Beyond Buffett

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

– Jimmy Buffett, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Mizz Lady woke me up at 06:22 this morning, so I had to drag my sleepy ass out of bed and down the stairs to let her go outside. I went through the morning routine of pouring breakfast for her and MyKi and giving them a fresh bowl of water before I got a little more sleep on the couch.

I woke up to the chime of a Facebook messenger notification from my dear friend, Jeanie of Crystals by Jeanie: “omg, big news!!!! You won the giveaway on my page!!!!!!!!!” (Check out her page to see the May/June bundle that I won! And believe me or don’t believe me, but in May when she announced the bundle, I set an intention because when I saw this prize, it called to me. I wanted it more than just hoping to win.)

Jeanie and I met maybe a dozen years ago at a Jimmy Buffett concert tailgate. We are members of BuffettNews.com (BN) which has a forum that, among its many topics, facilitated gatherings of BN members at each of Jimmy’s concerts. I used to think some people were a bit judgy about meeting up with people you met on the internet, but seriously – these were groups of us. Safety in numbers! I mean, all these years later, people started getting in cars with strangers via Uber and Lyft. Y’know what I mean?

I have a whole Parrothead/Parrot Head “PHamily” and “PHriends”. We initially were drawn together by our common interest in Jimmy Buffett’s music, but over the years, the Buffett connection is almost forgotten. We are friends beyond Buffett, and some have even become family to me. I have the friends I’ve met once at a tailgate, the friends I looked forward to tailgating with at multiple shows over the years, and a lot of acquaintances who I’ve met through our mutual BN friends but have not met in person.

We never know who we will meet or who they will be in our lives.

When I met Jeanie, I did not have a spiritual life, but in the past couple of years as my journey was revealing more, I recognized her space in my spiritual tribe. I joke that she’s my dope peddler because I buy almost all of my crystals from her. Another dear friend in my spiritual tribe is a kindred spirit who I have yet to meet in person, but we became acquainted five years ago through another mutual BN friend who I had not spent time with in person, yet we were connected.

I know it’s been five years because 24 July 2015 is when Connie died. She was a light of kindness who made everyone feel special. Never met a stranger. I find myself feeling pretty blessed not only because of her friendship but also all the new friends I’ve made through her, including her niece and her son and so many more BN friends! She even trusted me to make sure her longtime friends enjoyed a tailgate where they knew no one else. I still feel pretty honored to have that role. 🙂

When she was diagnosed with cancer, many of us were part of giving back to her what she gave to all of us. The BN family stepped up to organize so much support (PHin Power) for Connie during her battle; my favorite is the video compilation of Love and Luck.

Oh, and one of the main organizers of this video and I met at a tailgate in 2008 and in it’s-a-small-world discoveries, she was the nurse at the school where my eldest brother was the chaplain.

We never know who we will meet or who we share as mutual connections. And while one reason, such as a common interest, may bring us together, we may not know who they are outside of that specific event.

I could count on Connie for a laugh – not just stupid or obvious humor but the “I know you can follow my train of thought” for other things that made us laugh. Other times, she was my confidant for some of the bits and pieces of my life for which I knew she could provide a listening ear and a little bit of guidance. She had already moved to hospice care when she sent me a text message that helped me realize part of my purpose – making others laugh. She started her message with “I just wanted you to know…” which still reminds me to always tell people how you feel. You just never know how much it will mean to them or how long and far they’ll carry it.

We never know how much simple acts or words of kindness will do for another person.

It’s hard to believe five years have gone so quickly, but I can smile because I was so lucky to be Connie’s friend and learn from her example. Her legacy. I miss her, but I feel comforted by her magic – her ability to sow love and kindness that continues after death. Connie gave me so much encouragement whenever I wanted to go for something, and now and then, I feel her presence in some of the moments when I’m trying to make a decision. “Life is short. And so are we.” Yep, encouragement and a height joke in one. 🙂

This morning I sent my fiance a text after Jeanie told me I won the May/June bundle of crystals. I had a little giggle when he sent me his congratulations and a YouTube link of the first song to come to mind.

As I listened to it, the lyrics felt like the words I’ve been needing lately. Coincidences do not exist, and my fiance probably still has no idea how much I love him for being the spiritual gift he is to me without even trying.

“Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a’rising
Most definitely

A new day is coming, ooh, ooh
People are changing
Ain’t it beautiful, ooh, ooh
Crystal blue persuasion

Better get ready to see the light
Love, love is the answer, ooh, ooh
And that’s all right

So don’t you give up now, ooh, ooh
So easy to find
Just look to your soul
And open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion, mmm, mmm
It’s a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal, blue persuasion

Maybe tomorrow
When he looks down
On every green field, ooh, ooh
And every town
All of his children
And every nation
They’ll be peace and good brotherhood

Crystal blue persuasion, yeah
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha”

– Eddie Morley Gray, Mike Vale, Tommy James, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Tommy James and the Shondells

I ran across Crystal Blue Persuasion in Songfacts(R); I get a kick out of reading these, especially if I am clueless about a song’s origins or its writers.

Sigh… Sometimes people and experiences are nothing more than what they are at a specific time, place, purpose, and so on, but in the bigger picture or the future that has yet to arrive, we may not know who will be a passing acquaintance or if our paths will cross again or who we may become to each other or what role we will have in each other’s lives. But when we let our light shine, we find each other and our place in the world.

And I repeat, we never know how much our kindness will mean to another person, so never pass up the opportunity to share kind deeds or kind words. Kindness breeds kindness.

Luceat lux vestra.