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Good Company

Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #74, November/December 1997

In the 1940s, my father would hitchhike from college in California to Cleveland, Ohio, to visit his sweetheart, my mother. He couldn’t offer to pay the driver for gas, but he could offer something else. He carried a handmade sign that he held up to each passing car. It said “Good Company.”

One of the important perquisites of doing La Leche League work beyond Group responsibilities is the fellowship with other LLL women. We are members of an Area Council Team or USWD staff, yet we often engage in solitary volunteer work. Even with phone calls, high-speed fazes, and e-mail, we really need to spend time face to face with each other.

In April, I met with four other USWD editors in Portland, Oregon. Oh, the irrepressible comfort and joy of sitting down with other people who share your expertise, commitment, and focus! What a delight to sit with other Leaders doing the kind of work you do at a kitchen table, sharing comments, bagels, and the coffee pot! What a treat for all of us to descend on Office Depot and drool together over the office products that editors love!

One afternoon we took off in Judy Minami’s Blazer to check out the Columbia Gorge with its primeval forest and numerous waterfalls. We thrilled to the serendipity of pulling up on a wedding in progress at a scenic turnout and standing in the mist and rain snapping photographs at Multnomah Falls. We ate dinner in a gorgeous glassed-in dining room at the lodge beneath the falls and then shopped for souvenirs for our families and secret pals. These experiences are sustenance to the soul. Their refueling value for the work and challenges ahead is priceless. Whether it’s a District Workshop, an Area Council Meeting, a Regional Meeting, Area of LLLI Conference, or next summer’s USWD TEAM Meeting, the investment in human relationships makes the time and energy I give every week worthwhile, fun, and deeply meaningful.

My father’s sign was a promise to travelers on the highway. La Leche League fellowship also makes the journey warm and appreciative. I hope you also find good company in the important work you do.

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