Twinsight 8 of 50: Invest in Others' Lives

I wasn't born in a barn (which is the assumption that I think some people make when I tell them that I was born into a farming family in North Dakota). And even though it's cliche and not even proper English, I was raised by a village of sorts. The village included my parents plus an incredible array of people - particularly moms - who invested in my life. On this Mother's Day, I'd like to tell you about some of the moms in my village.

Other than my own mom, the first mom I remember being involved in my life was my childhood neighbor "Wisses" Wellman. I can hear her now. "Jo-AAAAANNNN Jean! Get in here and help me frost these cupcakes." I'd get a table knife, pull up a chair to stand on so I could reach the counter, and frost away. She had an accent from her Southern roots, which in and of itself seemed rather exotic to me, and was a marvelous baker. When there was something yummy on our kitchen counter, I'd always say, "Who brought this?" At least half the time it was Mrs. Wellman. (At some point, I actually could say Mrs.) She baked my 1st through my 18th birthday cakes. My favorite was a Barbie doll with a cake skirt when I was in 2nd grade. Remember those? In heaven now, she's probably having a blast teaching my mom to bake, and mom is even enjoying it! Mrs. Wellman and her family invested time in me, those small snippets of time that add up to make a significant impact.

And then there are special moms who have included me in their families through the years which is a big deal when you're an only child. My aunt Beverley was oh so tolerant and even enabling of all the crazy things that my cousin Connie and I dreamt up to do...all the slumber parties (not sleepovers in those days), "club" meetings, games and concerts, and trips to big cities like Grand Forks and Fargo. It's funny how as a kid that you assume that the planning, the meals, the clean up, the rides, and the funds somehow just magically happen. Another village member was my cousin JoeAnn. She has four daughters all around my age and they were so gracious in inviting me to their lake home where I learned to water ski. They even included me on a ski trip to Colorado where I first experienced mountain skiing. These two moms, along with their husbands and families, opened their homes so I could experience life with them and I'm so grateful.

From my hometown, there was also Bernice R. and Mary and Lois and Bernice F. and Ina and Betty and Carol and Eunice and Jan and Leona and Louise and Bonita and Lynette and...I could go on and on. And then there's my mother-in-law, Gerry. She is a genuinely delightful person who is always encouraging, positive and deeply caring.

Interestingly enough, I don't recall any particular platitudes or words of wisdom from any of them. It's possible that they shared them with me, but I wasn't paying attention! However, I do remember the way they lived their lives and the way they cared about me, laughed with me, and guided me. And many of them continue to be involved in my life today. Thank you to all the moms who have touched my life.

Twinsight 7 of 50: Read to Enlarge Your World

With eight consecutive years of our girls' college ahead of us and lots of energy for the work I'm doing, retirement is not even remotely close to my radar right now. As I think about the future, though, I do look forward to having more time to read. My love for reading started out of desperation on Sunday afternoons when I was a young girl. I'd tag along on my parents' "check out the crops" drives around the fields. (You've seen one potato field , you've seen them all, right? Nope.) It was a nice Sunday ritual in North Dakota's vastness, but invariably I got bored without any siblings to torture. So I learned to always bring a book with me. When I close my eyes and think about those times now, I can practically smell the rich, black soil, hear my parents in the front seat talking about the moisture content of the soil and the height of the plants, and see the miles and miles of lush crops. Meanwhile, I was sprawled across the back seat of the car (did those cars even come with seat belts?), mentally transported to magical places like Times Square and the Swiss Alps through my books.

Fast forward to today. Although I like working with and seeing all the amazing visual media today, I still love the written word because it forces me to be more imaginative. I'm not a purist, but I do love to read the book before seeing the movie. Most of my day-to-day reading is electronic and related to my work in health engagement, and I do it mainly in 140-character sound bites through experts I follow on Twitter (via Hootsuite), and then dig into the details of the topics I'm most interested in. I get most of my news from NPR when I'm in the car. And even though I honestly don't have time for more data intake than that, I always seem to have a stack of half-read, touch-and-feel printed books going and a few audio ones on my iPod. I reserve many of them through the county library's website so I can skim or listen to them quickly and not invest in books that I may not refer to again. I'm hoping to get going with e-books this summer.

My favorites are well-written, non-fiction stories and books with practical advice. Steve and I have been in a book club with Nancy & Tim, Joyce & Scott, Karen & Jay for nearly 20 years, and I credit this group for keeping me reading outside my normal news and business reading. Here are some of the books that I've enjoyed in recent years:

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (2005). An emotionally-raw, compassionately-written memoir about the author's bizarre childhood starting with her catching on fire while cooking hot dogs at age three and getting even crazier from there. (Thanks, Joyce.)
• Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton (2006). A practical guide on how to arrange our lives for what our hearts want most and make courageous decisions that reflect a deep trust in God.
• Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent (2010). A four-year-old boy's remarkable journey to heaven and back through a near-death experience, including a sketch that he said looks like Jesus. (Thanks, Leah.)
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2009). A disturbing, yet liberating, civil rights era story of how prejudice and bigotry played out in daily life with domestic help in the South.
• Expecting Adam by Martha Beck (2000). A true transforming journey of Martha and John, each working toward a Ph.D.at Harvard, who learn that their unborn son has Down syndrome. (Thanks, Joyce, again!)
• True North by Bill George (2007). Insights on how to be an effective leader while staying grounded and without selling your soul. (I liked the audio version because it's George's voice.)
• Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist (2010). A refreshingly honest, quick read of short essays by a young woman that "celebrates the extraordinary nature in everyday life." (Thanks, Amy.)
• The Message Remix by Eugene Peterson (2003). A Bible paraphrase in today's vernacular that has been particularly compelling and practical for me in recent years.

Now that I think about it, the beauty of reading a little bit here and there while life is swirling is that you actually have the opportunity to apply insights on the spot. (I'm trying to feel better about rarely reading a book cover to cover!) So it is a good thing that I'm not retiring any time soon.

Any good ones that you'd enjoyed recently?