Today I had lunch with one of my former bosses and partners at a well know energy firm in Houston. Dru is an amazing guy with whom I share a lot of common qualities and style trains. On a wim in 2001 he took me in after Enron collapsed and gave me a job. I spent a year working for him on a big project and eventually moved on but Dru and I have remaiend in touch over the past several years. We spoke alot today about defining moments...when we witnessed "truths" in our lives.
I'm 6 months away from one of the biggest changes in my life -- the amazing finish line and new chapter in becoming a mother and having a family. Never did I think a year ago I'd be in this spot. After all it was just a year ago I was planning to sell 2 homes, buy one, pay for a wedding and had a crazy yet exciting career! But as Dru told me about the 3 times in his life when he felt "meaning and purpose", I thought about 2 that resonate with me.
The first was at 2am one December in London after I took a 3 mile run around the Thames River. I had just accepted a promotion and was leaving my old team to join a new one. I remember logging in very late, as was typical with my trips abroad to check my email. After all in the States it was still a decent hour so I probably could get a few extra things done. When I did I found a few emails from my current team -- seperate notes from each expressing to me how much they appreciated my leadership and mentorship and how I would truly be missed. For some odd reason at THAT moment it just hit me: "I am going to be a good mom." Afterall I just took a team of people from all over and we transformed the way we worked, thought and learned a ton along the way. I walked away from that moment changed.
The mind is truly what drives us to think and believe what we are. At that moment I knew no matter what and when, I'd be a mom and a good one. And I'm still convinced of that.
Another moment in my life when I had real meaning is when I married Mark. We are polar opposites but alike in ways that are indescribable. We have amazing debates but laugh and love and look after each other the way a husband and wife should. We complete each other in so many ways and we've learned so much about what it means to journey through life's ups and downs. We've been there for each other in good, darkest and ugliest moments and now we are taking on a family together and learning how to serve each other and make our lives more rich with meaning.
The best part about Mark is he knows when to lead me when I'm blind to someone or something that isn't good for me. Sometimes I dont see it but he ends up right a lot of the time! I love that about my husband. He protects me and I protect him. We really have something special.
I look across these examples and feel very blessed. Dru said something today that really caught me. It's one thing to "Experience" and another to "Witness". He's very true.
What were some of your moments of truth? What have you witnessed in your own life that's brought meaning and purpose?