My Bill Clinton Story PART II
This post is the second part of a three-part story. You can read the first part here.
"That's a great story. Thank you so much for sharing," said my friend as we washed the dishes and prepared to cook the second-course dish. At that point, I said, "This story with the President doesn't end here; it picks up again two years later..."
An example of another Fish dish experience I enjoyed in Iceland. When you go, try the fish!
Before I continued the story, my friend and I cooked the second course under the guidance of our instructor. As a kid from the Canadian prairies, I don't usually gravitate to fish. Still, cooking in Reykjavík provided me with an opportunity to look at food from a different point of view. With the right ingredients and some easy-to-learn techniques, cold-water fish can be incredibly satisfying. In this case, the dish was Cod, caramelized pearl onions, cooked barley over a refreshing celeriac puree. It was great, but my conversations with my new Texas Rancher friend were even better.
"So I want to hear the next part of your story," she said, leaning forward . So I continued.
"Sadly, my Mom did pass away not long after she had received the note from Bill Clinton. She was 47 years old. Her battle with cancer was fierce but very brief. She was completely healthy in January but passed away in April. When you lose Family, you do your best to give yourself space and re-build your life. With the help of friends, you also do what you can to try and make sense of what had just happened." My friend nodded and listened intently; I could see why she had been so successful as a host. I told her that just over a year later, my Dad, a local singer/songwriter in Edmonton, wrote and produced a new album as a tribute to my Mom. He also wanted to thank as many people as he could for the love and support we all received, and one of those individuals was Bill Clinton.
My Dad wrote back to President Clinton. It was a simple letter to say thank you, and he also included a copy of the album. I'm certain that my Dad didn't expect anything in return; his only intention was to reach out and thank him for encouraging us as a family.
Then a few months's later, in early 2008, while collecting the mail, my Dad noticed another envelope indicating it contained presidential correspondence. The 42nd President of the United States had written back. Again, kindness and thoughtfulness that we did not expect or feel in any way that we were entitled to. In the years since it's served as a reminder to me that I can find time to connect and reconnect with people. If Bill Clinton can find time and resources to write Canadians living in Edmonton, Alberta, I can find time to connect directly with Family, friends, coworkers, guests, and clients. I've found that when I audit my time and see how I spend it, I can easily reprioritize to focus on people.
My friend smiled once more and said, "You know Jordan, that's an amazing story, and I believe every word of what you've just said because I have a story of my own. Would you like to hear it?" Of course, I did! What are the odds of someone from Edmonton and a Texas Rancher meeting in Iceland together and both having Bill Clinton stories?
She sat back in her chair and began, "It was 2011, and President Clinton was a speaker at the 9-11 Memorial for United Flight 93...."
To Be Concluded….
On September 3, 2021