Dear Reader:

When we were all in the school…the only quotient that appeared to be important was one called our “I.Q.” ...Intelligence Quotient. 

Teachers always seemed to be impressed with the students’ school records that showed a high I. Q. (Intelligence Quotient) They would brag about how many students they had that year with above average I.Q’s. It was going to be a good year.

It takes some time to realize… after we leave school behind…that the strong emphasis on our I.Q. numbers was misplaced….there is another quotient that is much more reliable at predicting our success in life.

It is called our “A.Q.” Adversity Quotient.   The higher the level…the more tolerance and endurance we show for the adversities life is going to throw at us. Unfortunately, in education test assessors prefer the objective intelligence quotient assessments over the more subjective adversity quotient.

Education gets so caught up in crunching statistics concerning curriculum scores that it forgets the basic reason for school and learning…to prepare students for the world they will enter…and we all know that world is filled with adversities.

While trying to think of a title photo to match the message in this blog post…”Big Red” immediately sprang to mind. Here is a red geranium, given to me about this time, seven years ago, following my first biopsy/mastectomy.

It was a gift which arrived the day I returned home from the hospital in 2008…and ever since… the geranium has persevered through over-watering crises, forgetting to water crises, and forgetting to bring it inside frozen crises.

“Big Red” has lost leaves, color, and most of its limbs (to a hard freeze last year)…but it still perseveres…it’s “A.Q” is extremely high. In fact “Big Red” has been my mentor through all the treatments surrounding my medical problems and is still alive and well today.

If we stop a minute and think…we can all recall that student from school that cruised through all the math and science courses that were kicking everyone else’s arses. Everything came easy, it appeared, to this student. Good athlete, popular, and extremely smart.

So we are shocked (at the first 10 year reunion) when we hear that this particular colleague has had a nervous break-down when he/she failed a course in college, didn’t pass the BAR, was diagnosed with a serious disease, marriage disintegrated, or was fired.

Everything had come so easy, it appeared, to this individual…what happened? Everything had come TOO easy to this individual. He/she wasn’t prepared for the unknown adversities that lurked in the big world we call home.

He/she hadn’t been taught that the two most important tools one must carry through life are perseverance and faith.

I was blessed in this way…as tough as it was going through much tragic loss in my family so early on….I was able to watch my mother’s “A.Q” soar into the sky. She could do more with one hand than I have ever been able to do with two. Determination, perseverance, and faith drove mother to succeed in life beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.

Today there is a new term researchers use for another indicator for success in life….social connectedness. (Source: Dancing/Journey/ Kate Wolf-Jenson)

“Social connectedness” describes the quality and number of associations we have with other people. Those with higher scores get sick less often, have higher self-esteem and empathy, better emotional regulation skills, lower rates of anxiety and depression. In other words, they are healthier, happier and lead longer lives. This is one of those common-sense-borne-out-by-research notions.

Here’s what’s lovely: it’s our subjective sense of connection, not the actual number of friends, that’s important. It is the close friends who we talk to daily that help us define and see ourselves more positively through their eyes and encouragement.

Sadly…having lots of “friends” on Facebook will never bring the same satisfaction than that one friend who makes him/herself available at a moment’s notice for you…through good times and bad.

We must stay connected to community, close friends and family, nature, and persons who share our inner beliefs that we are all connected as children of our universe through our Creator.

These are the connections that will raise our “A.Q.” levels and help us find our way through life.

So until tomorrow …”Never give up”….God hasn’t… so neither should we…just keep on keeping on. LIFE IS WORTH IT!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* I love how the morning glories are climbing the fence…so beautiful! They make me smile each morning!

* Anne found the perfect scripture for the blog post: To Bear Fruit for as Long as We Can

Psalm 92:12-15
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord,they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Some of you mentioned that the remarks I made about Lucy didn’t show up on Saturday’s blog….so here they are: (I just realized that Lucy, too, had a very high “A.Q.” !)

“In Memoriam”

To Lucy…the little cat who adopted me and taught me many lessons about trust and perseverance…she overcame many personal “rusty nails” (life’s jolts) but always brought fruits of unconditional love to all she met. I will miss you my little friend but I will remember you with love and picture you romping through the fields…young and vibrant and alive once again.

* A Fun in the Sun Summer Day for Rutledge with his first popsicle…Lathlan is growing like the weeds in my garden!