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This is one of the most precious gifts I have every received. My dearest friend, Jolene Brown, wrote her feelings about me for my 80th birthday, each wrapped around a $10 bill. I will save these words forever! It is something that anyone can do for a treasured friend or family member, so I want to share this with all of you. You will truly touch their hearts as Jolene did mine.
To learn more about Barbara and her work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com
CHRISTMAS 2022
Dear Friends,
Finally, it seems we are almost back to a “new” normal. As I write this letter, I realize how much travel I have done even though my business has really slowed down since Covid. Gratefully, I continue to be very active – swimming a mile, going to a trainer, and walking three miles on the beach or treadmill. I just thank God that my only health issue is asthma which has been under control for years. With each day, I am more and more grateful for all the blessings in my life – for my faith, for family, for friends, for health, and even though I am forgetting names more, I think I still have a pretty sound mind! 😉
I am also blessed with all the amazing experiences we have to take advantage of in Sarasota – the Opera, several theatre groups, the Van Wezel concert hall, the Symphony, and the ballet. Then for my brain and heart, I have my Bible study group and my Book Group which has been together for over ten years. (If you haven’t read “Have You Seen Luis Valdez?” by Catherine Ryan Hyde, it will warm your heart.)
January – On Christmas Day we all flew to Palm Springs, CA, where I rented a large house on the water for everyone except Gavin (working). We had fun at the zoo, renting a dune buggy in the desert, visiting an outsider art house called Robolights, hiking in Joshua Tree, doing puzzles, and discovering the goofy Republic of Slowjamastan.
February – Frank and I celebrated our 8th dating anniversary. He brings me lots of joy,
March –The Gawliks came for their annual visit. We had fun days at Busch Gardens, Mayakka State Park, Van Gogh, the Big Cat Habitat, and lots of beach and pool time.
April – My brother, Bruce, from Colorado came for a week. He is such fun to have as he takes out my kayak and paddle board and we even go fishing!
May – I flew to Portland for my birthday and Mother’s Day. Gretchen, Erin and I did a “girls only” 2 night trip to the Columbia Gorge Inn where all the movie stars and celebs used to go. Then the whole family went to the Timbers soccer game later that week.
June – June was a huge month of celebration. I did a program for Home Street Bank in Seattle, a favorite client, and then the whole family met at Garrett’s for Kinsey’s graduation from the University of Washington. We are all so PROUD of her –she graduated in three years even with being in constant pain from the aftereffects of the chemo after having leukemia. She hopes to use her experiences to work as a therapist in the hospital with children who have cancer. Later in the month Frank took me to Captiva Island for two days. Sadly, after the hurricane almost nothing is there anymore.
July – I attended the National Speakers Association in Nashville and got to reconnect with all my speaker friends from around the world.
August – Frank and I took a “bucket list” trip to the Fjords in Norway. The scenery was breathtaking – we started in Amsterdam and then went to Edifjord, Molde, Geiranger (the farthest north), and Bergen, the home of Edvard Grieg. I posted many pictures on my facebook page. Later in the month I attended the Veteran Speakers Network in DC. It is a lovely time of sharing with people I treasure.
September – I was blessed to take another “bucket list” trip with my friend, Mary Bensel, to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. It started in 1642 and is done only every 10 years. Over 2000 people in the little village participate in the 7 hour play which is in German. In the town there is a law that from Ash Wednesday 19 months before the play is presented, no one in the village can shave or cut their hair….so they all look like the people in Jesus’ time! We also got to see Mad King Ludwig’s Linderhof Castle and the Cinderella Castle as well as day trips to Innsbruck and Salzburg, the home of Mozart and the filming of “The Sound of Music.” September ended wildly with Hurricane Ian. Although we had to evacuate the island and were without water and internet for several days, we were so VERY blessed that we had little damage unlike our friends just 70 miles south. Please keep them in your prayers.
October – The most exciting thing in October was being a part of a book launch for an anthology I was asked to be in titled, “Wisdom Before Me.” The book for women is made up of 15 women’s amazing stories and what they learned to help others.
November – I am excited to be taking the Gawlik family and Erin on a Mexican Riviera cruise for Thanksgiving week. We are going to snorkel, zip line, and swim with the dolphins. We leave from San Diego, so afterwards I will spend 3 days with my 99 year old aunt. I adore her – my role model for staying active both physically and mentally!
