Childhood Friends

I had the great fortune of recently delivering a Game On Nation training at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA.

It was a room full of incredibly bright, and caring, and accomplished doctors. And although I rarely pick favorites during a session, the one attendee that stood out amongst these high-performing, industry leaders, was Dr. Frances Pang, who also happens to be one of my favorite... Childhood Friends.

Frances is a well-respected pediatrician, and she convinced the planning committee to bring her buddy from elementary school in to facilitate a day long training focused on “Cultivating Authentic Connect”.

And in the spirit of that topic, the first slide in my presentation was our school pictures from junior high. This image (also included in this blog) was taken in 1983 when we were just two quirky kids from West Covina, doing school and life together, in a caring community, authentically connecting.

I am so thankful for this kind, brilliant, funny, innovative, creative, gifted pediatrician, wife, mother, and friend, who has had my back since we were just Franny and Stevie, navigating elementary and junior high school together, way back when.

As leaders, teachers, coaches, presenters, I encourage us all to take a moment to reflect back on those individuals who stood and sat by us when there was nothing to gain other than being able to do school, and sports, and art, and music, and projects, and assignments, and recess, and lunch, and life together.

With all that said, and with Franny and Stevie’s childhood done, I’m beyond blessed to have had this experience to reconnect with one of my favorite... Childhood Friends.

Friendships Still On.

Game On.