When I was a little girl, I can remember there were several times I would wake up in the middle of a very cold night in Florida because the phone was ringing. We didn’t have that many super cold nights, but boy when we did, it was cold. I would hear my dad finally get to the phone and usually say something like, “I’ll take care of it. I’ll be right there.”
This was back before old homes were re-done with central air and heat, so people stored heating oil in a tank outside their home. My dad would quickly get dressed and then he would leave moments later. I remember now how the lights would fade away on my bedroom wall since his truck was parked on that side of our home. My parents owned an oil distributorship and he would go in the middle of the night, climb up on a platform to load a kerosene truck in the freezing cold weather, drive out into the country, and help an elderly woman (that’s who had called) by refilling her heating tank.
It’s what you did. You showed up for people. He never minded that call. He seemed honored to have received the call. We never had an unlisted number (I still don’t and don’t mind my clients knowing my home or cell number). My dad always showed up for anyone who called needing help.
However, life doesn’t always go as planned, and I learned some hard lessons. When I was only 17, my father died in a car accident. After his unexpected death, my mother faced tremendous challenges. This included selling the family business, dealing with the financial change, and being a widow at age 53. Despite all the challenges, my mother helped me finish my four year degree. Coming out of that time in my life was all about being a survivor.
I find deep joy in the connections that happen when I work directly with my clients. I have a firsthand appreciation for the challenges widows face, having seen my mother go through it. She is my role model for being a strong, independent woman. Championing a widow with the belief that she is capable and strong is why I come to work every day. I am proud to be a member of her team of professionals, and be that person she can rely on to get things done.
Now, when I reflect on my relationships with others, both personal and professional, I realize that I value showing up for people. It’s in everything I do. So metaphorically speaking, that’s what I am doing. In my practice, I deliver ‘heating oil’ to widows so that they can get through those coldest nights.
