Someone needs you as much as you need them

Steve and Jeanne 2014 – my backyard in Southern California

Sometimes listening to that inner voice is just the medicine we need. For example, last night, I knew I should return an overdue phone call to a childhood neighbor friend. Yet, a voice inside me said, “No, you should call Steve.”

Steve is one of those longtime friends who answers the phone with a smile on his face and a heart full of love. Steve and I met more than 20 years ago when I was working for Countrywide and he was an event coordinator who helped manage some of our sales events. I fell in friendship love with him right away.

As luck or coincidence would have it, Steve was raised in my hometown of Baltimore. Not only that, he worked for the same clothing store (a different location) at the same time I did. We knew for sure we spoke on the phone whenever we had to order something from the sister store.

Funny, sharp, dashingly handsome with piercing blue eyes, and one of the best huggers around, Steve has a bigger than life personality. As he would say, “we’re both characters hon.” I’m Carole Burnett to his Harvey Korman. Teaching me my favorite phrase, “shut the front door,” he makes me laugh like no other.

Whenever I talk to Steve, he inspires me, encourages me, and makes me feel absolutely treasured. Feeling a little melancholy, perhaps due to the cooler temperatures or a case of the Monday blues, I wanted to talk to my Harvey Korman wingman. I wanted him to come through the telephone line and deliver the famous “snap out of” line that Cher’s character Loretta Castorini perfectly delivered in the movie Moonstruck.

Instead, I learned Steve needed to talk to me. I asked him “how are you doing?” He said, “Jeanne, honestly, I’m not sure. I’m struggling. You know how I love cooking, right? Well, I’d be happy if I never have to cook a flipping thing again!” With a chuckle, I said, “Yeah, I get it. I’m getting tired of it myself. It’s so hard Steve on everyone. Someone told me with this Covid thing, it’s like discovering you’re in the Twilight Zone and you find out you have the starring role!”

As we continued to talk about our individual struggles and our difficulties with focus (we both have a little bit of ADD – okay, maybe more than a little), we encouraged one another to focus on our passions. His is to return to acting. Mine is to finish my book and begin philanthropic work.

Turns out, it’s Steve’s birthday today. Welling with tears, he knew my call wasn’t just out of the blue. It was intentional. It was divine. I listened to my inner voice and it turned out it was the magic potion I needed to reset.

Listen to that voice. Make that call. Someone needs you as much as you need them. Happy birthday Steve!