Apologizing for WHAT?

I recently met a fascinating woman.

Dancing on the edge of "retirement age," Elizabeth* was tall, sinewy, alert to irony, bright-eyed. An enjoyable conversationalist, she drew me into the story of her life. (* real name has been changed for this post).

I could imagine her 40 years ago~ young, artistic, beautiful and beguiling. She, an independent Swedish blonde traveling on business -- not looking for a man -- met an American working in England.

They fell for each other, married, and later moved to the states. Home for him, and a world away for her.

Many years traveling with her husband and living overseas offered her a smorgasbord of experiences most of us merely read about in Conde' Nast. The stories of her artistic pursuits conjure images of a free spirited soul living out her unique calling with panache'.

She even studied for six years under a Sen-Sei the art of Ikebana, Japanese Floral Arranging, and became a master in her own right. And given a Japanese Flower name to recognize her master status.

The drama of her life's story is one that really could read like a novel. I'd LOVE to read a novel like it...

But here is the sad part.

Within minutes of meeting me, she apologized. And not for committing any offense.

We met at an after-hours networking event for "female executives." (I'm hardly an executive! But hey, if I can get out and have a Martini with some interesting women once in awhile, I sieze the moment.)

She apologized for not "having a job," or the business card to go with it.

Truly, I could see her discomfort in trying to explain to me the meaning and value of her life, detached from some title and income stream. Those external signs of independence and worth, which define so many of us, could not define this glorious woman.

Thinking about her makes me want to have a different kind of "card."

Life is my business. It's yours, and everyone else's too. Maybe we should all carry a"Life Card" which we give out: It can tell people what is magnanimous, unique, and worth celebrating about us.

I hope we can come to that place where we never apologize for a life beautifully lived. Our worth does not come from our jobs, but from the God-given nature of our unfolding life-stories, which each have the power to inspire someone else. May the stories be told, heard, cherished and encouraged.

You are beautiful. Your life is the gift. Whether you have a job or not.