Courageous Hearts, Silently All Around Us

Passing along this ripple effect…

from our dear Sallie.

Sallie is one of my favorite people to see at the yoga studio. Well into her 70s, she’s one of the oldest members, and she has a lot of style.

I mean, she always looks so sleek in her unique, all-black outfits, she drives a midnight blue Mercedes, has a boyfriend, and goes to NYC every month to visit her daughter.

Sallie is very, very hard of hearing, so she’s always breaking the silence in our very, very quiet studio. She’ll forget to turn off her phone, snore during savasana, and occasionally blurt out, “Am I supposed to be doing something?”

What makes it even better, she has a strong resemblance to my over 20 years deceased grandmother… who was also deaf. So a deep part of me smiles with every interaction I have with her… and there are plenty.

Apparently Sallie sent a Valentine’s Day card to the studio, but it got lost in the mail.

So today, she brought in copies of what she had sent. We were blown away by her ability to capture herself so well:

Mmmm… “nowness” I Love it!

Everyone was peering over my shoulder to get a glimpse of this pouring of joy. She nailed the drawing: even her trademark outfit of the black stockings and black bodysuit!

Just as I was about to go, Sallie was talking to another student, Susan.

Susan questioned if Sallie was an artist.

Sallie just laughed.

Sallie said, “You’re the artist, right?”

Susan replied, “Well, I’m an actor.”

Susan explained to Sallie that she was doing a one person show, but once I heard “TED Talk,” I had to interject and get the title of the piece.

Susan handed me her beautiful business card and said,

“Punch Fear in the Face and Claim Your Life!”

My eyes sparkled, “That’s great!”

What an inspiring, uplifting story here, that I just have to pass along.

It’s been a small handful of years since I punched fear in the face and knew I had to do something more with my life. Susan’s theatrical story is worth a listen. Worth every second.

Thank you, Sallie, for having a courageous heart: to share your love, and to attempt every single thing we throw at you, week after week.

Thank you, Susan, for your courageous heart. To share such a personal story, one of triumph, that can truly inspire us all.

Even though the card was late, Happy Valentine’s Day to you. I like to see Valentine’s Day as the day we tune into how Love truly resonates, infinitely.