When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving
in you, a joy. ~Rumi
This journey has had plenty of unexpected moments and places
from where strength and courage had to be pulled. One of the most unexpected
surprises was a phone call I got from a friend (we will call him 2Trillion!)
who told me he was taking a trip to Texas to visit Joel Osteen’s church. Pretty
much everyone is familiar with Joel Osteen and his family ministry. I told him
to let me know how it goes and to have a great trip. I wished I could have
gone. Not only did he go there and
visit the church, he had the opportunity to talk to Dodie Osteen (Joel Osteen’s
Mother) about me. He said he told her all about me. Dodie Osteen is known for
her ministry of love and compassion. She is also a cancer survivor and has the
most powerful testimony I have ever read. She wrote a book called ‘Healed of
Cancer.’ I was truly honored when she gifted me her book complete with a
personal inscription inside. I have read this book at least five times already,
and I carry it with me everywhere I go. The messages in the book are so
powerful. I believe the spirit and the mind have a lot to do with our physical
state, and this book helped me get my spirit and my mind right! If I ever got
the opportunity, I would love to thank her in person. I would love to express
to her how that book she so kindly gave me played such an integral role in my
healing process.
Another unexpected angel in my journey was Dr. Jaqueline
Walters--many of you may know her from the show ‘Married to Medicine.’ A
two-time cancer survivor, she was someone I connected with last year through a
mutual friend because I knew she had the same surgery. I had met and spoken
with her a few times over the past couple of years, but I didn’t know her very
well. That quickly changed. Our first of many phone calls lasted for an hour.
She helped me mentally prepare by telling me things I should get ready for that
she knew from having gone through the same procedure herself. A lot of people
say, “I’m here if you need me.” Or “Call me anytime.” When Jackie said it, she really meant it. Every time I had a
question or concern, she was right there when I reached out. Before going to
the hospital, she told me all the things I needed to make sure I had. The day
of my surgery she showed up with a big box. She said it was just a gift. (Who
doesn’t love getting gifts!) I
opened the box and it was filled with pairs of beautiful pajamas ranging from
casual to cute and sexy. She said, “All the pajamas button up because you won’t
be able to put anything over your head for a while.” I was speechless. The
action was so thoughtful. Of course I had not thought of that. It meant so much
that she cared enough to do that for me. She knew that only someone who had
gone through this would know things like that. When the pain and muscle spasms
got unbearable, it was Jackie that I could text at 2am and she would hit me
right back with some encouraging statement. She always knew just what to say
because she had been there not that long ago. I would shake it off and get my
mind right. Jackie also came out to my house to visit me while I was recovering.
Unexpectedly, she had another gift in hand. She brought me the softest blankets
and booties that you heat in the microwave. They smelled like
lavender -- soothing and beautiful. Talk about feeling good! I am thankful for
her and her kindness. There are still people in the world that just do because
they care about helping others. This connection was only the beginning. Now, I
am preparing to help Jackie with her non-profit for breast cancer called ‘Fifty
Shades of Pink.’ Don’t worry, you will hear a lot more about that real soon!
There are so many great things that came out of this bad
situation… (to be continued)
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