Blessing #23- Wife of the Year

In December, I mentioned my qualifications for Mother of the Year. Well, I waited by the mailbox for my trophy, but it never came. I think I may have mixed up my Mother of the Year submission with my letter to Santa. That would explain the lump of coal I found in my stocking.

I know that 2011 is only seventeen days old, but I am declaring myself “Wife of the Year.” It’s over, no other applicants needed. Why do I make this bold assumption?

It all started two weeks ago. We received an e-mail from Goodwill of Delaware (yes,we are on their maling list) about their “Wardrobe Makeover” auditions. Here’s what it said…

Are you interested in receiving a complimentary “wardrobe makeover” with fashionable items from Goodwill while also appearing in the next Goodwill commercial? Tell us in 100 words or less why you would benefit from a session with our fashion consultant and why your story is unique.
If you are creative and we like your story, we’ll be holding auditions on Friday, January 14th at Goodwill’s Wilmington, Delaware offices (300 E. Lea Boulevard). You and your new outfit could be featured in our next commercial, which will be airing in February.

After I read it, I knew I had to enter for Shad. Getting him into a Goodwill commercial would be one of the coolest things I could do for him. So I sent in an e-mail describing Shad’s love of Goodwill. Don’t get me wrong, I love Goodwill, but he is a Goodwillaholic. Goodwillin’ is his hobby. In order to make it a surprise, I deleted the original e-mail from Goodwill. A few days later, I got a congratulations e-mail notifying us that we had earned a chance to audition for the commercial. After I read the congratulations e-mail, I calmly handed the laptop to Shad and said, “Happy early Valentine’s Day!” He read it, and I then explained what I had done. He was thrilled, and couldn’t wait for the audition.

On Friday, we went to Goodwill of Delaware’s main office to audition for the commercial. When we arrived for our audition, Ted, the marketing director brought us into a room with a big conference table. Sadly, my day was made just getting to sit at a big conference table. I had the overwhelming urge to shout, “You’re fired!“ (It's the small things for me.) They asked us all kinds of questions about why we should be in the commercial. It was very fun to have the opportunity to nerd out about one of our favorite places.

We also learned more about the mission of Goodwill and many of the programs they provide including job placement, job coaching, mentoring for teens, and family strengthening through education. You can read about that here. I love supporting companies that do good for others, and that's Goodwill's sole mission! When I shop at Goodwill, I help them accomplish their mission (in the picture below) to improve lives through the "Power of work." Then Goodwill helps me through the "Power of the Deal." It's a win-win!

When we left, we felt great about our audition, but we did not know what would happen. Later that day, I got a phone call telling us that we got a spot in the Goodwill commercial. After doing my happy dance, I called Shad who was out running errands. When he picked up, I asked, “Where are you.” He answered, “Goodwill.” (shocker) I then said, “Why don’t you let them know you are going to be in their next commercial.” He couldn't believe it. We go to the taping in a week!

So that is why I am self-declared wife of the year, and I think I earned it. Shad even agrees, and I guess his vote is the one that really counts.

***I blog about what’s on my mind, and, to be honest, this commercial is all that’s on my mind right now. Therefore, I am declaring this week “The Week of Goodwill” on Calculating Blessings. Every post (except Project Life) will be Goodwill related! Stay tuned.