Letter from the Editor
Dear Friends:


Last month my nephew Jeremy, who lives in Illinois, got married. My brother and sister-in-law had a party to celebrate the marriage. Thanks to the advancement of technology I was able to video chat with Jeremy and others at the shindig. I was able to meet Jeremy’s wife Shannon as well as her mom and dad, and her not quite 2-year old son, (little) Ryan. Oh, my! Jeremy is a dad now!

I even got to talk with little Ryan. He sat on Jeremy’s lap and put on the headset. He mostly listened, but made some sounds. Most of the people I talked with had never done video chatting before. My niece-in-law, Jamie, was very apprehensive, but one of the previous chatters explained to her how it all worked. Jamie and I talked and laughed and got caught up on things. While talking with my sister Donna she said, “I gotta have this! It is so cool!”

Over the 7 years that I’ve been a Soroptimist, I have sometimes felt like Jamie. When I was Corresponding Secretary in my second year as a member, Marti McAllister-Wolf (who had the job before me) gave me pointers and encouragement, and soon I wasn’t quite as nervous. It’s a good thing, because the following year somehow I leaped into the job of President. I never regretted it. Although I sometimes still feel apprehensive about something new, more often I respond like Donna did with video chatting. It is because Soroptimist women work as a team; they encourage, they support, they bring out the best in one another. How cool is that?!!

There is a component needed for video chatting that has nothing to do with computers; it is people (2 or more of course :>). The people have to show up. A lot of life is that way – we have to show up – not just physically, but mentally. Showing up, we become aware of what is happening around us.

During the party, I might have been thousands of miles away physically, but a part of me was there with everyone. It was a bit weird, though, to not be there to help with the decorating; that’s one of my favorite things. Still I was glad to be able to share with so many friends and family members. How cool is that?!!

As Soroptimists we can’t always be there for every meeting, or every event, but showing up when we can is important. It is time for a new set of officers and board members to be elected. As a past-president I can tell you that no one person does any one job by herself. I encourage members to step forward.

When we stretch ourselves just a little, we can find more than we ever expected. We can be part of an experience that will be unforgettable. We might even find ourselves exclaiming, “How cool is that!”

With Gratitude and Love,
Kathy Purcell
Editor
                                                
                                                 Napkins that Colleen had out at
                                              the Progressive Dinner - see page 9