Saved By A Blueberry Pie November 2013 One of our close friends had us laughing recently when she told a story of a trip and fall incident that could have resulted in injury but ended up with a humorous twist. While walking back to her car after a quick visit to the grocery store, she tripped over something on the sidewalk and began to fall forward. The groceries she had in hand went flying but somehow a blueberry pie she had bought for dessert that evening strategically fell to the sidewalk in the exact location that her outreached hand went to break her fall. Ironically the pie took the brunt of her encounter, and both our friend and the pie sustained minimal damage. We joked that it's the first time any of us can remember where comfort food served as a protective device. All of us trip and fall at some point in our lives, and the fall is not necessarily one that causes us to skin our knee. Bad choices in relationships, careers, investments, health matters, and sometimes just sheer misfortune can create hazards for our mental and physical well-being. The important thing is having people around you to break your fall and help you back on your feet. Nowhere was this more evident to me than during a recent engagement. Last month, I was asked to provide some career counseling to a young man who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma shortly after graduating college. He spent the last few years trying to build his career while undergoing treatment for the disease. Fortunately, he now appears to be cancer free, and his life and career are back on track. He told me that the experience has enabled him to look at life much differently, and he believes he is now more positive and buoyant than ever before. During our discussion we reviewed some commonly asked interview questions; one of which was, "Tell me about the biggest challenge you ever faced." Clearly this young man's answer to the question will be one that will impress any interviewer and likely be a response he or she has never heard before. His experience, although much more traumatic than my friend's encounter with the pie, was similar in that those closest to him helped break his fall as he coped with his illness. His family and friends were there to prop him up when he first learned of the diagnosis, and their love and support kept him from falling into a state of depression and self- pity during the long course of treatment. He emerged from the ordeal stronger than ever before and with a new-found appreciation for the things in life that really matter. His story makes me thankful for the "blueberry pies" in my life, and I hope all of you take the time to reflect on yours at this special time of the year. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.