The presentation in Friday Harbor was incredibly emotional. It was powerful to scan the room, see my brother, my mom, my sister-in-law, my Carol, Libbey & Mary, Danny's mother, Susea, and other familiar faces. I had everything organized, the timing of the photos for the slide show, note cards, even blog posts, but quickly it was thrown out the window. I became overwhelmed, and for the first time during a presentation, I cried.
It was embarrassing to be so vulnerable, but the eyes upon me had compassion. Some teared with me. I love to share my story because I'm grateful for my life. I want to empower people. I want to help them find their smile. My goal is to encourage the audience to ignore other people's expectations, and to never give up.
I often can't believe what an incredibly extraordinary life I have. I'm so happy to be alive, and I want to share that joy, my perspective, with others.
I don't know exactly why those who teared up felt emotional. It could have been empathy for me, or it could have related to their own life. Either way, I was thoroughly touched. I share because I want to impact lives in a positive way. The Rotary in Friday Harbor gave me a huge gift. A gift of support, kindness, patience and love. It was not the seamless presentation I was trying to accomplish, but the fact that they connected emotionally was everything I was hoping for.
