Sweeper Pageant!

Wow!  What an amazing group of ladies who competed at the Sweeper Pageant tonight!  And how incredibly wonderful to meet and see again so many incredible women I have the privilege of sharing titles with.

The Sweeper Pageant is where all the ladies who have competed in Miss Washington in previous years, or who placed in a runner up position earlier this year, get one last chance at a spot in the Miss Washington pageant for the current year.  Tonight, 20 fabulous ladies competed for the last five slots in the Miss Washington class of 2012.  And the winners are….Ramya Ramanathan, Kara Jo Morris, Salina Ellison, Jordan Donahue, and Daniela Ferrell!  I look forward to getting to know each of them!

It was so very neat to sit with the beautiful Miss Columbia Basin, Miss Eastside and Miss Moses Lake Teen, and watch as many of our friends (some of whom we ran with a few weeks ago) graced the stage.  There was one particular contestant I had my eye on, though: Shannon Tuohy.  I have not known Shannon long, but have been absolutely blown away by her spirit in the time I have.  She represents an inspiring combination of beauty, intelligence, grace and kindness, and I am so very thrilled to claim her as my new found “soul sister” (or “bosom friend”, from Anne of Green Gables, as she texted me tonight).  After representing herself and her Lord incredibly well on stage (and I can only be sure backstage as well), she took first runner-up.

 With the Beautiful Shannon Tuohy

As I am riding home to Spokane this evening (thinking about the outcome of tonight and studying for tomorrow’s exams as a friend drives), I just got a call from my dear friend Ginger.  I worked with and trained Ginger in the neuroscience research lab at Western Washington University, and there was one particular incident during her training, about a year ago, in which a large mistake was made.  In the wake of the mistake, it was left to me to handle the consequences both within the research and in talking Ginger through the mistake.  I remember well the deep breath I took and prayer I said before handling the situation in as calm, supportive and reasonable manner as I could.  Ginger called this evening to say that she is in the middle of training an up and coming researcher (much like I trained her a year ago), and that that trainee made a very large mistake this evening.  Ginger explained how she vividly recalled her appreciation for the way in which I dealt with her situation, and wanted to relay the impact that my reaction and support has had on her to this day.

Both Shannon and Ginger remind me tonight that what is important in life is not always winning.  It is not always about the awards we take home or the items on our resumé, but it is about the way we impact the lives around us.  It can be easy to forget this in the stress of our surroundings, but I thank these two wonderful friends for reminding me once again tonight.