Week One, Victim One

  

      So, the hubby and I have decided to set a goal of one good pay it forward deed per week. The kids are in on it as well. At first I thought it might be a challenge to find one person to help each week. I just have the sneakin' suspicion that that will take care of itself! You see I was getting a late start as the whole pay it forward idea did not occur to me until the second week in January, so I needed to find two victims, uh I mean two people to help. No problem. There were people to assist coming out of the woodwork this week. See, I told you, it all works out!

      Introducing victim number one: Dale Boyd.

THE Coach Boyd

      Dale Boyd is an awesome guy. He is a great coach, a devoted husband and the kind of friend we would all like to have. Dale has a way of keeping life in perspective. You see, Dale's wife Connie has battled cancer, not once but twice. Her most recent bout nearly killed her. Dale fought with her. He left his teaching job to move to Arkansas where she grew up because at the time the doctors only gave her  months to live and Connie wanted to go home. She underwent treatment there and fortunately her body responded. While not cured completely, Connie now has years to live versus months. With this new prognosis, the couple decided to move back to the area to be near the beach and the water. Dale is here now, returning before his house in Arkansas sold to help my husband, Michael, coach wrestling. Hopefully, Connie will be joining him soon. Goodness knows he needs her! 

      Dale loves wrestling. It is his passion and it is hard not to catch some of his enthusiasm for the sport. Anyway, Dale has been renting a house at the beach in their old neighborhood and since Connie is not here to watch him, he has been doing what any red blooded American man would do when left to his own devices, he has been eating way too much Bojangles! So Colton, my son, and Michael decided that Coach Boyd would be our first victim. I say victim versus good deed recipient because he did have to endure my cooking after all. :)  

      So our first pay it forward project was to have Coach Boyd over for dinner. We had calzones with homemade dough, mom's recipe. They were pretty good if I do say so myself. More importantly, we really enjoyed one another's company. This is the first dinner guest we have had in eons. About the only entertaining that Michael and I do is occasionally entertain the idea of entertaining. Our excuses are always varied and weak; the house is too dirty, we don't have enough time to cook, we are too busy, our dog doesn't like people, I could go on. This past week we decided that our ineffective housekeeping skills were not enough to keep us from providing a good friend a nice home cooked meal. And even though the colors in my house may have scared him a bit (I am an art teacher after all) he did not mention the dust bunnies even once.  ; )  

      The funny thing is that Dale has helped us more than we have ever helped him. He and Michael share a coaching bond and for me, Dale is the go to guy when I am feeling a little sorry for myself. There is nothing like cancer to make you understand what really matters. All else seems to pale in comparison. If I tell Dale about an issue I am having he'll give me a look like "Does it really matter?" No, it usually doesn't. Thanks Dale and Connie for showing us what true courage looks like and for reminding me not to sweat the small stuff. May you win your battle yet again. You are both constantly in our prayers!

      Laurie