Dear Brendan Ryan

Dear Brendan Ryan,

I know what it's like when your boss decides you're no longer good enough to do your job. And I know what it's like when your boss hires someone else to do your job without telling you. And I know what it's like to be employed but not really have a job to do any more.

I empathize with you, Brendan, because I like you.

There are three things you can do now. You can quit. You can fight to keep your job. Or, you can move on gracefully. I am not really in the position to tell you which of those things to do because I took the easy way out and quit. But I can tell you this: no matter the outcome, you must be confident in who you are and what you know about yourself. Don't let this situation define you. And don't let the underhandedness of the business or of your bosses make you bitter.

You are good. In fact, I see flashes of greatness in you. And they probably do too. Truthfully, I think your personality is just too big for the Cardinals. There are only a couple people allowed to stand out and rise above in this town. Sadly, you aren't one of them. (Neither was I.)

Nobody deserves a backstabbing after he's worked so hard to bring success to the community around him. But everybody deserves to be happy. If I was going to give you any advice, it would be to hold on to your happy and make that a priority. I'm thinkin' about you man!

Sincerely,

Michele, a big fan (but no bigger than anybody else in the bleachers, because that wouldn't be fair)

P.S. If you do somehow stick around, lay low. That's all I got.

This video was created last year but the message is powerful. I don't "celebrate" Columbus Day because I it is my duty to honor the true history. Do you celebrate it or not? And why?

No Time Like the Present

There's no such thing as the perfect time. Waiting to do anything until the moment is precisely right or you have all your ducks in a row could be postponing the blessings of your life or the blessings you have to offer others. While it's not necessary to be reckless, it is wise to seize the day.

So if you are waiting to propose until you have your act together completely, just know that you'll probably never completely have your act together. And she deserves to know that all you think about is spending the rest of your life with her.

If you are waiting to have a baby until the time is right, keep in mind that you'll always have financial responsibilities and something else is always going to come up.

Your dream vacation can stay a dream or you can just do it. Taking off on a Friday afternoon to golf with your son and your dad could wait while you work 60 hours a week. Volunteering to serve Thanksgiving meals to the homeless is an opportunity that comes back around every year so you can afford to just talk about it one more time.

You might have an AWOL duck and the present might not be perfect.  But there's no time like now to spend with your family or to say "I love you" or to donate to your favorite charity.

There's no time like the present.