Just Do It! Get away!

I love time with my “Sista”.

Born and raised in rural Mississippi, our mother had 4 sisters, and we grew-up hearing our aunts and our mother call each other “Sista”. It stuck for us too.

With me living in Raleigh and my Sista living near Memphis, we get to see each other about 3 times a year. Well, earlier this year, we got a wild hare, and we planned a Caribbean get-away. We just booked it. We just did it. We met in Charlotte, and off we went to the Caribbean for a long weekend in the sun, at the beach, just the Sistas!

Yes, the depressed economy has impacted both of us. Yes, my business ventures are down. Yes, over the last two years, we’ve both experienced cutbacks. Yes, money is tight. YET, time is our most precious commodity that we choose to stop for a moment to truly enjoy. Our health, our family’s health, our ability to think and to work, are our greatest assets, and what we experienced during our beach getaway simply reinforced what really, really matters the most in life:

• Details are important. Life is full of so many details, and keeping the various pieces of the puzzle of one’s life together and fitting together successfully takes time, focus, energy, attention, and thoughtful planning. When life can be so overwhelming, it helps to remember a simple phrase that I call “manageable chunks”. Whatever the day may bring, it helps to dissect the issues of the day into manageable chunks. This helps me get through the bumps in the road in order to push ahead in a positive direction. Learning to master the details can help you relax to really enjoy the important things in life.

• When the details of life get too overwhelming, it’s OK to hideaway for a moment in time with family and friends. It is OK. Now, you cannot do that forever, but being responsible also allows you to occasionally break-away to listen to the ocean, bask in the sun, eat great seafood, drink lots of island rum punch, get sand everywhere, take long walks on the beach, and nap when you want to nap.

• Spend time with the folks that you love and that love you. Those moments shared and that attention given are priceless. Don’t allow work to fill all of those moments. The most precious thing that you can give to someone is your time and your attention.

Sista Sangria!

• Get in the kitchen and cook something together! My Sista and I love to be in the kitchen. Even at the island villa in the Caribbean, we managed to whip-up some Sista’s Sangria that was delicious.

• In life, sadness and trouble will find you. You don’t have to go looking for it. Keep “drama” as far away from your life and the lives of your loved ones as possible. “Drama” is a monster that demands time and attention in a negative and unhealthy way. It wastes time. It drains energy. Don’t let it into your life.

We all have certain individuals with whom we love to spend time. Do it! Don’t put it off. I love to spend time with my Sista, and even though we live over 750 miles apart, we make time to see each other.

Who knows where we’ll go next…

My brother, sister, and I founded Legacy of Joy in December of 2007. Legacy of Joy is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization promoting philanthropic activities. This family foundation was established in memory, in celebration, and in honor of our mother, Rebecca Joy Tabor Dorroh who died in August of 2007.

For anyone who knew our mother, she was thoughtful and masterful at details that matter the most…details of the heart…sharing time, giving attention, taking a moment to make others feel special. By education, she had a master’s degree. By profession, she was an educator and mentor. She touched so many lives during her 69 years here on planet earth.

Prior to getting sick, one of mother’s daily joys was coffee. For as long as I can remember, mother loved a cup of coffee…usually in the morning…sometimes in the evening too. As a child, the aroma of coffee brewing was one of the first signs of the beginning of a new day. As an adult, I share that same love of coffee.

As a fundraising activity for our family foundation, we are offering organic, fair trade, and shade grown coffee beans through Legacy of Joy. Around the Holidays in 2009, we introduced our first Holiday Blend, and around Valentine’s Day of this year, we introduced our Brave Heart Blend which offers a medium-heavy body with loads of earthy spice. This blend has distinct sweet berry acidity with a chocolate liquor finish. It’s nice. Mother would have loved it! You’ll love it too.

This Legacy of Joy Blend captures the love of Valentine’s Day that warms us through the winter into a promising Spring and Summer.

For more information, please visit http://www.legacyofjoy.org/.

Come celebrate the love of coffee with us!

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and I love this time of the year when the Holidays begin…Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years then my Birthday! Over the weekend, I was ridding-out another section of my attic, and I found this picture of me from 1964. I was two. This photo cracks me up! This picture was taken down in Rural Hill, Mississippi at Big Momma and Big Daddy Tabor’s house. You’ll see the tractor shed directly behind me then the old general store to the right. Big Momma and Big Daddy were my grandparents on my mother’s side. Big Daddy was a farmer in Winston County, MS. Big Momma stayed busy raising eight children. My mother was the 7th child of eight. Even at two, this photo shows attitude and independence.

Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and summers as a teenager were spent on the family farm with Big Momma and Big Daddy. Hosted by my grandparents, Thanksgiving was always a festival of aunts, uncles, and cousins enjoying a feast of food. From the eight children there came 20 children. Of course today, multiple generations of nephews, nieces, and cousins have been born. Although you cannot see the main house in this photo, I assure you that it looks a lot like the general store and the tractor shed. Even with this rural, country setting, my family shared a depth of love and belonging that has never escaped me.

On Thursday, we’ll celebrate another Thanksgiving. To this day, my family on my mother’s side gets together in rural Mississippi on Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. This year, I’ll be in Raleigh, and part of my heart will be in Rural Hill, MS. For business, it’s no secret that 2009 has been a tough year. With revenues down and with so many folks unemployed, it’s often difficult to remember that we have much to be thankful for. Indeed, we do. A thankful heart carries me throughout the year remembering and enjoying my family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Treasures from the Attic

Treasures from the Attic started as a weekend and evening project to rid out my closets and attic. There never seems to be enough time to get this type of project completely done, so I’ve turned it into a progressive project that is constantly evolving. It is baffling at how much “stuff” I have accumulated, and it’s stuff that I don’t use or need. I bet that I’m not alone in this battle with things…please tell me that I’m not. With that said, I’m on a mission to sell it, repurpose it, or give it away!

My mother had a special way of talking about all the “stuff” we accumulate in our lives…she simply called it “S”. Now, her “S” meant a different word than “stuff”…however, she would never use that other “S” word…do you know what I mean??! She would say, “What are we going to do with all this S?”, or “Don’t think that you are going to leave that S here.”, or “Don’t forget your S.” I can hear her now referring to hers or someone else’s “S”. Becki is so missed.

With the power of the Internet, I’m hoping to sell some of my “S” and put 25% of the proceeds to work within Legacy of Joy (www.legacyofjoy.org/). Right now, we are keeping Treasures from the Attic local to Raleigh. Who knows…maybe one day, we’ll expand it to Memphis!