Support

Support can be found in the form of bras and jockstraps; they're both good for supporting our junk. But what about supporting you, as in your dreams and goals? See, we humans like to know someone's got our back when the seas get rough, and the water starts pouring in.

We humans also like when someone tells us we're beautiful or handsome, intelligent or savvy, talented or brilliant, tenacious or determined. Maybe you're lucky enough to have someone tell you you're all of those things. Maybe you're lucky enough to have someone believe in you.

When the damn voices in our head start to poke and gnaw and eventually scream in our ear, we need to quiet the noise and listen to the support. I used to tell myself: "Uh-huh, right, thanks but it'll never happen for me." You can insert any dream into the "it" slot. But I'm saying to listen and listen closely to the people in your life who support you. They were put there for a reason.

I am fortunate enough to have many people in my life who never let me quit on this writing and authoring thing and believe me I wanted to.

One crucial person was my mom, Mary Anne Becker-Sheedy. She died five years ago on this very day.

I've been told that I am determined. And tenacious. And focused. And hard working. I learned all of those things from my mother. I watched her make things happen my whole entire life. I watched her want something, work her ass off to get it and then get it. She was a decision maker and a dreamer/doer, and a brilliant businesswoman. The woman knew how to get things done.

Usually, people like the go-getters are jerks. And they don't mind stepping on anyone or anything to get what they want. But the beauty and contradiction of my mother was her flip side...the side where she'd rescue anyone who needed rescuing and I do mean anyone. She showed my sisters and I by example how to be kind, thoughtful, generous, empathetic and helpful. She didn't simply tell us to be like that - she was like that. She was stunning both inside and out. I mean, look at her...

And her greatest gift, in my opinion, was her ability to make me (and my sisters, husband, children, nieces, nephews, brother-in-laws, etc...) believe that dreams were possible...all you had to do was make them happen...no matter what. She was the living embodiment of support in her actions and in her words. Nothing was more important to her than her family and again, she proved that with her actions. Words can sometimes be hollow. She showed her support until the day she died.

No one got more excited to hear about things I was working on or my accomplishments than my mother. Her reaction was pure and true and full of love and encouragement. It was like chocolate for my ears, and I love chocolate.

Ultimately my point is this, listen to the Mary Anne Becker-Sheedys in your life. Allow yourself to be encouraged and pushed. If you don't have a Mary Anne Becker-Sheedy in your life, let one in. Put down your walls or open up that closed door. And if your walls are down and your door is open and you still have no Mary Anne Becker-Sheedy then YOU must be what you need. Tell yourself those bits of encouragement, write yourself notes, journal, believe.

You can't get to the top without a foundation underneath you. Go get 'em tigers.

P.S. You can always print out the picture below and borrow my mom...I know she wouldn't mind. How cute is she here? It's from 1969.