As we go about our lives, we encounter many people. Some we call friends others are merely acquaintances. As the years pass, we learn that those we identified as friends, perhaps were only friends for a season. However, at some points in our life we are blessed to encounter those who are real game-changers in our lives. Often times, these are the ones that seem to settle below the radar, they are not arrogant, they are not attention seekers, they can speak volumes without saying many words. Recently, I've come to know such a person. I wasn't looking for a person to impact my life, I was just going about my business. Then, by chance, I bumped into her in a nearby coffee shop. We engaged in a somewhat light-hearted conversation at first but soon she began to ask thought- provoking questions, not that there was anything wrong with that but what struck me most was how attentively she listened. Over the course of the next hour and a half to two hours she continued to engage me simply by listening to me. I had never experienced this in any conversation (unless it was a job interview, lolol) but what occurred to me was what she was communicating to me without words. She continued to listen attentively, gently, without judgment, through empathic eye contact, all in such a way that I felt she really cared for me, she cared about me. Since then I have come to learn of her beautiful heart that truly loves and cares for others and is selfless in nature. I've had the privilege of watching how others communicate with her and the respect they show for her and all I can think of is how blessed we are that she has poured into our lives and we have had the blessing of knowing her. She is a woman, a person, that everyone should know or at least have someone like her in their life. As for me, she is a gift from God and as with any gift I am thankful for how she's poured into my life. For those that do know her, it's easy to guess who she is for those that don't know her I hope someday you will cross paths with her. Her name is Cynthia Concordia and she is one of a kind! Cynthia, thank you for making me want to be the best I can be!