There isn’t an Elvis Costello fan out there who wouldn’t know the song, “Alison”.  I can listen to it over and over again even if there isn’t a single verse in that song that relates to me.  Maybe because whenever I hear “Alison”, I remember the first time I had ever heard of Elvis Costello - college freshman year.  This gorgeous girl named Allison was being serenaded by half the men’s soccer team (who were also gorgeous) and I remember wishing my name was Allison. 

Since then, every Allison I meet, I always ask if they know the song. I’m sure they roll their eyes like every Layla does when they are asked if they’ve ever heard the song “Layla” by Eric Clapton. I can’t remember if I asked my friend Allison about the song when I met her during my second year in MN. We were linked by a USD sweatshirt that my mom wore when she visited my two year old daughter’s pre-school class. I was excited to have a California connection in Minnesota - even though Allison was originally from Northern CA and her husband, a MN native, graduated from USD ten years after I did.  Allison and I bonded pretty quickly because we were the unlucky ones who did not get the coveted Teacher Lisa as our pre-school teacher for our kids. Even though we had a total dud of a teacher, the silver lining is that Allison and I had a good time getting to know each other. Soon more common threads came together and we found out that Allison and I hung out with some of the same friends.  Seven of us formed a Diner’s Club getting together to try out the menus at the newest restaurants in town. It was supper fun! (a pun, not a typo)

The Diner’s Club continued to have more kids.  I stopped at two but Allison kept going and going.  Always pregnant, she was always the designated driver but never complained. Allison is the mom who continues to host playdates and takes kids off of our hands so that we could get stuff done.  The mom of four plans ahead and invites my kids over when she knows I have a lot going on. She’s always offering to give moms like me some free time because apparently she has a storage full of free time that she is hiding from the rest of the world.

Allison drops off thoughtful pinches so often that my thank you cards can never catch up. When she learned that I was going thru a rough time because one of my oldest and closest friends attempted suicide there were flowers for me immediately on my doorstep. When she went to the Philippines she brought us back dried mango, banana chips and Hello Kitty pens from her layover. When Allison learned that my mom was moving in with me she came over with a care package that was just darling.  She drops off bottles of lotion, candles, chocolate-free treats for me, flowers for my birthday and flowers when my cousin Pia died. She sends texts with thoughtful notes that either wish me luck, congrats or checks in. Last year, on their first trip alone as a married couple (she and her husband skipped their honeymoon) she thought of my daughter and got an autographed copy of "Shiela the Great" by Judy Blume who was also in Key West. 

Allison’s husband, who I’m lucky to have as a supporter of my blog, actually thanked me for mentioning his wife in my blog a couple of weeks ago. I thought to myself, “If he only knew what lies ahead.”  Because I had been writing this very post in my head for over a year. With her permission, Allison will be a prototype for an app that I have had in mind ever since August 30, 2010. I wrote down an idea on that day that will compliment my Thoughtful Pinch blog so perfectly it’s almost SCARY. The reason why Allison would make the perfect prototype is because I know that she does sweet things for more than just the teachers and me. I can bet many would agree, she is such a thoughtful person.  Even if you didn’t know Allison before you read this post you’d agree, right? 

More than just wishing my name was Allison back in 1987, I want to be the Allison who has a hidden storage full of free time and gives these thoughtful pinches as easily as she does.  I’m telling you, the Thoughtful Pinch app will take care of this.  So I’m putting it out there in the universe today, June 6, 2017 that this app will exist and it will leave a positive footprint. Everyone is thoughtful. Sometimes we need inspiration to show it. I’d appreciate any positive juju you can send my way.  Stay tuned! 

Allison, with two L’s, my aim is true.

Pinches,

Barb