December – I am having fun hosting some parties to show the new items from Erin’s company which is helping women in India, www.collective-heart.com, “Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.” The money goes to provide housing, medical and dental care, and a fair 8 hour wage for women who were living on the streets. It is changing lives for women and their families, so check out the website.
Just a quick update on the family: Garrett got a promotion with Amazon as Director of Business Development and has taken up rowing as a pastime. Ashley is teaching riding and participating in shows with their horse, Rally. Gavin has moved to San Diego and is working for a car dealership. Kinsey is interning at Seattle Children’s Hospital and will be going to grad school this spring or fall.
Gretchen is working parttime as Marketing Specialist for several boutiques in Portland, OR, while Randy continues his freelance website work. Owen, who is a senior this year, is looking at colleges and enjoying having his driver’s license. Simon, a sophomore, is a great soccer player and is having fun with his new Hedgehog. They also have two dogs and a cat, so their house is always busy!
Erin is working diligently to grow her company and has also taken on two new lines of women’s clothing which she is representing in several parts of the county. She still has her two kitty babies, Clover and Cricket.
Our world situation is so full of hate and divisiveness right now that we really need kindness and love more than ever. Many of you know the mantra for my life from Mother Teresa, “Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.” May you all find JOY in the months ahead, and may you be filled with the peace of the Lord, knowing He is in charge.
Blessings,
A friend just shared this beautiful poem with me. It so exemplifies everything I do in my work, so I want to share it with you.
Small Kindnesses
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”
Copyright 2019 Danusha Laméris. First published in Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection from Green Writers Press. Bonfire Opera (University of Pittsburgh Press 2020).
To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com
For Christmas my daughters gave me a gift called “Storyworth.” Each week for a year it asks you to write the answer to an email question about your life, and at the end of the year they print a hard cover book of all your answers. This was the question for this week, and I thought it was one we all might want to answer. What would your answer be?
What do you consider one of your greatest achievements in life?
I think one of my greatest achievements has been having resilience – having the strength to keep my faith, maintain a positive attitude, and find new purpose through some really difficult times of my life. It was not always easy and sometimes took a long time, but somehow, through my belief in God’s love, my own inner strength, and the love of many dear friends and family, I was able to rise above the pain, keep on going, and even find joy in my life again after some truly heartrending situations. The blessing that has come out of these struggles is that I have been able, through my story, to help many hurting people all over the world find hope and new purpose in their own lives.
At age five I was bitten in the head by my uncle’s dog, it got infected, and they didn’t think I would live. Of course I did live, but I ended up with huge hunks of scar tissue all over my head, literally a freak. As a result, I had to have plastic surgery the next two summers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. (Interestingly, my parents allowed no pictures to be taken of me during that time, so I have never seen how awful I looked.) As horrific as this sounds, unlike my parents, I have not a single bad memory of this whole experience because of all the little kind, caring things people did for me all along the way. Many times I have been able to share this story with my audiences to illustrate the differences we can each make, with a little kindness, in people’s lives every day.
When I was only twenty-seven years old, in one year my Dad died suddenly of a heart attack at age 62, our one year old St. Bernard puppy died unexpectedly, and most devastating of all, our second little boy, Gavin Ward Glanz, died a day after birth, even though I had had a perfectly normal pregnancy. He was buried on Christmas Eve which of course is the celebration of the birth of a baby. No one can know the pain of losing a child of any age until it happens to you.
That year was the hardest of my whole life! It took me almost five years to be nearly whole again…….yet even in the midst of this terrible struggle, I still had the faith and the inner strength to simply learn to live just five minutes at a time….. until I could get through an hour and finally a whole day. And the greatest blessing was that I still had a purpose to live for – our two year old son, Garrett Wayne Glanz, and a hurting husband who both needed me.
I was hurting so deeply that I knew in my heart that nothing or no one could ever hurt me that much again, so I made the decision that I would alway be completely myself. That gift of authenticity has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. When I sometimes share this story with my audiences, it provides a real life lesson of LEARNING to live one day at a time, LEARNING to be vulnerable and real, and LEARNING that every day we wake up is a gift.
