Words To Live By

It will be of no surprise to any of you that I believe words have great power!
Cellar Designs is full of quotes, sayings, single words and thoughts that are inspiring, thought-provoking, motivating and encouraging.  I think that the spoken word has the ability to lift up or hurt someone deeply.  The written word can do the same as well.  I think that if you surround yourself with positive words and thoughts that your life will reflect them.

This is so clearly evident in the story of my latest sign.  A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I would be willing to make a special sign for her....one that spoke to her story and how her life's perspective has been affected.  She is inspiring to me and many others. This is a hard story but one that I feel many have learned from and others can as well.  It is a story that has been called "a perfect storm", but has a bright vibrant rainbow to view when the clouds faded.

I had met DeDe a few times.  Each time I had encountered her through mutual friends or around our little village I had left with these kinds of thoughts.... "She is funny.  What a hoot!  She has a bit of a special spirit to her.  She seems to have great energy.  She is someone I would like to get to know better."  Our kids are different ages and in different activities and our lives path's didn't cross very often... so that chance to get to know her better never seemed to happen.

I can remember getting an email on December 21, 2009 from a mutual friend.  She was sending out a mass email asking for prayers for DeDe.  You see, DeDe had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest the night before....the Sunday before Christmas.  Her husband, Jeff, performed CPR and the paramedics rushed in.  She was whisked off to the local hospital where a ER doctor decided, in order to save her life, they would medically induce hypothermia on DeDe.  This was the first time this doctor had ever performed this.  First time EVER!  It was a relatively new therapy at that time.  Bringing the body's temp down helps to save brain function.  DeDe was in a coma for 7 days and stayed in the hospital for 18 days.

I can vividly remember getting the email updates on my phone while on Christmas vacation in Minnesota.  I prayed and prayed for DeDe to wake up and for healing and for peace and assurance for her family.  I remember the joy I felt when I read, finally, the news that she has awoken!  I remember thinking what an amazing miracle!

I am sure this was the most overwhelming thing that DeDe and her family had, or will ever, experience.  But what I think was also astounding was the explosion of community love that poured out for them.  I am sure it took them aback often.....and probably still does.  There were hundreds of posts on their community website, greeting card sent and emails that inundated their inbox!

As DeDe healed and life started to come back into focus she read these communications from friends, family and, I am betting, some strangers.  She found that 3 words kept repeating themselves....... and those words will now hang in their home as a visual reminder of the miracle of her story.

These words became a bit of a mantra for DeDe.  They spelled out to her the reason for this chapter in her story.  They had great power.  They were the words that pointed out that she had great cause to be grateful, had many things to be thankful for, and was blessed beyond measure.

I for one am grateful and thankful to God that she survived so that I could have the opportunity to be get to know her better....just like I hoped for before December of 2009.  I am blessed to know DeDe better....and can only hope to continue to know her more.

This is why I love my job.  I am grateful that a gift that was given to me by God can bring joy, peace, happiness to others.  To know the story behind the request of this sign, and be the one to make it, is something I will treasure always.  Thanks DeDe for allowing me to be a little part of your amazing story!

May you be grateful for the things in your life that can get overlooked.

May you be thankful for the community that surrounds you.

May you be blessed abundantly....every moment of every day. 

May you find those few words that can be your mantra.

May those words guide you and bring great power to your life.