I met her in church.
She stood at the podium and gave the most heartfelt and irreverent talk I had ever heard. Well…I’m not sure if it was the most heartfelt, but I am sure she was smokin’ hot.
Thirteen years and two kids later she is still smokin’ hot.
She has a kind of star power that other people (me) hang around like groupies, hoping to catch a little of her leftover glow. If you meet her once you will know what I mean. You don’t forget.
Have you ever bumped into someone on the street and re-introduced yourself? They smile, shake your hand, and nod their head while the brow furrows as they rack their memory trying to drum up the connection?
Not with her.
People see her again after who knows how long, and as she recounts how they are acquainted, they just smile, nod. They don’t have to think because they remember exactly where they met.
She’s that kind of person.

She is a Mom.
People who have had that job watch her in amazement. She is good at it. Good like the unfair kind of good. And she does it her way.
That’s how she does everything.
While pregnant she read every book imaginable. When the kid showed up she brought certified experts into our home to consult us. She has a degree from an accredited university on childhood development She watches, studies, learns, and then goes ahead and does it her own way.
If I, or any of our kids, ever reach any real success it will be because we stood near enough to her for some of “it” to rub off. Reflected glow. Second hand awesomeness.
We are all very lucky. I’m surprised she tolerates us.
She doesn’t have time, or rather doesn’t waste time, on foolishness. Now make no mistake, she knows how to “act a fool”, in fact acting a fool allowed her to meet Oprah (twice), but rather she has no patience for gossip, pettiness, or social jockeying.
Unless you are Oprah. Then she is a triple crown quality jockey.
God is the only one who can tell her what to do. She will listen to him, and even if it is like a pouting child forced to clean her room. She cleans it.
Most of us just put on our headphones and ignore God. We sit in our messy rooms and play childish video games pretending we don’t know God asked us to clean up this mess.
But not her. She does it.
She doesn’t do it for you. She doesn’t do it for me. she just does.
And she looks good doing it.
I am thirteen years in love.