Finally, when my dear husband, Charlie, my soulmate and the love of my life, died of cancer when I was just 56, I had another crisis to face. All of a sudden I was alone! I did not fit in our big house in the suburbs of Chicago anymore, my children all lived across the country on the West coast, and I had to find my own way forward. I eventually decided to sell our longtime family home and move to the beach in Florida, a lifelong dream of mine to live by the water. However, it was a hard move, and I almost died of loneliness the first year because I knew no one. But thankfully, I had my work – my purpose – and with some reaching out like starting a book group and joining a church, I eventually made a place for myself in this new community.
As I write this, I am at another crossroads – I think it is about time for me to retire, so I have some new difficult decisions to make. Should I stay here on the beach, should I move closer to my children in Portland and Seattle, should I stay working just parttime, and most importantly, what will my new purpose be? Life is full of challenges but also many joys, and I know I will find my path forward as always, trusting in my own strength, friends and family, and most of all, the love and guidance of the Lord.
Charles Dickens in “Great Expectations” says, “Life is made up of many partings welded together.” I would add that life is also made up of many new beginnings if we adjust our attitude, dig deep down inside for our inner strength, and trust that God has a plan for our lives.
For more information about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com
A friend just sent me these darling comments that children made about their grandparents. I thought we all needed a little humor these difficult days, so please enjoy.
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Do any of these apply to YOU????
Blessings, Barbara
For more information on Barbara and her work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com
CHRISTMAS LETTER 2021
“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend.”
Merry Christmas to all my friends and family! When I first started thinking about this letter and the 18 months we have experienced with Covid, I thought I would have very little to write. However, once I went through my calendar, I realized I really HAD made the most of these months, especially since finishing my shots in early March. Thankfully, none of my family members got the virus, so that was the greatest blessing of all
As I think about the past year and all the isolation, some things I am especially thankful for are: Zoom and Facetime to stay in touch with family and friends, Netflix for long lasting series like “Heartland,” Parenthood,” Yellowstone,” “The Crown,” and “Outlander,” walks on the beach, outside dining, streaming to “go” to church, and my faith to keep me hope-filled.
On the business side, my speaking dates almost completely dried up because of cancelled meetings. I did do several Zoom keynotes. However, I desperately missed the audience interaction, the energy and most of all, talking with people afterwards. I kept involved through doing webinars, podcasts and TV interviews, and I also wrote a new book, “Exhausted, Confused, and Ticked Off! Hope for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In.” it is a short book with a concrete description of the process of change, lots of coping ideas, and a Control Inventory to help you find hope in the midst of change. The theme of the book is that “All change comes bearing gifts.” I hope it will help many people find those gifts since change has become a constant in our lives.
I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we had finished our shots, feeling a bit more secure about returning to some semblance of “normal.” A Chicago friend came for a visit, Frank and I did a day trip to the flower show at Disney, and in April I had a lovely trip to Grand Junction, CO, to be with my sister and two brothers for the first time in 20 years, since Brian lives in Chaingmai, Thailand. We shared MANY laughs and memories of our growing up in Iowa!
In June I flew to Portland to take my two daughters to Skamania Lodge for a long “girl’s weekend.” We did a wine tour, had massages, went shopping, and again, shared many memories. Then I got to go with the family to Simon’s 8th grade graduation.
Over July 4 the whole family was invited to Garrett’s beautiful new vacation home in Camano Island, WA, where we did “crabbing” for the first time ever! From there, I went to Las Vegas for the National Speakers Association convention. Even though we were careful, 14 of the 400 there ended up with Covid – and all were fully vaccinated! With Delta life changed again!
At the end of July, I flew to my hometown of Harlan, Iowa, for the memorial service of one of my friends since we were 3, Linda Booth Larsen.! It was a bittersweet trip but also a joy to get to see many of my childhood friends. We had such fun going back to the places where we hung out – the country club, the town square, and the Dairy Queen! Since I was partway there, I went on to San Diego to see my precious 98 year old Aunt Joan, who still does water aerobics, dances, and plays bridge (my role model). I also got to see my three cousins who live close.
That was the end of my travel for awhile. I was supposed to speak for my 23rd year at the National Society for Human Resource Management convention in Las Vegas in September, but I decided it would be safer to do my presentation on Zoom. Not nearly as fun, however!
