Today is a stunning new day. The sun plays peekaboo through the clouds, the birds are harmonizing, and I embrace yet another chance to touch hearts and make a difference. Since you are reading this post, you're alive too. Your chance to also make a difference is now.

As I poured my morning coffee and watched the cream rise to the top of my mug, I thought of how my heart is so full of the amazing people who frame my life. Like my coffee, these sweet souls keep me strong, awaken me to the possibilities inherent in the glory of a fresh new start, and an opportunity to redirect our path from the daily grind. My gratitude, like the aroma, emanates and overwhelms me; the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is mine to choose. I sip and savor each and every single day, and when my cup is empty, I refresh it with the hope I've found from healing.

Shouldn't we all taste life with fullness and be bold in our quest to find our destiny?

My story is an interesting one. I was always told I wasn't meant to be, yet within me was a tale that I needed to share. My story is telling. It gives insight into how our beginnings, like the coffee beans, can become so much more! We can stay in our original form and be satisfied even when our potential is never met. I was not content to passively exist in the shadows of regret. I knew there was a spark inside me that wanted to brightly burn and even become a bonfire.

Even after my light chased away the darkness, my story begged to become a path for others to find a source of strength for their journey. I survived for a reason, a purpose. But still I struggled; my book needed to fulfill its purpose but remained unbound for anyone other than me. Like others whose burdens loomed largely, my fear of failure pinned my wings. I forgot that we are all born to fly. Our wings can take us far, or they can become a vestigial accessory that stays idle. My stillness became an albatross I was unwilling to shoulder any longer.

Deep down within me, I grew impatient. The stillness was swallowing up my source of oxygen. Taking flight was my only option.

I distinctly remember the day my wings opened. A friend shared the name of someone she knew who published a book. This contact referred me to Elizabeth Watson, his editor. Amidst self-imposed intimidation and trepidation, I contacted her. Immediately I sensed wisdom and kindness woven into the fabric of her being. She understood the journey I sought and offered to take me there. Together we walked along Destiny Road. When I felt lost and veered off, she held my hand and encouraged me to know my story mattered. She nourished and strengthened my purpose and passion. She believed in me even when my own mother never could. She intuitively knew my past would change lives. While I was NOT my past, I could be the promise of hope for others' future.

My wings and my story have now unfolded. Elizabeth was the hope that enabled this flight. She has humility, sapience, and genuine desire to bring truth and justice to hearts that thirst for more. Her role as a wife and mother enabled the insight to understand the part of my life I wanted to finally celebrate. This beautiful and loving young woman reached out with her gentle arms and firm conviction. I get the impression she knows no other way. She's always had stunning wings, yet saw their purpose from the viewpoint of showing others the beauty in their own wings.

Everyone should have an Elizabeth in their life. We all deserve to know how incredible it is to take flight alongside a loving soul. We all need to learn our strength and our resilience. To be blessed with someone who feeds us faith with when we hunger to fulfill our purpose is a gift I never expected. As she was editing then endeavored to publish my memoir, she also became both my agent and a trusted friend I will always cherish deeply. When I feared my cup was empty, she showed me it was full all along. She saw what my mother never did.

I hope that all the pages of my book help unfurl your wings. I know you, too can fly. I would like to be your Elizabeth...