Dawn's Story:
As a single mother with two children, I've seen and lived through my share of trials and tribulation. From a mistreated childhood to an abusive husband, I was alone in this world. My children like me, have grown to realize we are survivors.
Wishes and dreams were only words to me. From the time I was a very small child; survival was all I knew. Depending on myself was a way of life. Making things happen for myself in order to make it to the next day was something I had come to expect.
I can remember being very young and always feeling that I didn't belong. That there was something better out there for me. I remember feeling that there was something special within me that I was put here to share but how, when, where, and why? I had all those questions and no answers to follow them.
I've always been told that I was a strong person and could get through anything I set my mind to. I couldn't get people to understand, it wasn't that I was a strong person, but I did what I had to do for my children to survive, for my children to have a better life, so they didn't have to go through the things that I had. In our little world, I was all we had to depend on.
There came a day when my world came crashing down around me. Little did I know when I woke this very day just how special it would be. I didn't realize that it would completely change my life.
It was a day like any other day except this particular day I had a doctor's appointment I had to be at for what I thought was a simple check up. When I look back on that day now, I can see myself sitting on the examination table wearing the examination gown waiting on the doctor to come in just like it were yesterday. I couldn't believe, nor will I ever forget the words that came out of my doctor's mouth that day. (You see a few months earlier I had my very first mammogram as cancer is big in my family.) "There was a spot showing on your x-ray and there is a possibility that you have breast cancer."
The doctor couldn't get the word cancer out fast enough, and the tears fell from my eyes like I was once again a little baby. My thoughts went straight to my children, I was a single mother if I weren't here what would happen to them? Placing my dark sunglasses over my eyes I left the office. Seeing my children as I exited the examination room simply brought me to the breaking point, I could die and my kids would be alone.
As to be expected, I went through all the emotions; the feeling of why me, how could something like this happen to me, hadn't I suffered enough through this life given to me, etc...
I had been chatting online with a gentleman for a short while before all this had happened. Oddly enough chatting on the computer really wasn't my thing but there was something about this gentleman (although I had never met him) that grabbed my heart and peaked at my interest.
This particular day during our talk he could sense something wasn't right. My conversation was lacking in the personality whom he had come to feel through our messages. It was all I could do to tell him the results of my doctors appointment. Typing the word cancer was like hearing it for the first time over and over again
Over the next few days, my pen pal friend could feel the pity I was feeling for myself, the “why me's”. He sharply demanded that I stop feeling sorry for myself! (These words I couldn't possibly understand at that time. How could he be saying that to me?) He told me to think of myself as healthy women. To feel myself as being healthy, to hear the results coming in that there was no cancer. He taught me how to create and go to my very own happy place and to know that when I was there nothing bad could get to me. I tried to do what he said, feeling more and more confident that I would be o.k., that there would be no cancer.
He quickly became my rock, the only support system I had, my happy place. He would be by my side through this tormenting time. When I needed him all I had to do was close my eyes and feel him holding my hand. It was this stranger whom I had never met that got me through the weeks That I had to get through, waiting out the two months I had to wait to find out if I had cancer or not.
During doctor's visits, I would close my eyes, and I could feel him there with me, holding my hand, telling me I was healthy, that there was no cancer. On the days, I felt like I was slipping back into the “why me's” he would quickly remind me that to feel sorry for myself was a negative and selfish feeling. To feel that way would only draw negative results to me.
I call him my angel of inspiration… my happy place… the one who created that circle of safety that I felt. He was there with me, by my side, holding my hand in spirit and online while I got the call that could possibly change my life forever...
With tears welling up in my eyes, I dialed the doctors office number took a deep breath and asked for the results of my second mammogram. As I heard the receptionist say those words " you are ok, there is no cancer!" the tears fell like rain, and I couldn't wait to share this with my guardian angel, my stranger from cyber space, my happy place.
The very next day my angel was gone just as quickly as he had come to me. I was sad. I missed his positive words that seem to fill me with inspiration and positive thought. I knew that he was teaching me something, and now he was gone.
