2010

2010 was a tough year, and I am glad it is over. My Dad passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day which makes whatever else happened seem light years away and insignificant. Below is the eulogy I prepared for his funeral mass:

It’s hard to describe Dad in just a few moments because to really understand my father, you’d have to look at how he lived his life throughout all of the small moments, the sum of which was very impactful. Jenny’s memories demonstrate how much he loved his family and how he was very active in the community. My Dad was a good man with a big heart. In addition to his acts of service, I discovered over the past few days that he had financially supported several charities every month. He had a lot of empathy for disadvantaged people.

Dad himself was no stranger to hardship, but whatever challenges arose, he met them with perseverance and good humor. I entered his life at a challenging time….it was during the last big recession in the early 80s, he had lost his job, already had five kids, a house to maintain, and he was actually burying his mother the week I was born. My childhood intersected a very unsettling period in my Dad’s life. But despite whatever pressures he felt, he still took the time to be silly with me.

One of my fondest memories of my father was how, when my mom was ill, he took me to work with him. He sang “You are My Sunshine” to me as he put my shoes on in the morning followed by a piggy-back ride down the stairs complete with a gallop and horse noises. He was always whistling or singing a tune. Dad also had a very strong work ethic and as I got older, he was determined not to let me sleep in on Saturdays. He would come into my room, flick the light on and off and say, “Up and at ‘em.” I would then spend the day passing him tools while he worked on a car, an appliance, plumbing….whatever needed fixing.

Using my childhood training as Dad’s tool-passer, I decided to rip up my kitchen floor and lay tile over Thanksgiving. I called to ask if I could borrow his saw and if he would he bring it to Thanksgiving dinner. I’m so glad we talked because the last thing he said to me was that he was proud of me for taking on such a big project. Dad was proud of all his children, and we all know it. I never dreamed that would be our last conversation.

Dad’s passing was a big shock, but it gives us comfort to know that he spent his last evening just how he had spent so many evenings before, enjoying time with his family. He was having fun with his sister Joan and brother-in-law, Al who were here for Thanksgiving. He and my mom, his wife of 47 years and the love of his life, shared a good night kiss. He laid down next to her and went to sleep looking forward to a big Thanksgiving meal surrounded by the people he loved so much.

So many people have shared so many lovely memories of my father in the past few days, and we will all carry them with us forever. Helen Keller said, “What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” I am so honored that my Dad has been and will always be a part of me.

2009

Here it is, officially over half of the way through 2010, and I am just getting around to writing my 2009 blog entry. Somebody famous and decidedly late said that punctuality is the virtue of the bored. 2009 was definitely not a boring year so I will excuse myself. :)

Andres and I travelled to Peru and hiked the Inca trail with his twin, Mauricio, and Mauricio’s wife, Marcela. We flew directly to Lima then took a small plane over the Andes to Cusco where we adjusted to the altitude. Cusco was a beautiful small town with both Incan and European influences and a surprisingly global selection of restaurants. We tried mainly local dishes, many of which were delicious, but the cuy (guinea pig) was a little disconcerting. All in all though, Cusco was absolutely charming. I could spend another vacation just hanging out in Cusco.

After 2 days in Cusco, we embarked on our four-day hike. The first day was my favorite. There were only a few short steep climbs, and the reward was the most astounding starscape I have ever seen. Words will not do justice, but suffice it to say that there are billions of stars in the sky and from most inhabited vantage points, you might see up to 100 on a clear night. From our camp the first night, I could not even count them. I have never seen anything as magnificent in my life. I guess it would be like thinking your pool was an impressive body of water, and then you see the ocean.

After our trip to Macchu Picchu, we began a tradition with a group of friends in which we go to a cabin in the mountains every quarter. I appreciate the time to relax and feel time slow down a notch.

The summer brought the farewell of a few of my favorite people. Both Emily and Patrick left Atlanta to go to business school. Incidently, they are both younger than me. Their departure made me feel old, a feeling exacerbated by the fact that my eldest niece started college in the fall. We were having tea parties just a short while ago, and now she is technically an adult. From my point of view, her new independence is another example of how time flies before you notice, especially when you’re the signpost and not the car.

I purchased a house in August. I rent the home to a very sweet family that maintains the yard and the house. The same day I closed on the house, Andres and I went to the beach with a group of friends, and I was presented with a new opportunity in segment marketing at UPS. My job in segment marketing has been a fun challenge thus far. We immediately went through several weeks of “bootcamp” to create our segment plans, presented them to the SVP of marketing and are now executing those plans. It’s an exciting change.

