Top Ten: Best Folks I Know

We all have someone (or 10) who’s in our life and we offer profound thanks to our Maker in heaven for sending them our way. I’m lucky enough to have 10 such folks in my life. Perhaps you do, too.

Here’s to this week’s…

TOP TEN: FOLKS YOU KEEP AND HOPE TO NEVER REPLACE

1. My husband. Yes, he is my “better half” and I mean that in every sense of the word. He’s patient, level-headed, funny, sensible…all the things I’m not.

2. My pediatrician. Let me tell you, she is golden. I didn’t think it was possible to top our first one in Indy, I was wrong. I believe God sends you the right people, at the right of your life. Dr. Cumming was old-school – measured and weighed the patients himself, had morning call hours and never (and I mean NEVER) got perplexed. The man had been a pediatrician for like 50 years. Then we moved to Austin and met Dr. Enders. She’s funny, chatty, reassuring and can get forceful, if needed, with ‘ol mom. I consider her a friend and a true advocate for my children.

3. My OB. I’ve been blessed to have two stellar ones in this department. To me, this is such an important job. Ladies, let’s face it, our OBs see the best and worst of us and are unique in that they share in our most intimate moment as life begins. Dr. Teter shared our pain of miscarriage – I really, truly love that man. His life experience gave me my sanity back. And, Dr. Orth is sincere and kind-hearted. She is a joy to visit – even for those icky annual exams.

4. My hairdresser. She is the one person I go to feeling like the ugliest person in the world, and after an hour of shampooing, cutting, styling and soul-telling, I come out feeling like a pretty nice-looking soccer mom. She always knows what I want, even when I don’t. And, she’s not afraid to tell me it’s time to cover up the gray. Kristen, you rock.

5. My priest. Let me clarify, there have been many wonderful clergy in our life. This encompasses them all. It’s not possible to explain the richness our life has gained because of their spiritual direction, prayer and friendship. They are the reason Scott and I are so passionate about our Catholic faith.

6. My grandparents. The life experience and stories they have shared with me has taken on greater meaning as I’ve gotten older. I suppose we wake up and realize that life is short and people, particularly those older than us, have something important to impart.

7. The service folks. Weird, I know. But how happy are we to see our favorite housekeeper, pest control guy or repairman when we need them most? Despite all the bad service calls we’ve had here at Casa Whitaker – and trust me there have been some doo-oo-zies – there are a handful that make picking up the phone a relief.

8. My family photographer. When we lived in Indy, I had a great gig with my job working with AP freelance photographers. I learned alot and got some fantastic family photos to boot. When we relocated back to Texas, I was thrilled to have a good friend and fellow sorority sister to call. With kids, I realize just how precious those images are becoming. You think you won’t forget the chubby feet, or how you felt when you delivered your first, or how quickly your family goes from having little ducklings to big kids. I am so thankful we’ve made this an important priority in our family.

9. My kids’ teachers. For every season, God has given us great ones. And, quite honestly, the ones that weren’t so fab taught us some valuable lessons. The great ones nurtured our children and brought out things we didn’t know existed. And, the less than stellar ones taught Scott and I to be better advocates for our children and their education.

10. My girlfriends. High school and college buddies. Grad school office mates. Co-workers. Playdate mommies. Fellow SAHMs. Other entrepreneurs. They are many. Some of us are still good buddies, some of us chat on facebook, some on the phone, some in carline and some of us have parted ways…just because life has taken us in different directions. But, when I think back to our friendship, I know that they were there for a very important chapter in my life. Just because the chapter has now closed, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how important they were to me.