The past few jlogs have been written from my experiences when I went back to Colorado to visit my mom and to get the homestead ready to sell. On Tuesday I got up and had breakfast with Mom in her assisted living dining room. She turned to me and said, “I’d like to take a trip to Seibert for the day.”  I replied, “Let’s go.”  So off we went.

There was no agenda.  There were no schedules to attend to.  There were no appointments we had to show up for.  Wednesday was going to be a day that unfolded like no other.  What we were going to do centered around the whims of Mom’s mind and what she wanted.  It was my desire to fulfill whatever she wanted to do that day.

When we got to Seibert, CO she wanted to show me the new high school that had been built.  There was nothing left of my old high school but was replaced by a beautiful new building and lush grass football field next to it. As we drove around the football field, a man who was watering waved to us and I had no idea who it was.  When we completed the loop, Mom said, “I think I know that man.”  We stopped and said hello and Mom said, “I know you.  You’re Carl Thorson.”

A little backdrop.  Mom was the first female superintendent ever in the state of Colorado.  Carl was one her students during this time and graduated in 1964.  He was a truant and would frequently ditch school and would eventually end up in Mom’s office.  Many times a year.  He hugged my mom and told her how fond of her he was. I just listened to this amazing conversation and heard the impact my mom had in Carl’s life.  They talked about Carl skipping school to paint the railroad tracks.  A real rebel.  At the end of their conversation, he gave her another hug and off we went.

This interaction gives me pause for thought.  We never know how our interactions with people we come in contact with will impact them.  For Carl, my mom was one of those positive influences that contributed to his becoming a productive person in our society.  This was the start of me seeing what an impact my mom had in the lives of others.

On this journey you never know who you might run into and have the opportunity to influence in a positive way.  Sometimes it’s good to cut away your schedule and let life have its way.