In September, we went to El Salvador to celebrate Andres’s birthday. Maurice and Sharon came along, and we had a blast. The highlight for me was our trip to Cecimar – Marcela’s family’s property that has natural pools when the tide is low. The ocean there is deceptively calm until the tide comes in and reclaims its territory.

My youngest niece, Margaret Ellen arrived on November 11, 2009 after much hesitation. She was overdue, and Jenny was in labor for over 24 hours in the same hospital Joe went for treatment. That same day, I attended a wake for a longtime friend and mentor of mine that I had known since middle school in various capacities. November 11 was an emotional day on many fronts. Baby Maggie turned out to be a little joy with big blue eyes and a great disposition, and she continues to get cuter every day.

2009 ended on a high note. Newly engaged Mary Margaret and Dan, Vanessa, AJ, Ryan and Kari, and new friends Sean and Shailah converged with old friends from Atlanta at the Spences’ home in Roswell for New Year’s Eve. It’s going to be tough to match in 2010.

2008

2008 was, in a word, tectonic.

My brother Joe passed away on January 9, 2008 due to lung cancer. I think of him daily and continue to share a special bond with him, connected as we were at the poles of life. He cut my umbilical cord, helped me get over the loss of my favorite pet when I was 5, showed me how to tie my shoes, quit his job so he could attend my college graduation. He was truly a gentle and generous spirit. He taught me to reserve judgement, to recognize that people add value in unexpected ways and gave me a great appreciation for the strength of my family. He also inspired me to quit smoking. I have not smoked a cigarette since September 2007. I miss him.

After the funeral, I was emotionally spent and in need of a break from reality. I was grateful to go on a Carribean cruise to celebrate Andres' father's 65th birthday. We stopped in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas. It was fun, and I enjoy being around his wonderful family.

Professionally, 2008 was a good year. I was part of a team that re-launched our international air freight portfolio which was viewed as a great success. From there, I was moved onto an ocean freight marketing strategy project which allowed me to travel to Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. I think that the work done as part of the ocean freight strategy project will also contribute a lot of value to the company over time.

My lifelong friend, Kristin, got married in May. I was lucky enough to spend the 4th of July in Philadelphia with many close friends from college. Andres and I went to Las Vegas, Chicago, and Cuba.

Cuba was interesting as I had never visited a socialist country. My impression of socialism is people drying their underwear facing the street and not giving a damn. People stand around interminably, waiting. For what, I don't know because nothing happens there, except people fix their cars on an almost daily basis. Tourists with their cameras lap it up to the point of perversion. Tour buses arrive hours late, if they arrive at all. We were surprised to find that Cuba is expensive despite the fact that the average person makes about $20 USD per month. This is due to the use of a separate currency and separate prices for tourists. Despite the frustrations we encountered, the lack of many freedoms, material goods or even decent food selections in grocery stores, I must admit that there seems to be a great degree of respect for life and order in that society. I still wouldn't want to live there.

The world in general was unthinkably crazy. Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros, AIG, Merrill Lynch, WaMu all collapsed. Henry Paulson was the architect of an enormous government bailout, marking the end of unchecked capitalism. The Detroit automakers are now in line for a handout. We elected the first black president. The housing market crashed. I still think we have an even bigger crisis looming as people rely heavily on credit for necessary items and access to credit is increasingly squeezed. Gas went from around $90 a barrel to $150 and back down below $50. Eliot Spitzer went down in a prostitution ring scandal. Gov. Blagojevich of Illinois made an ass of himself. Bernie Madoff's $50B ponzi scheme came crashing down.

On a more positive note, the Olympics in Beijing were spectacular. I was proud of a former Penn teammate who won a gold medal in the women's 8 rowing event. I was also proud of UPS's involvement in the logistics of handling equipment and running the opening and closing ceremonies. I am hopeful that sustainable energy policy will be a top priority moving forward. Small businesses with laudable purposes are cropping up at a faster rate than I can recall in the past. One of my favorite finds this year is a restaurant called World Peace Cafe which serves healthy food and is operated by volunteers. Proceeds go toward building Buddhist meditiation centers, a hospice, and a community temple. I think platforms like facebook, twitter, linkedin, kiva.org all facilitate coordinated social activist efforts to an unprecedented degree. I think people are becoming more aware of ways to contribute, and I believe the majority of people are compassionate enough to take small steps. I think 2009 will be a good year.