Craig

A quality I possess that I am most proud of is my ability to not hold a grudge.  I forgive.  And pretty easily.  I know people close to me that hold grudges, harbor resentment and are angry.  It's like a poison that festers.  I am so glad that is not in my nature.

Labor Day weekend in 1991, a close friend and I had a falling out.  She did something that completely hurt my feelings.  Something I would never do to a friend.  When I tried to talk to her about how she made me feel, she turned the whole situation around and blamed me.  Told me that I was completely selfish and she could not believe that I could feel that way.  I was shocked that she and I could be so completely opposite in our views.  We didn't speak for a couple of weeks.  Finally, I decided enough was enough.  Seriously, for how much longer was this going to go on?  I decided to take the high road, be the bigger person and make the first move to mend our relationship.  I walked into her office.  I know she was surprised to see me.  I told her that this was silly...blah, blah, blah...that we were too good of friends to allow this to affect our friendship.  She agreed.  So, I asked her, "So, what are you doing tonight?"  That night, we went to Monday Night Football at La Cantina at La Quinta Hotel (it doesn't exist anymore).  Cowboys and Redskins were playing.  At halftime, we were walking to the bathroom, when we passed a group of guys.  My friend waved to one of them.  "Who's that?" I asked.  "Oh, don't you know him?  That's Craig Freeman.  Robin and Jeff's brother."  I mentioned how cute he was.  And then she introduced us.  And that was pretty much it.  He was Cowboys fan, from Oklahoma, a golfer, had a job, had a car and was a genuinely nice, good, good person.  

Craig was working at Moreno Valley Ranch at the time as an assistant pro.  He was in town playing in a golf tournament.  We started seeing each other from that night and we were married 2 years later in a beautiful candlelit ceremony at Mission Hills Country Club.  A year later, Chandler was born and then Rylee came along.  Both of them, the lights of my life.  (More on them, later.)  See, people?  Forgive more easily...it only brings good things in return.  :)

Over the next few years, Craig ended up getting his first Head Pro job and I left La Quinta where I was then doing the buying for the pro shop and went to work at Palm Valley Country Club.  I was the buyer for the golf, tennis and spa shops.  After about 10 years of working retail, I began to burn out.  A new job fell into my lap.  I went to work for a builder in his design center.  I had absolutely no experience in this field.  I was initially hired to fax, file and copy orders.  I was working less hours and making more money.  Eventually, I started working with clients and helped coordinate finishes for their new homes.  It was a great job and I loved it!  We bought a new house, Craig and I both had good jobs and life was good!