Sometimes the Best Laid Plans Are None at All

     Last weekend, Judy and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a two-day getaway to Michigan.  Usually on these short trips we have a game plan for the first day of our journey (this year we attended the New Buffalo Wine Festival), and on the second day we usually roam around and stop at a place that just speaks to us.  On these days of nothingness is where the greatest treasures and lessons in life are sometimes found.

     During our travels we met two different women (both vendors), each with their own talents that they use to offer unique gifts to the world.  The first woman we met at the wine festival, is a part time photographer whose business is anchored by her love for the letters of the alphabet.  Pam has spent years amassing a collection of photos (either staged or natural) that form the 26 letters.  Customers can either purchase “alpha photos” created by Pam, or seize the day and design their own.  Judy and I bought one of each, but the real joy was in piecing together a work of art that told the story of us as a couple.  We each spent the better part of 45 minutes sifting through photos and came together with our common ground.

 

Pam's Creation
 

 

     Besides creating a small business for herself, I think Pam’s true joy in life is to watch the excitement and smiles on her customers’ faces as they bond closer during this simple exercise about life:  Always remember the little things that brought you together, and the joined interests that have kept you united in love.  Our created frame is going to headline a wall above the stair case of our home.

 

Judy and Tim's Creation
 

• F- formed by peppers signifying our Italian heritage and love for gardening
• A- formed by the clouds that we can always marvel at anywhere, at any time
• M- formed by orchids which is a constant reminder of our connection to Hawaii
• I- formed by a corkscrew that has opened the memories in each shared bottle of wine
• L- formed by the park bench that we have always said we could have fun just sitting on
• Y- formed by dog bones that have fed our best friends past ( Chief) and present (Vino)

 

     We met our next vendor at a farmer’s market on the second day of our journey.  It is Romy’s love of Lake Michigan that forms the basis of her business.  This creative artist spends hours on the beaches (of this great lake), collecting stones, minerals, and pieces of glass that have washed ashore.  She then takes her “bounty” and meticulously adheres them into patterns on things such as wine racks, clock frames, vases, and pencil holders.  All of the wood work to which the stones are glued were made by her father.  We purchased the wall-mounted wine and glass rack.

     Romy told us that her husband (who died last year), reluctantly assisted her in the collection efforts.  However, he did enjoy the outdoor time spent with his wife, even if the bags weighed close to 60 pounds.  As life dictates, Romy continues on with the business of collecting treasures from the lake.  Her true joy (passion) is carrying on with the spirit of her husband by her side, something she will remember all the rest of her days.  Judy related to our new found friend that even when we relocate, we will always carry a piece of Lake Michigan with us.  This is why Romy does this for the sake and enjoyment of others.

 

Lake Michigan Wine Rack
 

 

     Two women, two different talents, with a common ground of spreading joy and making the world a better place to live before they leave it.   We all should aspire to be like Pam and Romy to take and turn our passion into something that brings a smile to others’ faces and lights the fires within them to pay it forward in kind.  Remember: Sometimes the best laid plans are none at all.

In Health and Wellness,

Tim