Amy Swaney, CMB ~ Citywide Home Loans ~ NMLS#209752 ~ BK#0116254

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Hand and The Glove and What the VA???

For the past several months I have had the extraordinary pleasure of teaching Sunday school to a remarkable group of 14-15 year old girls at our church. Ironically, the Sunday that proceeded my surgery the lesson was to teach these girls about how each individual is divine and eternal. Basically, it was the standard "what is beautiful on the inside is what is important." Yet this was a profound learning experience to me and somewhat apropos in that the following Friday I would endure a surgery that would, by all accounts, disfigure my body at least we hoped for the short term. My daughter Elli, who is way beyond her 11 years, found the object lesson that I used to relate to the girls, particularly interesting.

The lesson called for several different varieties of gloves, i.e., work gloves, leather gloves, bike gloves, winter gloves etc. Each girl was asked to put on a different glove and tell the purpose of that glove to the group; the consensus being that no matter the glove chosen the only purpose of that glove is to protect and cover the hand. You see, without the hand, the glove has no function, no objective. In other words, what is on the inside is really the part that matters, not at all what covers it on the outside. So no matter what the glove looked like, how pretty, how utile, or how many bells and whistles it had, without the hand underneath, the glove was without usefulness. I guess what they say about "be careful what you wish for" is an understatement because I very much wanted my daughter to understand this concept

It has been a particularly tough few weeks at my house. As chemo ended, one would think the effects would end as well. So just tuck this little nugget of knowledge away for future reference...it's not the case. The neuropathy is still hanging in there and in a cruel joke, there are areas of my hands and feet that actually look and feel as if I have burned myself from the inside out, complete with the dryness, the darkening spots and let's not forget the peeling of the dead skin. If that weren't enough, as an added bonus, my eyebrows and eyelashes waited until AFTER I finished chemo to fall out. So with my fuzzy head and my hairless face and if I walk with a slight limp, I could easily pass for Marty Feldman in his role as Igor in Mel Brooks, "Young Frankenstein."

In addition to these lovely treats, I am home from a bi-lateral mastectomy, with its accompanying wounds and scarring, so I have to say I have been a tad self-conscious. It seems every day as I get up and look in the mirror and my smile starts to fade as the reality of my current juncture of life looks back at me, without fail, there stands my 11 year old reminding me..."It's not about the glove, Mom, it's about the hand."

What can I say, my preference would obviously be an exquisite pair of cashmere lined Italian leather gloves at this point in my life, but as my articulate and intelligent daughter points out, the worn out, weathered ill-fitting work gloves that I have been given have done its job because these gloves made sure they fulfilled their purpose...to protect what is on the inside. In fact these gloves worked overtime to make sure I was reminded about the real importance of the "hand."

What a lesson I have learned about the importance of what's on the inside. The graciousness of those who hardly knew me and some that didn't know me at all, took the time to go out of their way to make me feel special. The customers and clients who knew of my struggles continued to support me even with the knowledge that there might be small trials along the way. Business professionals who knew that a phone call and a desire to do what was right meant more than the easy way out...no matter how hard that phone call was to make. Those who just took the time to say hello and that they have been thinking of me. Those who went the extra mile to help someone in need even when it meant some sacrifice on their part.

A mink fur, hot pink imported designer glove would be great, but without the correct hand underneath, it will not do any of these things that really are important. They don't go out of their way to try to make your life better without regard to how it benefits theirs. I hope I have learned to make sure I put my best "hand" forward, in all I do. Wayne Dyer reminds us, "I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside."

Professionally I think am faced with this concept all the time. Where do I want to refer my business? Who do I want to do business with? Does the flash matter? Is it the latest and greatest trend that I want to chase after or is it the one who through all the easy and tough times works to make sure the job gets done? Do I give my best and do what is right through the good and the bad times?

Although the glove I wear right now might not be my first choice, it is worn and it is tattered yet I feel so lucky. I am alive and on the mend. My pathology reports from surgery have confirmed very excellent results. The invasive cancer was minimal, only one of my lymph nodes of the 11 taken was positive for cancer, which was successfully killed by the chemo and finally the large mass of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) was removed. Although the pain of surgery still remains and will continue for a while, I have been given good drugs...ha ha... and there will only be a very small area where radiation will be required. I guess these old work gloves are the ones I needed and I will hold thems close tomy heart.

Thank you again for your continued inspiration and especially your support and business and I hope you have a GREAT week.

Amy


The VA Changes it's Funding Fee, then changes it again and then again...


Loan Fee Structure for VA-Guaranteed Loans


The President signed HR 2646, Veterans Health Facilities Act Capital Improvement Act of 2011 on October 5, 2011.


The bill included a provision resulting in the VA Funding Fees reverting to the same rates that existed prior to the announcement October 1, 2011 for loans closed October 6, 2011 through and including November 17, 2011.

For simplification of what the funding fee is based upon closing dates I have incuded a VA FUNDING FEE CHART here.

Possibility of Future Funding Fee Changes. VA believes it likely that Congress will pass other legislation in the coming weeks that will make additional changes to the funding fee structure. Should this occur, VA will immediately publish a notice on www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans


Ha Ha

If you want to know more about paranoids, follow them around.