Dear Friends,
I have good news. For
those who have followed my blog thus far, you know I’ve featured two remarkable
women. First was my sister who, at twenty-five, purchased a home on her own and was brave enough to
take her older sister as a tenant.
Second was my friend Alison, a global connoisseur of human experience
and proud Detroiter. Comparing myself to
these women seems absurd. They’re the
cool kids I always wanted to be. But I’ve
been told I should take credit where credit is due, so here it is.
Two of my greatest accomplishments of 2016 were passing the
Michigan Bar Exam and, just this weekend, against all odds, putting together an
end table by myself.
Yes! That’s right! Two
long-awaited dreams achieved!
Had you told me last year that I, the book worm/English
major, would before 2016 was out construct an end table on my own, I would have
laughed at you. I am not handy. I read books about handy people. I pay and praise them for their work. But with the aid of elementary
directions, I built this fine specimen of furniture.
Building that end table reminded me of the other things I
built in 2016—a law school degree, a budding career as an attorney, new and
stronger friendships, and a greater appreciation for the lunatics…, I mean, legal
professionals. With these materials, I constructed a new life. There were the table legs that kept me
upright—home-cooked meals, summer fields, my running shoes, and wine on decks with friends. There was the table top I sawed and
sanded and stained over hours of studying. Then I had the screws that kept
everything together—my family, my church, my collie, my friends. Time tightened these joints and gave
me confidence. A few screws flew loose, but I never promised perfection.
At last, there was the drawer I slid into place holding all my hopes
for the finished product.
While I put this life together, I wondered whether the
result would collapse or stand.
When the pieces crumbled mid-construction, I wondered, "Who could pick up this mess?" Me, as it turned out. My network of supporters, the
people handing me the tools, believed in me, and when we were unsure we had a few drinks and tried again the next day. After much patience and effort, what I’d hoped to
build was before me, and the rest was memory.
When we examine our dreams, we see the ways they can
fall apart before we see what can make them stand.
Our serve us part of the way, and God and our families,
friends, and neighbors supply the rest. There
is hope for the finish and joy in the construction. Whether we build a career, a home, a global
network, or an end table, we are the agents of our success. Let nothing stop us. All that we need to reach the end is waiting
for us. We just have to sit down and start!
Best wishes,
Super Spinster
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