A Day Brightener

Yesterday I received a Halloween card from my Auntie D. She's my mother's only sister, my godmother, and the most faithful card-sending occasion-rememberer I know. She not only sends cards for birthdays, anniversaries and major holidays, but also for Halloween, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. They always arrive on time, and always include a little note or a newsy letter.

What's amazing about her steadfastness in sending cards is that she has the most low-tech system imaginable: it's called a calendar. In spite of the number of accessible and affordable state-of-the-art, high-tech data storage, time management and communication devices that are available to us, how many of us still forget birthdays, fail to return phone calls, or are late for appointments?

Cosmo, whose core message on salesmanship is rooted in the basics of time management and the discipline of consistent behavior, regularly cites my aunt's "system" as the most effective of any he knows. Why? Because she's found a method that works for her, she's committed to it and she uses it.

I can't describe how much pleasure and comfort I felt when I saw that bright orange envelope with her distinctive handwriting amid the rest of yesterday's mail. I was transported back to my childhood and took a moment to remember just how important a role this sweet 70-something woman has played in my life. Along with my mother and my grandmother, she was the biggest influence of my formative years. Most of the things that are important to me and central to my value system, I learned from these three strong and amazingly different women. Auntie D is the sole survivor of this influential triumvirate.

I know everyone's busy anymore and I do appreciate emails and phone calls, but what a blessing to have somebody who has known me all my life, who lives 3000 miles away and has endured her own share of heartache, who still takes the time to reach out to me with lovely little things like a Halloween card.