My brunch with Gail was over a month ago, and to be honest...I have sat down to write this post a handful of times. Each time, I would get a tad bit further than I am right now only to loose my thoughts, turn my attention to a little baby, or remember that there is something else that I should be doing. I am not sure why month 4 of Piper's life seems to be more full of "ups and downs" (I mean literally...getting up, sitting down, getting up, and sitting down) than her second and third month, but I'm rolling with it!
Lunch with Gail truly marked me, and left me with an "anchor" to hold onto. I arrived at Merle's with ten minutes to spare (making sure I was on time!), but Gail was already there. Seated and prepared for our time, she merely invited me into the space. We began to converse about our lives, and she asked wonderful questions that made sharing easy and exciting. She asked about what brought me to Denver, how I met Matt, what I was pursuing at Denver Seminary, what my family was like, what Matt's family was like, our temperaments, our new baby girl, our goals, my heart, and what I had been learning the past couple years. It was refreshing to sit with someone who knew how to ask the questions that get at the "Heart" of Life. In fact, isn't it a terrible feeling to leave a meeting knowing that the person you sat across from knows you no better than they did before your time, and vice versa? This happens often because we are too timid to ask the good questions, the questions that draw out a person and let us get to know them! I admired Gail's poised posture, vivacious spirit, and wise discernment as she pursued getting to know me!
At one point in our discussion, Gail, who has an ample amount of training in the Meyers-Briggs Personality Assessment, looked at our Meyers-Briggs results and commented, "you two must be late a lot". I laughed and said, "as a matter of fact, some of our closest friends just told us last week that we are known for being late!" We both laughed, but then she graciously challenged me. She told me that this culture will take offense when others are late. She encouraged me to be on time to things and to make that a habit. Honestly, this is something that I should have been working on long before her wise "nudge". I am thankful for the reminder!
As our time was coming to an end, she reached down beside her and pulled out two gifts! She gave me the first gift and told me that it is meant to be an "anchor" for our time, something that will mark this meeting. She mentioned that after our conversation, she now knew why she has chosen this gift for me. I unwrapped a small Vera Bradley note pad. She explained that this stylish note pad could be my helper in the process of learning to be on time! I can now leave myself notes that will remind me of when I should leave! The second gift was for Piper, and it was precious.
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My time was marked that morning. In fact, since we met, I have actually been EARLY to a few things! I am really trying to adopt an "on time" M.O. What marked me more than the Vera Bradley notepad was the way Gail was prepared for our time. From the moment I walked in the door, I felt honored by Gail. She was on time, she asked (by name) about Matt and Piper, she engaged my heart and mind, she challenged me, and she literally blessed me with gifts, and one that anchored our time! It was an incredible brunch, and Gail has completely raised the bar for meeting with others.
I Am Grateful & In Wonderful Debt To Gail for Her Kindness.
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