NEWSLETTERS

May 2002
©2002 Terri Hendrix

Prayer For my Friends
"I'm taking a moment to pray for my friends
A handful of people on whom I depend
Our pathways are different but I love them no less
I'm hoping their sorrows you'll mend
Tonight I pray for my friends
When I don't know the answers and search for the truth
And hope that my judgment will carry me through
I'm so grateful for the people I have in my life
They help me to do what is right
They help me to do what is right
There are people I've loved that I've lost along the way
We've drifted apart or they've been called away
I'm holding them close in my heart here tonight
They're dear to my heart for all time
They're dear to my heart for all time."
Jeff Barbra & Sarah Pirkle
 
First, a bit o' history.  While the origin of Mother's Day is likely rooted in ancient Greek or Roman festivals honoring goddesses, our own celebration probably traces back to 17th-century England, where Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. On this day, young men and women living away from home would return to visit their mothers, bringing with them small gifts or a "mothering cake" for the occasion. In 1907, Ana Jarvis persuaded her church in Grafton, West Virginia, to observe Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, which was the second Sunday in May.  Soon, local leaders began championing Jarvis' cause.  The idea of Mother's Day caught on and spread across the continent, and today, we honor special women all over the world.
 
Love, appreciation, and gratitude are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of the women who've had a profound influence on my life. They accept me for who I am where I am.  Their only wish is that I'm happy.  Lucky? Yes I am. In this month's newsletter I thought it fitting to honor my mom and my "ring" of beautiful friends. They've taught me a lot over the years.

Marie Hendrix
(My mom; 2001 Dachshund Club of America, Top Owner/Handler, Smooth Coat Dachshund, worldwide! humorist; illustrator; appreciator of nature; deep thinker) Be a strong woman. Moodiness isn't an option. You can't control what people think about you. The microwave oven was invented by saints but you can't put men in there. Casseroles can last all week. Leftovers are yummy. Never steal from the cookie jar and lie about it. Make your own bed. 

Jana Green
(longtime friend who helps me run my business; manages the San Marcos Fire Department; writer; lighthouse)
Be forthright. Stubborn is good. He who gossips to you will gossip of you. Be loyal. A file cabinet is your friend. Watch the delete key 'cause you can't always undo your actions. Humility is screwing up and going forward, and failure is staying off the horse and not rising to one's potential.
  
Cathy Fredrickson
(my soul-friend; teacher; poet; dancer)
Being happy is a choice. Life gives you poop now and then, but you can use it as fertilizer OR get a poop scoop and clean your yard. Love your body. Accept people for how they are. A clean house is sometimes the sign of a misspent life. The Tarragon spice can be used in almost any dish. You don't have to be the size of a toothpick to enjoy wearing a colorful swimsuit.

Marion Williamson
(guitar teacher; goat herder; composer; farmer)
Success is living life on your own terms without hurting others in the process. Musical purists are to be appreciated but not believed. Real musicians have day jobs, and real musicians don't have day jobs. Folk music is folks' music. Believe in your art and use boredom as a compass for change. High-interest credit cards were invented by devils. Do what you love and the money will follow (if you don't have high-interest credit cards).

Tammi Hendrix
(my sister; business owner; painter; appreciator of life; melodic laugher; music lover)
Don't judge. Laugh easy. Relax and open your home. Abstract is good. So are frosted mugs, barbecued ribs, sautéed onions, and fries. Enjoy the summer and go to the lake. Care for your pets. You are not what you do.
 
There's a great quote about a diamond being a chunk of coal that made good under pressure. No matter what life throws at these women, they all rise to the occasion. Each of them has enabled me to do the best I can under pressure by being there for me through the good times and the bad. Not every day can be grand. Some days are just plain bad. Some shows are, too. I try. I promise I do; but sometimes the show is almost out of my hands. Feedback in the monitors and a sound engineer who is deranged; dry mouth so bad my harmonica is crazy-glued to my lips; allergies; forgetting the verse and going to the chorus, while the band goes to the verse, thus derailing the soul train; a bad hair day causing my bangs to be super-glued with sweat to my eye balls; wind in the microphone; rooster fights and chicken wire (yes, I had a gig with this. The rooster was solo but strutting around the audience at a festival. These chicks in the front row egged the rooster on and soon enough my performance was a big yoke.  Oh, and it's a given that at shows like this, a musician I'm fond of and wanting to impress will surely be in the audience!); sun shining too hard on the instruments, thus making it hard to tune; nerves, bladder infections (in Texas, bathrooms in backstage areas are a rarity); mosquitoes and other bugs at outdoor events; a loud heckler; chasing down promoters who are deranged (maybe kin to the engineer?) only to find that they've forgotten their checkbook and can't pay me; travel logistics and weather; backstage snobbery; and last but not least, performing with a rock in my sock.
In honor of Mother's Day, I celebrate my "ring." They are the sunshine and the silver lining behind every cloud. They prove to me time and again that no matter what I do, they love me for who I am where I am. I used to jokingly call my mother "the last American housewife" because I was raised during the time when most women were going off to work, so staying at home with your children came with a stigma attached. Every road is different, and I'm proud of my mom for doing what she felt she needed to do to raise us. Every path she took, she did so out of love for us kids. How hard it must have been on her while my Dad was in Vietnam and we all were in San Antonio, holed up on 4414 Desert View with chicken pox.
Being a woman is a grand thing. These cherished souls have all taught me to embrace womanhood, wrinkles, varicose veins, and a little cellulite. It's all part of the fun process that comes with aging and living a full life. What matters most to me are my loved ones and my life's purpose. Bad shows will happen again. I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be. I'm fortunate, though. Because I have my "ring" who reminds me that there's always a time to laugh even when you're choking back tears. Who knows what life will throw at us? There are no guarantees. Wait, there is one sure thing: loved ones. Loved ones who remain steadfast in the changing tides. Loved ones who anchor our hearts as our souls drift and our dreams fray around the edges. Loved ones who remind us that if it were not for hopes, the heart would break.
Warm regards,
Terri

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