Sunday, February 1, 2009

Whew!

Welcome to my first blog!  This is not what I intended for a blog but it is a long first one, so grab a coffee and have a good read ... and I promise that future blogs will not be as long :- )

WOW!  I am in awe...

Have you ever wished for something only to find that your wishes are actually coming true and things are really happening??   Has this ever happened to you?  It's happened to me several times in my life and I want to tell you about a couple of them.

The first one I want to share with you is about our family's piano.  

When my kids were smaller (ages 1/2-8), I really wanted to offer them the opportunity to take piano lessons and have some more music in their lives.  This was a very large and expensive thing to wish for and something that my husband Les and I could not afford at the time.  I was the at-home parent and he was working full-time.  We had a pile of bills and a single income. Still, I desperately wanted a piano for the kids.  I wasn't sure how I was going to get one, but I knew I would somehow, find a perfect piano. 

So, what I did was thought about the piano, how it would be a part of our family and how we would love it.  I imagined the kids playing on it.  I fixed up and painted the wall that would go behind the piano and made a space for this piano!  I thought about this constantly and put out the word to everyone I knew,  to the universe, that we were looking for a piano and if anyone knew anyone who was getting rid of theirs, to think of us.  

This all started in May of that year.  The summer came and went and school started up and got going.  September was in full swing.  Everyday, still, I thought about the piano.   

One rainy weekend, while we all happened to be at home, the front doorbell rang.  It was my good friend Karen.  We usually made coffee dates ahead of time so  I was surprised to see her at the door.  I invited her in and we got talking.  I asked her how her weekend was and how things were going.  We spent some time on small talk and then she said to me ...

"Sue, my sister is moving and is selling her furniture.  She has a piano too and I remembered that you were looking for a piano for your kids.  That's why I'm here."

"Yes, I am looking for a piano, but I can't afford to buy one right now.  I hope she can find someone to buy hers," I said.

"No, Sue, you don't understand.  My sister wants to find a really good family with kids who want to take lessons and who are looking for a piano," she said.

I replied, "We are looking for a piano but I'm sorry, I can't afford one at this time Karen."

"SUE!" Karen replied, "She doesn't want to sell it.  She wants to GIVE it to a family who really wants a piano and who will look after hers.  She really doesn't want to part with it because it has sentimental value and is quite old, but it is in good working condition and she wants to see it going to a deserving family.  When my sister told me this, I remembered that you told me you wanted a piano for your kids.  My sister wants you to HAVE her piano.  You just need to pick it up or pay for the delivery."

Well, at that point, I started crying.  I was SO excited and could not believe how wonderfully I had just been blessed.  So, of course we gratefully accepted the piano from Karen's sister and the kids were able to take lessons and learn to play.  We had a LOT of music in our lives then because all 5 kids at one point were taking piano lessons!  

So now I want to share with you is what's going on with me and The Family Zone!  

Since the middle of January I have been thinking of and dreaming about and planning for the future of The Family Zone What I am and will be creating this year is nothing short of 'large'.  It's bigger than anything I have ever done or even can dream of, but it's where I am feeling lead to go.

So, I have been doing similar things to what I did with my piano...
I've been thinking about my business, envisioning my business and what I want it to be and do and look like and feel, and WHO I want to be a part of this with me. 

In doing so these past few weeks, I've also put out to the universe, asked people to spread the message, that I am looking for people - passionate people - people who love kids and change and growth and who want to make a difference in the lives of others.  So what's been happening has been nothing short of remarkable.

I have met several new people in these past few weeks who are as passionate as I am about helping others, kids, parents, families, to grow and be the best they can be.  Meeting these new people has now lead me to other new people, other significant events and an amazing amount of new speaking engagements and events for The Family Zone...  I am in awe of this process.

There will be much more to share with you as the year progresses, but please keep checking in ... I will keep you posted on goings-on and events and ... 'new pianos'! ...

Live passionately and go hug your kids,
Sue