Hi, everyone. Welcome to Thanks for being here, a short weekly pod to remind us of the many

essential and beautiful ways we affect one another. Every Sunday, I'll read a submission from a

listener of Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Could be wedding vows or a bat mitzvah toast, a eulogy, or

retirement speech. We believe this is probably the loveliest way to tap into our better selves and remember

our highest values.

We encourage you to share this podcast each week with one person you love.

Maybe someone you miss and need to bring closer, someone you want to feel your appreciation

or admiration or both.

This is thanks for being here.

This week's thanks for being here is from a listener named Courtney Ritzinski.

Hi Kelly, I so enjoyed your keynote speech at the recent Irma

Bombeck conference. One of my favorite lines of yours, things happen when you leave the house.

So true. You mentioned that your podcast accepted essay submissions for your Sunday shows,

and so I wanted to send what I wrote after losing my mother, who lived with us for four years,

and what I will always remember about our time together. Thanks for all you do, putting humor and kindness into the

world, warmly, Courtney Ritzinski. Here's what Courtney wrote about her mother. My life forever changed

one May 18th with the passing of my sweet mama.

She was almost 90 years old and I'm so glad I got to have her in my life for so long.

She lived her last four years with us, which was always her dream and plan.

She moved twice over my married years each time moving closer, and I joke that she'd keep moving until

she was actually in our home, and that's what she did. I realized going through her things that she got

rid of most of all her earthly possessions, not only to be able to move into the one room we had

...