Later in September Frank and I flew to Lexington, KY, for the wedding of his granddaughter, Caroline. It was a GORGEOUS affair with 12 bridesmaids! Then Kinsey, my only granddaughter, came for her first visit in five years since she was diagnosed with leukemia. It has been a long, hard battle, but she is the strongest person I have ever known. Although she is now cancer free, she still will have to have both ankles replaced because of all the damage the 600+ days of chemo did to her bones. She is currently at the U of Washington where she is planning to be a Childlife specialist and help other children who are in the hospital. I am so VERY proud of her! We had fun spending time on the beach, talking, getting massages, and shopping till be dropped! 😉
October 1 -4 was my first “vacation” trip since covid. Going to the Balloon Siesta in Albuquerque has always been on my bucket list, so this year my friend, Nancy, and I actually did it. It was a spectacular experience watching 500 huge balloons rise up in two hours. The only drawback was that we had to be in the lobby at 4:15 am!!!! Then we spent 3 days in Santa Fe, NM, one of my favorite cities. We stopped at Chimayo, a spiritual heritage site, toured the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and went to Meow Woof, an experiential creative of dozens of artists. From there, we went on to Huntington Beach, CA, for my Guideposts Board meetings. Ten days later I went to Louisville, KY, for the Lead Like Jesus Global Gathering and stayed with dear friends, the Bonuras. The last week Frank’s whole family came to his daughter’s in Atlanta to celebrate his 83rd birthday, so it was a very BUSY month!
In November I hosted two parties to share the products from my daughter Erin’s new company, www.Colllective-Heart.com. It is a collaboration with disadvantaged women in India who create products from Erin’s designs and the prints she selects from women all over the world. Her byline is “Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.” You can order lovely gifts on her website and help support the women in India.
Garrett and Ashley are in Redmond, WA, where Garrett works for Amazon, managing the Alexa team, and Ashley teaches riding classes and takes care of their horse. Kinsey is in college and Gavin has moved to San Diego to follow his passion of customizing cars. Erin, Gretchen and Randy are in Portland, OR, where Erin is running her company, Gretchen is Ops Manager for 4 boutiques, and Randy does freelance web designing. They have been a great help to Erin as well. Simon is in 8th grade, plays soccer on the HS team, and Owen, who is interested in computer design and architecture, is in grade 11. They are a happy family and spend lots of time camping and other outdoor activities.
I was blessed to spend Thanksgiving with Frank’s daughter’s family in Hickory, NC, and I will be in Portland for Christmas and then taking the whole family to Palm Springs, CA, for the week after Christmas. May God’s love surround you and your family and keep you safe in 2022.
“No matter who we are, we begin and end with family. The work will wait while you show your child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work,” ~ Patricia Clafford
Blessings,
Our pastor recently gave a set of sermons that contained such memorable visuals that I want to share them with all my family, friends and clients. According to current research, the average person in America today lives to age 78, resulting in approximately 28,470 days of life.
Here are some of the ways we spend those precious days:
On the table he placed a huge bowl of colored marbles. On each side of this bowl there were two clear glass containers, one labeled “INVESTED” and one labeled “WASTED.” He asked, “Are you INVESTING your moments each day (helping others, bringing joy to someone, making a difference of some kind) or are you WASTING those moments (focus only on yourself, your needs and pleasures)?”
For me, this was a visual “wake up” call to think more concretely about the awesome daily GIFT of life and how I am using that gift. How many “marble moments” have I created today?
He challenged each of us to evaluate at the end of each day whether we could put a marble in the “Invested” jar or in the “Wasted” jar. The bottom line: How much time am I spending each day on myself as opposed to doing things that make this world a better place? WOW! Powerful food for thought…….
The next week he had four very tall clear glass containers on the table, each filled with blue sparkly marbles.
Again, what a POWERFUL visual! It gave me a whole new visual reality of the importance of each precious day I have left and a reminder challenge for how I am using it. Is it WASTED or is it INVESTED? At the end of my life, I hope I can be proud of how I have made a difference with my blessed gift of life. How about you?
May all the days we have left be filled with “Marble Moments.”
To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com.
