Cynthia Proctor

Follower of Christ, happy pastor’s wife, proud mom, and lover of people and books! Honored to serve at Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@mattvanswol @GuntherEagleman @doravela4 Beautiful!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@SqSehrish Sophia

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@_MommyIsALawyer I love zinnias! ♥️

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@TheSeventhBrat @Super70sSports These were horrible.

[Selene Mariposa @Selene_Mariposa]

The World Cup ends today. One game left. By tomorrow most of you visitors will be packing up, heading to the airport, going home.

So before you go, let me say the thing I actually want to say.

A few weeks ago I wrote a silly post about all the things you were discovering here. Free refills. Free water. Ice like civilized people. Chips and salsa before you even order. Air conditioning that is a fact and not a moral debate. Drive-throughs. Ranch by the gallon. The Germans standing in the HEB meat aisle in reverent silence, finally understanding why we do not have trains. Buc-ee’s, for which there are still no words.

It blew up, because it was true, and because you were so delightfully stunned by all of it.

Even the Wall Street Journal caught on. Their headline this week: how the US lost the World Cup and won over the world. We did not lift the trophy. But apparently we lifted something else.

We even learned a few things about ourselves along the way. Like the fact that Elon Musk, the single richest man on the planet, shops at HEB. Just rolls in and queues up for fresh tortillas with everybody else. The man could buy the tortilla company, the state it is in, and the moon it sits under, and instead he is standing in line at the hot-tortilla counter like the rest of us, because that is where the good ones are. Only in America is the wealthiest human alive elbow to elbow with a mom of four at the salsa bar. That is the whole country in one aisle.

And here is the part I want every one of you to hear on your way out the door.

None of it was a show.

We did not roll all this out because you were coming. The ice was always there. The refills were always free. The grocery stores were always the size of aircraft hangars at ten on a Tuesday. The stranger who adopted your whole section, the guy who gave you a ride, the waitress who remembered your order, the family that invited you to the cookout, that is not World Cup America. That is just America. That is Tuesday.

We are exactly like this when nobody is visiting. Loud, generous, ridiculous, overfed, and genuinely thrilled you came. We will still be exactly like this tomorrow when the stands are empty and the flags come down.

So thank you. To everyone who came, who sang in our streets, who cleaned our stadiums, who turned our cities orange and filled our bars and taught us your chants. You were wonderful guests, and you made a country that just turned 250 feel young and seen and loved.

And to everyone who could not make it this time, the door does not close today. We meant all of it. Come whenever. The porch light stays on, the fridge stays full, and there is always room for one more at the table.

You found out who we are these last few weeks.

Good news. We are like this all the time.

Safe travels home.

Y’all come back now, you hear. 🦋

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@Selene_Mariposa Beautifully written, and oh so true!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@mattvanswol I love this so much! Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief is still there too.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@Simi_2210_ 20!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@benrgallant Welcome!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@LarryOConnor I think it’s beautiful.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@JaniceDean @KathieLGifford What a blessing you’ve been throughout the years. I pray the days ahead are restful & meaningful & special. You have been a blessing to many and your sweet spirit shows through the TV screen every time you’re on it. You will be missed. May God continue to bless you abundantly!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@KatTimpf I am very sorry to hear about your dad. I know he was very special to you. Kat, you are loved by many. I am praying for peace and comfort for you in the days ahead.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@mattvanswol I know Bettye Ann…one of the kindest women you will ever meet. This was a horrible event
.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@PatriciaHeaton True for me!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

“Disappointment wrecks you only if your greatest treasure is something that can change. Alternatively, disappointment can’t take you out if your greatest treasure is in something or someone that cannot fail.”
Ruth Chow Simons

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

“Those very days which were hard to us, which troubled us & worried us – days which have left behind in us a trace of bitterness – should not fade from our minds today until we have been able to confess humbly, & thankfully, even of them, “He has done all things well.”
Bonhoeffer

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@atensnut I still listen to his music quite often, and I was just a child when I learned to love it. What a voice!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@AstroVicGlover @KatiePavlich @NASA @csa_asc Welcome home, sir!

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@mattvanswol He does that! You’re on the right track, Matt. What a beautiful story.

[Cynthia Proctor @cyn_ct]

@dom_lucre I’m sure he was very proud of you!