Katie Meyler, who Founded a foundation "More Than Me" that sends kids to school in Liberia has become a close friend of mine. She is 27 and has a zest for life like no other. I know alot of people use this term "zest for life" but I mean it. Katie has it. She has the zest. I will save the story of how I met Katie 3 years ago in an Indian Restaraunt in New Jersey and then again a few days later standing in front of the eggs in Shop-Rite and how she came to a Heartworks meeting that very same week, for another day. For now, let's talk about Meredith. Meredith is 23, from Indiana, and sight unseen asked Katie a few months ago if she could come and intern for her over the summer. Meredith had seen one of Katie's friends speak at her school and he mentioned Katie and More Than Me. Meredith was interested in working with a non-profit that is in the "start up" phase and had seen Katie's YouTube videos (if I knew how to put videos in a blog I would put it here so you could watch it). This past Saturday our friend (also named Katie) had a fundraiser for Katie M at her house- it was an awesome outdoor family day with a band and it raised $20,000 for More Than Me! While we were there, I was introduced to Meredith, her sight unseen intern and all the rest of the 20-something year old volunteers running around in More Than Me T-shirts. You knew each time you met one of them that they were good people. If they were helping Katie, you knew they were a good soul and that they are on the journey of self growth and discovery. YOu have to be on the journey if you are 23 and volunteering for a non-profit. Katie brought Meredith to our Heartworks meeting on Tuesday and now she is sleeping at my house tonight while Katie goes to Florida for a speaking engagement and she is babysitting my girls tomorrow night! I love that when I am telling Eddie who is watching the girls, he doesn't blink because of the whole "if she is helping Katie she is a good soul" thing. Some of my most trusted Heartworkers spent last week with her setting up for the fundraiser and when I was like "Maybe Meredith could watch the girls Friday night and then stay at house all weekend, they were like "Fur Sure" (the Katie that had the fundraiser uses this phrase alot, one of my favorite things about her because "Fur sure" is simply not used enough anymore)
I am leaving tomorrow to go to my 20 year college reunion (hence my need for a sitter) and it is so strange to have her here the night before I leave for this trip. I look at her and it was yesterday that I was where she is...my whole life ahead of me. She asked me tonight if I back packed around Europe..."Yup, when I was 22". We talked about what she wants to do...Back pack? Peace Corp? I asked myself the same questions at her age. She is in the place of not knowing what her future holds. "What will she do?" "Where will she go?" "Who she will marry?" And here I am sitting in my kitchen (the same kitchen I was sitting in when I was 22) and I have my answers. I told her that it seems like yesterday I was her age and at the same exact time it feels like 100 years ago. And this really is exactly how it feels.
It is strange to think about being back on campus tomorrow night. It was another lifetime ago. There are some ghosts there for me, but I also know that many people under the reunion tent will be eating dinner with ghosts as well. Every campus, at one point or another is filled with the questions of "What will I do?" "Where will I go" and if you are a girl, "Who will I marry?" (very sexist, I know). I can't believe that I am old enough to have my answers... that I have 3 girls, I am Social Worker (this part I can believe) and run a Non- Profit. I went to Colorado and then came back home and I married Eddie McDowell who I past 1,000 in the hallway during my childhood without ever knowing he would one day be my husband. Very very strange because I remember the "not knowing how my life would turn out" phase literally like it was yesterday. And now I know. Back then I knew nothing about the word terrorism other than maybe what I heard in a history class on a Friday morning before I dozed off in the back row. Now I know more than I ever wanted to know about this subject. If you had told me back then that John would be killed on a Tuesday afternoon at work when he was 42 and then 4 years later my Dad would die and that I would eventually find my balance again, I wouldn't have believed you....not one bit. But now I know this too. And I never would have thought that on my way to Massachussetts for my 20th college reunion I would be stopping off in Rhode Island because my BFF has 3 boys and her middle son Charlie had brain surgery last week. Its just too strange to even think about. I love that the night before I leave for my 20th reunion I have a circle of friends who are making a difference in the world and that I have a 23 year old girl, sleeping in my house who has an unknown adventure ahead of her. And maybe when she is leaving for her 20th college reunion she will remember being here, and how young she was and how old she thought I was and maybe she will think about how fast its all gone. I hope she will be content in the choices she has made and if she isn't, I hope she believes in herself enough to makes changes in her life.
Tomorrow I will get in the car with Eddie and we will listen to The Grateful Dead and drive to New England. And I will revisit a place of the past while knowing my answers..very very strange in deed. Is ending this blog with a reference to "what a long strange trip it's been" just too cheesy?? I think it is, so I won't. But I do wonder if Meredith has ever listened to this song.
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