Dear Friends, Christmas 2020
Well, I think we are all ready to see 2020 end! It has been a year of lots of stress, anxiety and fear, yet also one of hope and new beginnings. I have just finished the manuscript for a new book with the working title, “Exhausted, Confused, and Ticked Off – Hope for a New Beginning When Change Has Done You In!” However, I think I am going to change the title from a negative to a positive, like “The Gift of Change – Letting Go of the ‘Way It Was’ to Find a New Beginning.” More and more each day I am realizing how important it is for us to focus on the blessings we have found in 2020 rather than dwelling on the losses. Focusing on the good things helps us stay positive and move forward rather than getting caught up in “what was.” Here are some of the big changes in my life this year:
Travel – Frank and I were excited to take a wonderful, educational cruise to the Panama Canal in January, and that was the last trip I have taken all year. I realized this is the longest I have been home since I first started my company in 1995! However, I have found ways to use this time to organize my office, my home, and my life. I gave away at least 17 boxes of files and another 15 boxes of books to the Florida Speaker’s Chapter, I organized all our photos, I went through my closets and drawers, I made several trips to Goodwill, and I threw out tons of paper and magazines.
Work – All my scheduled work cancelled because of the virus. However, I have learned lots about Zoom and have given several virtual keynotes and lots of interviews. After being a bit discouraged at first, I realized I can still bring hope to people with my social networking posts, my email newsletters, and my writing.
Friends – Although I greatly miss the social gatherings, lunches and dinners, and especially the hugs, I have found other ways to stay connected like my “100 Day Project.” I decided since I finally had more time that each day for 100 days I would call someone who was important in my life at one time and with whom I have not spoken sometimes for many years. I have contacted high school friends, college friends, old neighbors, former clients, and even found an old boyfriend or two! And I have decided to continue this practice even after the 100 days since it has brought me so much joy.
Family – This has been the hardest thing to give up since I have not seen my kids and grandkids now for almost a year. With the covid situation, none of us feel comfortable flying, so for the first time ever, we will be apart for the holidays. However, I find I am talking with them more by phone than ever before, and of course Zoom has made it feel almost like being in person. (Think about what this year might have been like BEFORE the advent of Skype and Zoom!)
In one of my newsletters I wrote a short piece called “Will You Test Positive?” These five things are all about CHOICES and whether we ultimately choose to live in Faith or to live in Fear.
Garrett, Gavin, Ashley and Kinsey are in Redmond, WA. Garrett has a new position with Amazon, Ashley is busy with their horse, Gavin is working 2 jobs and rebuilding cars and motorcycles, and Kinsey has started at the U of Washington. She is doing well healthwise but still will have to have both ankles replaced at some point because of the cancer drugs.
Gretchen, Randy, Owen and Simon are in Portland where Gretchen is marketing manager for four boutiques and Randy is doing freelance web design. Owen is a sophomore in high school, and Simon is in 8th grade. They have been doing virtual school since March and playing LOTS of video games to stay connected with their friends!
Erin lost her job of 13 years due to covid in June, but she is starting a new mission-driven, fair trade accessories collaboration with @workshelter called “Collective Heart – Owned by Women, Made by Women, Loved by Women.” 50+ disadvantaged women in India are making bags, scarves, and clothing items to be sold in retail stores soon. She is excited about this new opportunity.
I am winding down with my work and finding lots of joy in one-on-one connections. Every day I am grateful for my good health. I pray that 2021 will find all of you safe, healthy, and thankful for your blessings.
Blessings,
Collage Pictures:
Row 1, left to right
Frank and I on one of the formal nights on our Princess cruise to the Panama Canal in January
Kinsey’s high school graduation picture
My new haircut
Holding an iguana in Ocho Rios
Simon, Kinsey and Owen
Row 2
Virtual keynote on Zoom
Simon and Owen with “Granna BB”
Photo shopped creative family picture when I could not be with them all this fall
(Garrett, Erin, Ashley, Simon, Kinsey, Gretchen, Owen, Randy and ME being “carried!”)
Row 3
Frank holding a boa constrictor in Ocho Rios
On the ship in the Cayman Islands
Frank and I in Cartagena, Colombia
Dressed up for the NSA Virtual Red Carpet event
Row 4
The Dali exhibit at Selby Gardens
My May birthday
Family picture from Christmas 2019 (How I will miss being with them this year!)
(Gretchen, Kinsey, Simon, Ashley, me, Owen, Gavin, Garrett, Erin – Randy was taking the picture)
To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to http://www.barbaraglanz.com
One may walk over the highest mountain, one step at a time. - John Wannamaker -
