Day 1, New Thing Every Day: List Five of the Top People Who Have Influenced Me and Write Them Letters

For my first New Thing Every Day, I wanted to do something focused on other people, something

Dan, with people, always out and about.

designed to make me give real thought to those who are important in my life and make a few of them happy. There are just so darned many people who fit that description; so many who make me a better person; so many who add real value to my life.
Choosing just five people was incredibly hard. I have left off names that are on the short list of those closest to me (sorry, Mom), and many who have had the greatest impact on my life. I have known four of the people for ten years or less, and the other for 20 years. Obviously, I left out a lot of incredibly important people, but my goal was never to create a "Top

Larry, hard at work, doing for others.

Five" list, or to rank one against another. So many people in my life deserve recognition for contributing to it, and this is just one small effort to spotlight a handful of them.

Dave, a campaign pic, with people who love him.

The five people I have chosen are incredibly important to me -- for a few, probably more important than they realize. I have written them all letters today, and they will receive them later in the week, but I will keep those messages private. Suffice it to say that they are thankful letters that set forth some of the ways those people have impacted my life and (hopefully) made me a better person.

Jan, receiving an honor we well remember.

Perhaps I should not -- there are people who are not on the list who are obviously incredibly important to me -- but I will share the list here. And I will thank them all here for all they have done, and continue to do, to make my life better, and to make me better (realizing that not all of them will even read this).

Leigh, the light of my world.

Thank you Jan Beckett, Larry Schuster, Dave Bieter, Dan Scotten, and my beloved Leigh. You have my undying gratitude for all you have given me.


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