last week we were on our way to a neighborhood party, when i saw her.
i stopped dead in my tracks and then changed course and ran to meet her.
this couch then proceeded to tell me stories,
stories of the life she had lived
and of all the things she still planned to do.
with her quirky smile i knew that i had to help her continue on her journey.
so we brought her home.

i guess what speaks to me is that when i'm down and frustrated in my work
i need to talk it out with someone i feel completely comfortable with.
and maybe that person has been through a few rough times as well,
making them that much more compassionate to your situation.
as susan tuttle said of her time at squam,
"we spoke the same language and there was never any reason to curb one's words or to explain what we meant by them -- we all knew and understood."

i think when we are shrouded with doubt about ourselves and our talents
it can often be those that know our inner parts that can remind us
of who we really, truly are.

and i love what brittany said in her comment,
"remember that we were made to create beauty. pray and leave it in His hands."

through it all, just don't give up,
press forward, fake it till you make it,
allow yourself to stumble
but always pick yourself back up and continue on.

the winner of liz's giveaway, picked by a random number generator is sarah!!!
she said, "Coming to a place (like this) - where you know that those around you are lifting you up...encouraging you to reach out...to not give up...to do something new - that is where I go."

thank you all for your thoughtful comments.
these giveaways have been so much more soulful then i could have imagined,
much more than just handing out some stuff. ;-D

come next week for kirsten's offering.