𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐈𝐈 "𝐘𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲...𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐲"

Here we go. Take three. Take one, two, three. Hello. This is the last take. I hope you came back. I'm trying to be very innovative with my scarf here. My name is Kathy. You know me on the Cadre as speak wonder. And one of my favorite topics, if not my favorite topic is harbor pilots because I love all things harbor and the ocean and the lakes and the ponds and the waterways and the creeks and boats and I love the analogy or the word picture. I don't like it this way, you guys. I like the word picture of us being vessels out in the open sea.

And every once in a while we need to come in junk food. You're the best. Thank you for coming back. We need to come back into safe harbor and to do that we need each other for help. Yes, we're back. Please witness. Hello, witness. I'm going to see if I can get you connected with one of the key players of the Cadre to see about becoming a contributor. I know Jungkook comes on here in some capacity as well. Back to zero. Does that mean zero sound? No sound. Zero. Zero. Zilch. Should I keep going? Oh, man, I'm gonna keep going.

And I'm hoping that you will. Yay. I'm hoping you will stick with me and then try me on replay because I really want to get to my list. The title of my talk today on Thursday, caregiver day is yes, actually, I am needy. And I'm going to start in on the list. Okay. You can see everything. Sounds good. Okay. All systems are go. I've got my fireplace in the background. I have the. It's actually sunshiny out. And I have my front door cracked a little bit. So anyway, here we go. My second kiddo. My. I have two grown daughters.

I'm widowed. I have two daughters. And they're wonderful. They're wonderful human beings. And the one who has moved about half a year ago now to out to Nevada and I'm in Pennsylvania. I am trying to find and I hope being successful at finding ways to connect with her in a meaningful way. Now we have some obstacles, one of them being time zones. So she is three hours difference where she lives. Three hours. So she has said to me, mom, I've thought of texting you or calling you when I get home and get settled for the night.

But she said nine o', clock, my time is midnight yours. And I know you go to bed before then. And she's absolutely right. So even finding the right time to make a connection can be difficult, not impossible, but. But It's a challenge. Here's my list. Before we lose audio or visual, I'm going to start right in. These may or may not apply to you. You may or may not have someone far away. In the previous live stream, I mentioned how sometimes we can be geographically close but still relationally distanced charcuterie.

So I sent one of those to share a charcuterie board and a little bit of wine and enjoy that. That tradition continued because I had it shipped to her. This is something I wrote. It's very personal. I mean, it's not personal itself, but the idea is I wrote down on my list, I want to share something with you that really touched my heart. Today I had an encounter with so and so at the bookstore, and they said this, and this is what I think it meant. It's a lot of texting, but it could open up a conversation and it could open up a telephone conversation as well.

Ah. Yesterday on the Cadre, I listened to Dr. Jessica Green and I invite you to go back and listen on the replay. Dr. Jessica spoke on more than Mary, finding connection and belonging and joy this season. And she talked about reclaiming and protecting your joy and finding spaces that honor your truth but don't drain your peace. Yeah, Very helpful information. And I wanted to mention her live from yesterday, which was Wednesday. Dr. Jessica Green. Again, her topic is more than Mary finding connection, belonging and joy this season.

Thank you for the hearts, you guys. Continuing on with my list, validate my daughter's feelings and cheer her on. A lot of this is pretty simple, you know, sometimes you'll get a text. It's kind of a meh day, not a great day. Validate and be a good cheerleader in that person's life. I haven't done this one yet. Yet. I'm going to ask her, is something today felt hard or victorious? That's a great conversation starter in any venue. I can see that in a staff meeting. I can see that in an icebreaker situation.

Even on a dating app. Ask if something feels hard or victorious and tell me about that. Was it difficult? Did you get victory? What do you think? And then this is my favorite, and I've done this one and it's been successful. I've asked a question on a text. Did I ever tell you the story about. It was about her dad and I got a good response. Before you were born, some things happened you might want to know about. Would you like to know the first on my list that opens up a conversation that will be ongoing?

Tell her stories. Tell him stories. About when they were little. Take selfies at different places. I took a selfie blowing a kiss and I wrote. Has this reached you yet? I have no idea how long it takes for kiss to get from Pennsylvania to Nevada. What happens to it when it crosses through the time zones? I'm so glad I'm your mama. You're amazing. Have you gone to the desert? Remember, she's in Nevada. Have gone to the desert to look at the stars. I hear there that's a popular destination to view them.

Where are we now? I think that's all I have. So my list is ongoing and I wanted to share what I have so far for meaningful connections to kid who is far away. And I again, I titled my Cadre today. Actually, Yes, I am needy. I am needy. I need you, you need me. We need each other. We live in community. And I love how families form organically around strangers. I really do. One of the things I love to do with my mom, who's 94 years of age and in a nursing home, is read to her in the evenings. And that's a meaningful thing to do.

The poem I read recently was Robert Louis Stevenson. No, it was Robert Frost. I love both of those poets from the 1800s. Robert Frost wrote, Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening. Beautiful poem. Beautiful poem. Another one mom loves is the poem titled the Reading Mother, which was penned in the 1800s. And I'd like to conclude my Cadre today by reading that to you. It's a shout out to my mom, June, who read to me when I was a kid. And I love this poem because it's a tribute to all mothers who read to their children.

Written by Strickland W. Gallilin, the Reading Mother. I had a mother who read to me sagas of pirates who scoured the sea, cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth, blackbirds stowed in the hole beneath. I had a mother who read me lays of ancient and gallant and golden days, Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe, which every child has a right to know. I had a mother who read me tales of Gerlurt, the hound of the hills of Wales, True to his trust till his tragic death, faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a mother who read me the things that wholesome life to the child's heart brings stories that stir with an upward touch. Oh, that each mother of kiddos was such you may have tangible wealth, untold caskets of jewels, coffers of gold richer than I you can never be. For I had a mother who read to me. I invite you to protect your joy. Find connection and belonging this holiday season, especially with those who are far away. Find spaces that honor your truth, but don't drain your peace. Peace to you, Joy to you.

Reclaim your territory and I want to hear about it next time we chat. Blessings. Now go and be human. You're the best.