A Reminder of What Really Matters

I was in Santa Barbara recently for a very special celebration. Lisa Wysel, the wife of Dr. Glen Wysel, my partner and one of my closest friends, was turning 60 and they decided to mark the occasion back in the city where they raised their family.

The day had a special feeling for a couple of reasons. First of all, for me, as someone who is still in his fifties (barely), it felt good to know that I was one of the younger ones in attendance. But beyond that, I was struck by how especially moving and poignant the event was, because it was a homecoming of sorts.

It was eight years ago that Glen and Lisa moved to Scottsdale, and if one thing became apparent over the course of that 60^th birthday celebration, it was that her heart never really left Santa Barbara. It's where she raised her children, some of whom have since moved back to the area. She has grandchildren there now, and many, many long-time friends. It's where she and Glen are now acquiring a second home.

A Nostalgic Reminder

As I watched her circulate among the guests, I saw that her face had acquired a special glow. It's the kind of warm, inner glow that arises when you are surrounded by the love of family and friends. It's that great feeling of being completely at home, not just physically but emotionally. Later, when Glen gave his toast to Lisa—a wonderful, heartfelt speech honoring the woman he loves—I could see that his words touched everyone who came to celebrate this special person.

So why am I sharing this story with you? Only to tell you something you already know, but that we all need that little reminder from time to time, that we tend to treasure the things in life that are most precious to us the most deeply after we have been separated from them.

To see Lisa reunited with friends and family, to see the looks on those peoples' faces and to see how happy they were to have her among them again—it makes you wonder how we ever take that sort of thing for granted.

So don't. Don't wait for a toast at a wedding or birthday or anniversary to tell someone close to you what they mean to you. Do it today. Celebrate the people around you every chance you get. Make your home a place of warmth and love.

As we get older, things get taken from us—that's just a fact of life. Which is all the more reason to cherish the wondrous abundance you have. Lisa Wysel is one of those people who instinctively knows this, and it shows in everything she does. I see it in the way she pours her energy into the Open Wide clinic in Guatemala. I see it in her kids, who have followed her example and become outstanding people in their own right. And on that day last month I got to see it in her friends, whose lives are richer just from having her around. I am proud to say I am one of them.


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