“Guest Blogging” is where someone writes a post in place of another person’s usual blog, but it’s typically done with a purpose: to promote the guest’s products, services, book, or their own corporate or personal brand. For example, if I owned a retail cupcake store in town, I might want to write a guest blog on the Chamber of Commerce’s website. I could tell an inspiring story of how I got my cupcake store up and running with plenty of support from the members of the Chamber. Oh, and by the way, please stop by and purchase some cupcakes.

For the first time ever, I have a guest blogger today. But she’s not trying to sell any products or services. Maybe she’s trying to promote her personal brand, but I doubt it since she’s 97 years old. Yes, my last remaining and dearly loved aunt, Winona Mullis, is sharing my space today. She had originally written this for her senior center’s newsletter. My guess is that you will find her writing style and mine to be quite similar.

Lessons from the geese

Have you ever looked at the sky and seen migrating geese flying in a V formation and wondered why and how they do this? Many times I have seen this beautiful sight but never bothered to research this phenomenal delight.

Recently I looked heavenward and once again was thrilled to see the migrating birds in sets of three flying overhead. From my roof deck, I marveled how they (with wings spread wide) flew so perfectly in line, heading, I suppose to a warmer climate.

Long after they were out of sight, I stood and thought about what I had seen and as I wondered, I compared the birds’ flight to my own. How often do I just disappear or remain silent when I could so easily have offered to help or say a word of comfort or just really listen? How often have I ignored the plight of those who are in need but too proud to ask for help?

During our “incarceration” the past eight months, I have mostly just thought about what I could do but rarely acted upon those thoughts. Yes, I sent cards and notes to grieving relatives and friends and sometimes made phone calls, but there was really nothing else I could do or so I believed. I have to depend on others to help me; how could I ask these friends to do what I should be doing?

Then I recalled the migrating birds; they were doing something even if they were just going “south.” That very day I made a list of all the friends I had neglected and started making calls. Yes, it was difficult as I wept with one of my dearest friend’s daughter who could not accept her mother’s death, and I cried with my nephew as he tried to accept the death of his son. I soon realized I was the “needy” one because I was being comforted with an inner peace.

Since then, my pledge to keep in touch was really a promise to myself. I have talked daily with friends from the senior center, from church, and with relatives in faraway places; but above all, I will continue to keep my promise to remember those in need and not go away like the migrating birds.

Thanks for being my guest blogger, Aunt Winona, and hey, thanks also for the writing genes.