Field of Angels

In the past few months they have surrounded me with more love than any one person could ever ask for. They have picked me up each time I fell down. I really don’t think I would have been here today without the help of them and, of course, God. As you read my stories you will see that, more than once, I lost everything. Each time I picked myself up I thought, "It won't happen again." Wrong! I guess I wasn't ready to stay up yet.

For three years I worked very hard to build a company I believed in. Many others also believed with me. In January 2002 we lost the company. I thought it was the end of my world and wondered, at sixty years old, what was left for me to do who was going to hire someone my age? My friends and I had just spent all this time building the company and, in one day, someone caused us to lose it because they thought they could do a better job. Due to a mild heart attack and not having deep pockets, I had to walk away. I couldn't afford a lawyer and did not want to lose my health.

Well today I look at it differently because this is when I realized just how many angels I had. I was left penniless and felt as if I was a charity case at times. As I was ready to give up, my angels surrounded me with love and loyalty and wouldn't let me stay down.

One angel came the day I was about to lose my car and made the payment. The others brought me food, and paid my utilities. As embarrassing as it was, it was also a beautiful feeling to see the love they had for me. That’s when I realized even more God had blessed me in many ways

Here I was, about to lose my home and everything I tangibly possessed if I could not find a solution fast. I prayed. First, I thanked God for my Angels and asked what he wanted of me. I prayed for an answer. He had just closed one door, but, knowing how he works, I knew there was another door awaiting my opening it. I just needed guidance in finding it. For many years everyone had told me to use the gift God bestowed upon me. This gracious gift was my ability to write. I had disregarded my ability. Now I realized it was the only way I might have to sustain my way of living and to pay off the debt from the company. I had finished writing my book, but I had not aspired to do anything to further its progress towards publication. One night, while I was sitting at the computer and listening to the radio, I heard John Tesh interviewing the author of a book. The author had mentioned his publishing company. I decided out of curiosity of the possibilities to look up this publishing company on the web.

When I found the web page I submitted a query on my book. Within the next two days I received an answer. They asked for a copy of the book to be e-mailed to them. I was in shock for a moment and thought, "Could this be true?" I e-mailed the book and they responded telling me I would hear from them within a couple of months. I was shocked when two weeks later I received a publishing contract. This was the only place I had submitted it. From there everything started to fall into place.

The road was tough, but I was determined to make it through. My decision to make it work caused me to focus more on my writing. It was as if an unstoppable force I couldn't see was driving me on the road to fulfillment and success. One day, while designing some greeting cards, a friend stopped by. When seeing the cards, she became eager for me to make her some cards. She also asked if it were possible to do card parties and sell them. I told her I didn't think I had enough products to host card parties. That same night another friend came by and also asked about the cards. He said he was opening a coffee house in Canton Georgia called Bridgemill Coffee and Dessert and would love to sell them there. I informed him with the same answer as I had my friend from earlier. Three days later it all started to come together.

A friend told me that she was part owner of a plaque company, and that maybe she could help with this innovative product. It was an answer to a prayer. The plaques were beautiful. We, with the help of some other key friends, started to make plaques with my poems on them. Erica Winter, a close friend who was helping me in this new endeavor offered to help me design a catalog. Our first attempt ended in disaster. We couldn't get the prints from the computer to the printer. Then the printer broke down. I was ready to give up when finally I was able to find a web designer who was willing to help boost the product online. The designer offered to work with me and set up a small site for my poetry and plaques. I couldn't afford what I really wanted and thought this would at least be a start. It didn't give me the samples of plaques that I needed in order to sell them. I was at a standstill. That was when the final pieces came together.

After posting a poem I had written about Vietnam on a web page, I received several e-mails from people expressing how much they liked it. One person, Patricia Osborn Orton, was a graphic artist and very educated on web design. I sent her a poem I had for 9/11. To my surprise, several hours later, she sent the newly designed web page back with beautiful background art and music. I sent her another poem I had written for my sister who passed away. She sent the poem back with a beautiful background behind it that she designed. I was so excited as I watched my dream come true. We got together through e-mail and worked on the design of my web page and my plaques. From there, the orders started to roll in.

After learning more about my new friend, I felt a connection. My sister Pat, who passed away a few years before, was my mentor. She would assist me in my writing. I called her "My Angel". Several months after she passed away, I received some pages she had written. In those pages was a poem someone had written about being in Heaven. My new friend also had a web site. It was called Angel Wings. Her name was Pat; and, as a memorial to her mother, she posted a poem. It was the same one my sister wrote on those last pages of hers I had received.