Appropriate Quote

Today I received an email with this quote:

Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.

 The author of the quote will be revealed later this week.

Though I would LOVE to believe that this is true, Elaine Benis was a passionate dancer and everyone laughed. (Sometimes I am Elaine!)

Cinderella?

Somewhere in my neighborhood is a girl with just one shoe.

Feeling a Mother's Love

Several years ago, I was going through a rough time. I was feeling depressed and alone -- it felt as if there was nothing I could do that would make a difference and there was no end in sight.

One day during this dark time, I was sitting in a quiet room (I might have been editing, I don't remember) and deep within me, I felt as if someone was praying for me. I stopped what I was doing and tried to figure out what the feeling really was. As I tried to pin it down, I realized it was physical and both a good feeling and a feeling of calmness. I was hopeful that things could get better.

Later that day I decided it was just my imagination -- no one can feel that he/she is being prayed for, right?

As the week went on, I had the feeling several more times. I talked to my husband about it and he seemed to find it interesting, but put no credence in it.

After a few days I had to know -- who is praying for me? I thought about everyone I know, everyone who loves me and who could possibly pray hard enough I would feel it.

The phone call went like this:

"Hi, Mom. How are you?"

"Good. How are you?"

"Pretty good. I have a question that you might find weird. Are you praying for me?" There was complete silence on the other end of the line, so I repeated the question. "Mom, are you praying for me?"

After another pause she said, "Why do you ask?"

"I feel like someone is praying for me. I thought about everyone I know, and you are the only person I could think of who could pray hard enough that I would feel it."

She was quiet and I could tell she was thinking. "Yeah, it's me. I was so worried about you and I just wanted things to get better."

Whatever my mom said in those prayers, it helped. Things did get better.

So, as I am missing my mom already this pre-holiday season, I think about that one dark week, and how my mom loved me so much, I could FEEL her prayers. I'm feeling pretty lucky to have had her in my life!

I hope my kids are never in a situation where they feel depressed and alone, but if it does happen, I hope they too will feel my constant prayers that they will be able to get through it and will be OK.

Motivating People -- One Step at a Time!

Sometimes, I just want to stay in bed all day with the covers over my head -- hiding from everything. I don't know what inspires me to actually get out of bed -- well besides the need for a pay check -- but somehow I do it.

I have a lot of stress in my life. Sometimes I think it is chronic because I don't necessarily cause the stress -- it seems to seek me out. Many of my stresses are temporary -- they just seem overwhelming at times and I feel as if I just can't handle them.

Then I read about someone inspiring, such as Karen Stewart, and I realize I am a wimp and need to put my petty little stresses into perspective.

You see, Karen has recurring relapsing MS. There are times when her brain and hands don't communicate all that well. She may want to pick up a pencil, she may even tell her hand to pick up that pencil, but it doesn't always work. There are days when she just cannot pick up even a pencil.

In a story that I found about Karen online, it says she has spent plenty of time in wheelchairs, with walkers and with canes and then one day decided to "embrace" her disease and make it her "friend." She was going to find a way to use her illness to make herself stronger.

She started walking a little bit at a time until she finally was inspired to walk a marathon. After finishing her first marathon, she was motivated to keep going, and going and going... Here is a quote from the news story about her that I loved: "Not everybody is motivated to do marathons, but everybody can do something. ... you never know if today my story will inspire someone else to get off their duff and do something."

This month Karen finished her 47th marathon in Savannah, GA! She hopes to complete her 50th in February 2012! (Shoot -- I've done only two full marathons.)

I find Karen to be extremely motivating! Here is a woman who has been stuck in a wheelchair and she was still able to walk 47 marathons! Wow! If she can deal with a horrible disease like MS, what can't she do? If she can do all of this, what excuse do I have not to try to overcome my burdens -- or even more importantly -- what excuse do I have not to at least try to face mine. (Yes, getting out of bed tomorrow will be easier for me.)

This is all of the information I was able to get from this interview by WSAV-TV (http://www2.wsav.com/news/2011/nov/03/one-step-time-ar-2651781/). There are so many questions I have that this story didn't answer.

I have never met Karen, but I can tell you right now I will. If not in person, I'm going to talk to her by phone. My goal is to interview her and include her story in a book I'm currently working on. If any of you have questions you want me to ask her, leave a comment.