Two weeks ago, my storage room -which is basically my garage - flooded. It wasn't as bad as many other families suffered but it was stressful and hurt my heart. A lot. Several toys and children's books had to be thrown away, as did a few precious baby clothes. These were things that were unimportant to anyone, other than me. As I swept and swept and swept out the water, I didn't seem to be making any headway. I found myself converting into a robotic mode of moving around the heavy duty push broom in an attempt to clear away all the water. I was failing miserably but I couldn't stop. I had crossed over into "crazy."

My children were trying to help but space was limited and there was only so much anyone could really do.  I felt hot tears streaming down my face and I worried the water would continue to fill the space, that the rain would never end, and that I would lose more dear items.  My daughter tried to take the broom away, but I stubbornly held on.  My neighbors showed up and saw my delimma, as well as my crazed state; their care and concern quickly transformed into action.  With WetVac in hand, my neighbor, Tim, quickly cleared away the uninvited four-inch deep pool. 

He and his lovely wife helped us move things around.  He showed us how to use and empty the WetVac and said we could keep it as long as we needed it.  Good thing, because that first day required its use ten times.  After five days, the area had dried completely and the walls stopped seeping.  Our friends stopped by several more times to make sure we were ok and wondering if there was anything else they could do for us.  Pride is not the best attribute during times of crisis - or ever, really.  I let go of my pride, accepted the help and we were blessed as a result.  Where a door closes, a window opens, right?

Over the last couple of years writing Bonus Track, I have had the opportunity to interview some pretty incredible people.  I will be re-visitng a few of them to see how things are, how they weathered the economy and if the industry has been kind.  One such person was Martin Buckland of Elite Resumes.  A friend recently contacted me through Facebook asking if I knew anyone that was an expert resume writer.  I instantly recalled my conversation with Martin and referred her to him, stating that I would send his contact info over soon.  My friend, Dayna, didn't wait - she did a quick Google search and found Martin right away.  They set up an appointment and I am sure she will be pleased with his work.

Within an hour or so, Martin sent me a message through LinkedIn, thanking me for the referral and asking if there was anything he could do for me.  I love this.  I love the pudding that is proving the power of social media.  I love that manners and appreciation are alive and well, even in social media.  In a time when helping others should be second nature, it really isn't.  In an arena when the ease of doing business and sharing referrals should be commonplace, they are not.  Change is good, letting go of pride is good, saying "thank you" is good.  And sometimes, good is good enough. 

by rayannethorn