So far, I’ve thanked a lot of people from my early years. This week I have a very current person to thank: a new friend.

About 10 years ago, I read about a young man who wrote and sent a thank-you note every day for a year. He started because he lost his job, felt depressed, and wanted to remind himself that he had a lot to be thankful for. He soon learned that he got more out of saying thank you than simply counting his blessings.

In 2023, I’m taking a slightly different approach. I’m planning to publicly thank people who have had a positive impact on my life in ways they probably didn’t plan, and most likely did so without even realizing it.

A hat-tip to a new friend

Anita’s a sister-author who I met at a local bookstore. She’s a former teacher, turned writer. She just got her first book published. I’ve highlighted her here before in my Meet the Author segments. We got together again at a local library author showcase. And now we’re on our way to a true friendship.

Sometimes it helps to hold someone’s hand when you take a leap.

“Hey, I found a craft fair, that doesn’t cost too much,” Anita said. “If we pool our resources…”

“Yeah, let’s give it a whirl.”

Anita made the banner, I supplied the table cloth and chocolates. Together we trecked the 45-minute drive to La Conoa, the restaurant that hosted the pop-up craft fair. We had some success. And we had a lot of fun trying something different and meeting new people.

Birds of a feather, flock together.

I can’t find my way out of a paper bag. Anita gets lost in a closet. Both things we know about ourselves, and somehow seem less of a handicap when someone else shares it.

We both like to bicycle. We like to travel to faraway places. Anita’s going to Italy in a month, while I’ll be heading to Australia. We both like to cook. Anita watches the local ads the same way Loved One does. She’s her partner’s sous-chef, while Loved-One is mine. She has grandkids and so do I. We’re both very curious.

The people at the fair, turned out to be super-friendly, and eager to share their experiences. They gave us more ideas. I may not have had quite as much courage to interact without Anita by my side.

Friends make us brave

Anita tried bartering her book for candies; an idea she says she got from me. We got contacts from people interested in having us share our life experience in a live broadcast. Yikes! And Wheeeee! at the same time.

Anita spurred me on to barter my own book from the woman from “Beyond Love.” She got The Fable of Little Tzurie and I got one ounce of “Lip Tease, Kissable Stimulant.” (Don’t ask me to tell you more.)

The point is, we make each other brave. (The margarita might have help, too.)

Thank you, Anita. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a long friendship.

We already have a couple of marketing events planned for this spring. And, we have a dinner date planned that will bring Loved-One and Anita’s partner into the fun, too.

Do you have a friend who brings out the best in you? Please leave a comment and tell me about it.