I knew from the first moment that I was hearing from God on this. It wasn’t just me seeing someone who seemed nice to know, had a great smile, and might be a good connection for me. I felt it in my very core. “Kathy, I want you to meet this woman.”

But day one had a lot of new things going on- so I focused on the people at my table and said, “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Tomorrow came- and I had that sense again. I looked over during a break, and she was sitting alone, so I headed over to her table. Just then, someone else scooted in beside her, and they immediately engaged in conversation. Oh well- maybe later.

But…you know the story. Later didn’t come.

Recently, I asked a couple of women why they joined one of my coaching groups.
One said with a smile on her face, “Because Kathy Burrus kept badgering me.”
Another said, “You insisted strongly… I didn’t think I could do it, but you kept encouraging me.”

Hmm? That smade me wonder. I found myself asking God,

“Am I badgering women? Am I being pushy or manipulative?”

The truth? Maybe. At least, that’s how it felt from their side.

While I did question my motivation, here’s what I know deep in my bones:…

I sat with her words still echoing in my mind: “I don’t know if I’ll ever feel joy again.”
This woman wasn’t a client. She was my mentor. Only for this conversation, I was the ‘older woman’. My daughter had died 15 years before hers.

Still I didn’t have a quick answer.

In truth, I’ve asked the same thing. Through grief. Through chronic illness. Through deep, soul-level weariness, I’ve wondered if joy would ever return.

But today, something simple happened. I went to make tea.