Cold Soup - A Recipe for Happiness

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.

-- Barbara Bush


Cold Soup!…..I will get to it a little later and why I titled this Cold Soup.

This is my forty-somethingish blog entry. In writing these moments of life and thoughts about them they’ve for the most part been experiences or thoughts involving just me. This one is a little different for a couple of reasons 1) I wasn’t the only one experiencing this moment, and 2) the moment touched me deeply. With that said, writing this is not that easy because I know in words I can never truly convey what was experienced.

Thursday night seventeen of us from Total Safety, spouses included, met for dinner at the Mockingbird Bistro in Houston to honor Charlie Ripoll’s, a VP with us, for his 30th anniversary for service with the company. This was not only a salute to Charlie, but also to recognize and thank his wife Luisa. As we all know and the saying goes, ‘behind every great man is a great woman.’

It’s hard to write about Charlie, he is the kind of person you have to experience. New Orleans raised, speaks with a little cajun-drawl, Charlie embodies the spirit of the company. He’s the guy that pumps you up and when you leave his office you have more energy than when went into it. His heart is bigger than the State of Texas. He’s compassionate, a great mentor, and a beautiful soul.

Prior to dinner, our leader, Dave Fanta ceremoniously thanked Charlie and his wife for their 30 years. He whole-heartedly thanked Charlie for his important contributions to the organization and thanked Luisa for the support she has given him over the years.

As Charlie got up and spoke the appetizers were being served. A few had a crab special, a couple salads and I had onion soup. We were respectful and did not touch our plates to focus on what Charlie had to say, although Charlie, being considerate as always said for us to go ahead and start. We respectfully would not.

Charlie got up and spoke, thanking Dave for the support he has received from him and others. You see, in life’s twists and turns, things get thrown at us. Several months ago Luisa, while walking across a street, was hit by a car and suffered serious injuries. These injuries were so serious her life was endangered and when it was known she would make it, how well would she recover was a concern. The past year has been pretty tough on them, Charlie and Luisa have weathered the greatest part of the storm with their strong faith, love, love from family and friends, and prayers. And as you listen to Charlie talk and be thankful his support, it was moving.

Charlie went all around the table, thanked and complimented his co-workers only as Charlie could do, saying meaningful positive words about everyone. And if you met Charlie you’d notice one thing, he says more with less said. You know Charlie’s heart by looking into his eyes. When he looks at you he tells you he cares. He doesn’t need to say much to know he cares.

Charlie ended his thanks by thanking his wife. While standing at the end of the table, he looked down at his wife who was sitting to his left. And with everything in his heart he publicly thanked her for being there. Through thick and thin he thanked her, giving us examples of her steadfastness, support, and love throughout their relationship. It was very moving. Moving!

It was time to eat our appetizers and there was my soup. Cold onion soup. Anyone who has ever eaten out with me knows how picky I can be and I hate cold soup. There was no complaining. In fact I really didn’t care. What I just experienced was more important than soup. But I realized something else.

When I ate the soup I wasn’t focused on the temperature, I was focused on the taste. It was the best onion soup I ever ate. I enjoyed the richness of the taste.

As I think about life and that soup, how often do we not really focus on what is important and get hung up on outside things. Do we miss the taste because we focus on the temperature? Life is the taste, not the temperature.

The substance of life is what nourishes us, that which is important. As we sat around the table eating our dinner, what really nourished us was not the food, but the sharing of our spirit and soul, our compassion for one another.

We are a great company because of the soul of our company, because of people like Charlie Ripoll. I am a better person because of people like Charlie Ripoll. He nourishes my soul.

And when we can really understand this, to enjoy the taste of life, to understand how we are really nourished, we can live much happier lives. I challenge my daughter every Saturday when I see her leave for work teaching gymnastics, to ‘make a difference in someone’s life today’. To encourage that kid and make them feel better for the rest of the day. I guess I can say ‘go nourish someone.’

A bunch of people are starving out there……..we can make a difference.