Several months passed and every so often I’d write to my angel of Inspiration, but to no avail.
One day as I was creating a Facebook profile, I thought maybe I would look for my angel there. Typing his name into the tool bar I found him! There he was right in front of me! I sent him a quick message and again thanked him for being there for me when no one else would. This is an exert from the original message...
"Some times we lose sight of the words we might share with others when those very words are words that we can live by. By me using your own words and sending them back to you means you're a very good teacher with excellent words. Continued at Right...
I have learned through sadness not to take every opportunity that comes our way but to make that opportunity come our way. We must surround ourselves with those who bring something positive into our lives and remove those who can only bring us down.
My dear, honestly my positive flow as you call it comes from the angel that whispered inspiration to me; past, present, and future. There aren't many who cross our path that has such an impact on us and so when that does happen, we really must embrace it and hold on tightly to it.
I love our on-going conversation, there are few that I can be so in depth with like I can be with you. Are you sure you’re just some guy from the internet, cause really I do think you are my angel of inspiration and hope.
I will wish you a day filled with only happy thoughts and the knowledge to know that you are special and somewhere someone is thinking of you.
Smile lots my dear friend. Hugs and kisses."
My angel and I reconnected and finally met in person. After a few visits and many long conversations, I felt that needed to figure out a way to thank him for all he had done for me.
After only a very short time I had thought to myself, wouldn't it be amazing to put my angels words and my experiences into a series of children's book; to reach out to the younger generation through inspiration; to empower these young individuals into having strong, confident, and positive minds and prepare them for a bright future ahead; to promote education at a beneficial level.
Before even speaking to my new friend and guardian angel, I started contacting publishers with my idea and received a very positive feedback.
What started out as two people who began as strangers who shared a conversation then became friends. Friends filled with inspiration, respect, and positive energy whose paths crossed, both going on a forward journey to learn from one another and share with one another, a passion and a desire to walk down a pathway and take a turn and an opportunity to give back, to mentor and to share.
What brought us to each other was our respect for one another. Our desire to put both our passions and visions together to create an amazing project to reach out to the children, our next generation. To take a step forward and help children in their most developing years to dream, to reach for and prepare a positive coarse to create a vision as they travel down their individual pathways of life in pursuit of happiness. We had a desire to create change.
Our vision and intent was to promote emotional well-being and link that to the children's imagination and creativity.Our goal was to reach out to our younger generation give our children the tools they so desire to dream, to inspire to achieve. To think outside the box with a positive mind set.
So began Angels of Inspiration!
A short year later my angel was gone again, but I knew I had to keep our vision alive. I had to continue to walk down the pathway that I was on one stepping stone at a time. I had to be that stranger that held the small child’s hand when they had no one else. I had to be that angel that whispered inspiration into the ears of every child that need to hear it. I have continued to write children's books and carry on Angels of Inspiration on my own.
Angels of Inspiration has expanded and is now an organization promoting page turning self-help through my unique children's book series created to reach out to the younger generation, through inspiration, to empower these young individuals into having strong, confident and positive minds and prepare them for a bright future ahead.
Through my organization I am able to create a platform through many different events and through the unique people I meet along the way. I am able to fulfill my passion for helping children for advocating for children as well as give back, to raise funds and awareness for causes that benefit children in our community through the sales of our children's books.
To date, I have written three children's books Lydia's Dream Come True, Angel on my Shoulder and A special Christmas Angel. My titles each are attached to a charity with a portion of the sales being donated to The Three Oaks Foundation and or the Canadian Cancer Society.
Angels of Inspiration has branched out as an Agent for others with the same desire to give back signing new authors to publish their children's books under my label. This allows us to better create significant synergies so that we can get our message as well as our author's messages out to reach a greater audience.
I have come full circle from that lady who saw that very special day as the day my world came crashing down around me. I am now the lady who sees that day as the rest of my life!
For more information on Angels of Inspiration please check out these resources: Follow Dawn on Twitter or Friend on Facebook