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BE PART OF THE LEGACY

TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

Love

–A special series of distraction stories

Written during the Corona Virus Pandemic with the hope of bringing a smile to someone’s face – or at least provide a short distraction during these challenging times. Stories are created based on one-word prompts that were submitted by friends. Each friend is assigned a character name and I develop a short fictitious story that integrates and upholds the word.

Mitzi Bennett: Love

The wind was raising a ruckus outside, and Mitzi could see the leftover leaves swirling by as she stared out the living room window. She marveled at how, each Spring, they cleverly unburied themselves from winter’s blanket. They jarred a memory in her of when Mitzi was a young teenager and used to wish upon the dancing leaves – putting her deepest desires out into the universe.

But as Mitzi watched the leaves and gazed at the sky, she knew a storm was brewing. The clouds were the darkest grey she’d ever seen. They hovered overhead too thick to let any light shine through and ominous in their stance.

She remembered watching it kerplunk onto the ground into pieces with only the front end left intact.

Mitzi took a deep breath as she gazed out the window and hoped for the best. Although she loved a good storm, she didn’t like the wind. Not this kind of wind anyway. It reminded her too much of when she was a kid, and the wind took out part of her treehouse and sent her Barbie jeep sailing through mid-air. She remembered watching it kerplunk onto the ground into pieces with only the front end left intact. Fortunately, it didn’t derail her neighborhood meetups with the other kids for too long. She still drove it with pride, and their parades carried on – damaged jeep and all.

Suddenly, Mitzi’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud crack and boom that made her jump off the couch and out of her skin.

“Holy shit! That was a close one,” Mitzi exclaimed. Her heart was racing now, and so was Fritz’s as he leaped onto her lap. He jumped so quickly she didn’t even see him coming!

Fritz was Mitzi’s newest companion – a five-month-old terrier mix puppy with soulful eyes and a fondness for stealing socks and shoes. Mitzi laughed and cuddled him trying to calm him – and herself.

“It’s okay little guy. We’ve got this. The storm will pass. I promise you it will be okay.”

Mitzi’s voice was soothing Fritz and Fritz’s love for his mom comforting her. And as they settled in by the fireplace, the storm began to pass – and through the tiniest sliver in the clouds, she could feel the sun breakthrough.

Laura Mikolaitis
Laura Mikolaitishttps://bellasolwrites.blogspot.com/
Laura credits her writing, which laid dormant for years, to her late mom, who always believed in her. Writing unabashedly from the heart and inspired by millions of moments, three tenets of evergreen advice that her mom always shared with her are her guiding principles. Whether it is poetry, fiction, or a personal essay, her love for the written word feeds her mind, body, and spirit. Laura’s creativity also comes to life in her passion for photography. Her ongoing love affair with the moon, her joy for family and friends, her connection to nature, and being a loving canine mom often become some of her best subjects. Laura has held many roles throughout her professional career, including Brand Manager, Project Manager, and Director of Global Business Development and Sales Operations. In addition, she has a background in consumer-packaged goods, manufacturing, and textiles. Laura currently works in biotechnology for Berkshire Corporation as their Product Marketing Manager. She holds a Master of Science degree in Communications and Information Management from Bay Path University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from SUNY Oswego. Originally from Northern NY, Laura resides with her husband and canine child in a small town in Massachusetts that captured her heart years ago.

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