Who Would You Look For Today?

When it's the end of the evening and the kids have gone to bed, my husband is relaxing with the NFL channel on the tv and I've finished checking emails and reading the news I often find myself searching for old friends from high school or my childhood. After searching out the typical list of acquaintances over the past few years I've then turned my thoughts to others in my life; the older couple from my church parish in Southern California that I adored and who gave me a beautiful woodwork basket; a co-worker from my first job as a leasing agent, and a woman that became a secret mentor of mine although she didn't know it. She was a member of the church where I worked as a receptionist. She was a wife and mother, busy with her kids, the school and volunteering at the church. She was active and cute, with two little boys and later, a little baby girl. In her busy schedule she found time to host two luncheons at her home for the staff of the church as a 'thank you' for all we did.

She had a darling little house, perfectly decorated without being cluttered, and made being a wife and mother look effortless. She had no idea that I watched her every week and took mental notes at the way she was helpful and kind and giving while being organized, creative and on task. She became my mentor - which is something no one else had ever been and no one else has ever since. I usually tend to look towards myself for strength and creativity, not others. She is the one and only person I've ever looked to in that way.

When it comes to finding them the internet makes it easy. It wasn't long before someone figured out an easier way; one search engine to search 750+ million profiles across the web's most popular sites. It's called MyLife and allows you to search for old friends and mentors and also let's you check who is searching for you. In the end my 'mentor' still resides in that same southern California city. It makes me smile to remember the peanut sauce recipe she gave all of us at the luncheon and the freshly squeezed orange juice she offered... and we still to this day use her raspberry refresher recipe every year for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. It's good to see she is still there, still married to her husband and enjoying her three grown and teenage children.

Who would you look for today?