho farmland area where my parents were raised, Susan and her family often provided a place for us to stay. This included not only food and lodging but also rides on the tractors, on the horses, the opportunity to help herd and milk cows. I even learned how to drive a motorcycle at the age of 14 while staying with Susan! 


Years later, when I was living and going to college in Idaho, I watched as Susan and her husband worked toward adopting children. This was quite an inspiration to me later in my life when I learned I was only able to bear one child. Altho' it was not in my personal life's cards to adopt, the inspiring strength and fortitude exhibited in their endeavors toward this end remained then ~ and remains now ~ in my mind and my heart.

Susan continues to inspire. She is the "woman's entrepreneur," boldly tackling business ventures, overcoming obstacles, and reaching goals which are both temporal and spiritual in nature. When I think of Susan, I am consistently inspired to reach for things I may otherwise have thought unattainable.


Dear cousin Susan ~ I admire you, I appreciate you, I honor you. You are my hero and I am oh-so-grateful to be related to you!