September can be summarized by the word “community.” I went through life last month with lots of people, starting with my Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame board and folks involved in this year’s enshrinement activities. As this is a new board for me, I am enjoying the fellowship with a new group of people. Speaking of fellowship, I especially enjoyed our first Yahoo board dinner. We’ve had great meetings but have never had dinner together. I love these people!
Last month included the celebration of milestone birthdays (Vanessa, my sister-in-law, turned 60 and my sister Cassandra turned 70) and we watched others depart right before their birthday. We already miss Tom Turner, my niece Gynelle’s father. Our dear Tom is now on the other side of a pancreatic cancer battle. We visited him and sent a care package to Tom that arrived too late. Thirty-three other cancer patients and their caregivers received their goodies as part of Campaign Chosen. We wanted to deliver some comfort to those on the You’ve Been Chosen (YBC) team.
On a lighter note, launching a podcast is no joke, but very fun. I’m focused on the good things that people are doing. Taping the pilot was joyful and hilarious. We have a lot to do, I think. I don’t know yet if I want the podcast to be polished or rawly authentic, audio, video or both, fireside chat with no fireplace or formal interviews. We are working through it in real time. I’m open to ideas. What I am locked into is the structure: one topic, two interviews, two corporate profiles and two MAD opportunities (i.e., volunteer opportunities to make a difference). The name of the podcast is My Two Cynts About the Good Stuff.
Speaking engagements continued with the Edward Jones team. The theme was ignite and we truly set the atmosphere on fire. The Cal Berkeley inaugural Women in Sports conference was amazing. I flew over six hours across the country to be with some amazing sisters and a few men. It was worth the sleep deprivation.
On the business community front, I co-chaired the search for a new leader for our Dallas Regional Chamber. The last Saturday of the month found us on a Zoom call finalizing the job offer. We had a great slate of candidates to select from, as our region is rich in talent. I very much enjoyed being on the search committee and am blessed to do business with amazing people.
The highlight of the month for me was my mom coming to Dallas. There is nothing like a freshly organized pantry and a home filled with my mother’s prayers and anointed by grandma’s hands. Two of my children followed Grandma around and engaged with my siblings in such a special way.
Finally, I love the non-profit community in Dallas and enjoy my time spent on Dallas CASA activities. From underwriting committee calls to attending the annual CASA advocate summit to picking up a new CASA case, September was CASA-rich. They kept this sister busy. Kenny and I hosted the Dallas CASA Champions of Children patron party. Our home was filled with fun, family, friends and great fellowship – all focused on making things better for our youth in foster care.
So, that’s it! I not only danced happily for hours to Earth Wind and Fire’s song about the 21st night of September, I also watched more than enough sad news. I experienced a full range of emotions and enjoyed a month during which the following words resonated constantly and deeply in my spirit.
Compassion: People need it, so increase the supply.
Communication: Very effective when two-way. Share the minutes.
CommUNITY: Service to others is in high demand, uniting around common interests is powerful and fellowship is fun.
Compromise: In the middle is often a good meeting location, so meet me halfway and watch us get some good stuff done.
Welcome to October!