Da Count-Listening

For today's count I initially thought I'd list 55 things from this past year for which I am thankful. It's been a very busy week so I never got as far as generating that list in a coherent, readable fashion. Also, I've done Da Count (For new readers that's counting the blessings I have rather than bemoaning the things I lack. There's a button with that slogan in the sidebar.) almost every week this year so I'm already close to 55 things for the year anyway.

This week Mr. Lime, Calypso, and Isaac went to New Orleans. Originally Diana was going to accompany them. This was a unilateral decision on my husband's part and he seemed rather annoyed when I told him due to my work schedule I would not be able to join everyone else. I'm the new girl in the office. I cover the other people who want to take off this week. That's not a complaint so much as a statement of fact. When that fact sunk in Diana opted to stay in Pennsylvania with me. I know it was a sacrifice on her part but it is one I was blessed to receive. I am thankful she was willing to listen to things that were both spoken and unspoken and make a thoughtful decision.

Since I am covering vacationing coworkers I've been out a bit more than usual but the time Diana and I have had together have been really sweet. We've had some really rich conversations as she considers her future. We've also had some very sweet times to reminisce over her childhood. Yesterday at my mother's, where the extended family gathered, she and I enjoyed catching up with aunts, uncles, and cousins we only get to see a few times a year. We enjoyed listening and being listened to.

In the past year, certain extended family members have been making a push to do more work on the genealogy, preserve some of our stories, label some antique photo albums. We all spent time listening to the older members of the family fill in some details for those of us who are younger. More and more of the family is being drawn into Aunt B's circle to "listen" to the stories she has written down. Younger family members are beginning to see the importance of keeping a record of some of these things. They are realizing that as a whole generation of family members moves into their 80s time is more of the essence. I'm counting all the listening that has gone on this week.

I want to invite you to do the same in your own families or in the sphere of friends who are like family. Today the StoryCorps Project is encouraging a National Day of Listening. Sit down with someone you know, interview them on a tape recorder, a digital recorder, anything. Listen to that person's story. Record it. Recognize it's worth. That person will feel valued because you listened. You will be enriched because you did.