Unexpected Recognition

This past Saturday afternoon I did what I always do a noon and went to the mailbox to get the mail.  It seems a lot of amazing things have been happening through the mail lately!  Inside the box I noticed a blue envelope.  It immediately intrigued me, so I flipped it over to see who it was from....it was a name I did not recognize with a Wyoming address, so this excited me even more to open it. 

I got in the house and opened the letter, inside of it was a card, I opened the card and a newspaper clipping came out.....The note written inside the card started out to "Jennifer and family," it was from a distance relative on my Mom's side who lives in Sundance, WY.  She is a senior in high school there and she wanted to share with us her school project.  This was a FCCLA project in honor of Miss Ella.  They titled it "Ella's Last Wish".  Haley ( the young lady who started this project) told me, "When Ella left to go be a little angel in heaven, I thought that maybe she would of liked to have had a personalized blanket to make her feel better and cuddle with."  This is when Haley and her friends decided they were going to start a project with plans of making 30 blankets for the hospital she was at in Denver, CO.  They were donated 80 lbs of fabric and able to make 40 blankets in a variety of sizes to send to the children's hospital!!!  How wonderful and amazing is that!  The newspaper article stated that about half the child patients will receive a blanket from the Sundance community.  It also said they will be competing at the state FCCLA Convention at the end of the month with their project in memory of Princess.  I can't wait to find out how they do! 

I was blown away speechless and nearly in tears when I read this.  Good tears of course.  I was so thankful for the thoughtfulness of these students and Haley for thinking of little Ella and making such a wonderful project successful.  What an honor I feel to be Ella's Mother!  I am so thrilled that something was done in her memory as well, she deserves to be remembered so much.  I have never been so proud in my entire life, Ella touched so many people's lives during her time here............ she made a DIFFERENCE in so many peoples lives!  People she never even met.  I believe she will continue to have an impact on many lives even to some that don't know of her yet.  I know Ella has forever changed me in so many good ways, because of her I realized what is important and meaningful. I try not to take anything wonderful for granted.  Nothing lasts forever, so love every minute of it.

I was reading a book today and this quote stood out to me:

"Sadness is a wall between two gardens" ---Kahlil Gibran

Such a small statement speaks so much truth.  It makes me think of all the beauty you can live and feel if you learn to break free of that wall of hurt. It can hold back from what really matters.

Smile and think of Princess in her beautiful garden :)