THANK YOU, MAYA.

First off, I want to thank you all for the support that you have shown for this project. I am so excited that you all are excited! To those of you who have emailed me your stories, it has been an honor to read through them. I love each and every one of you. 

As many of you have probably heard, Maya Angelou passed away yesterday. She has been one of my biggest inspirations, especially for this project. I miss her, even though I never knew her. 

I was searching on Goodreads for some of my favorite quotes of hers, reading over some of her best work, and this one popped up. 

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a “life.” I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Those words are beautiful. I want to live, being fully alive for Jesus. I want to make people feel loved and special and needed. I want to make a life for myself, centered on Jesus and surrounded by good people. I do still have a lot to learn, and I want to have an open heart. I guess that’s the message behind Unfolding Passions as well. To live with an open heart and a zest for life. 

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” That’s my favorite Maya quote. I believe that we all have stories to tell, we all have a purpose on this earth. I hope that Unfolding Passions is a place where you can share your story with other people, and encourage them in a way that only YOU can. Don’t bear an untold story. “No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.” You are worth knowing. You are worth loving. 

Thank you, Maya, for telling us these things. 

xoxo

P.S. I’ll be putting up a FAQ page here so please send any and all questions about this community + my book to unfoldingpassions(at)gmail.com! Or if you’re on Twitter, tweet your questions using the hashtag #unfoldingpassionsfaq. Also, continue to send in your stories! I do want to feature so many of you in the coming weeks!