I have met so many people in the past two years that have inspired me, and frankly, made me a bit jealous! To me, from the outside in, they have found a personal satisfaction and success in the twists and turns that have brought them to their walk in life. I think it’s great! If not for the death of my husband, I really don’t believe I would have had the doors open that have in the past few years. My writing “career” has abounded, and without having focused on it through the power of writing through my grief, I would not have had these opportunities.

On twitter, a very popular topic on Friday is “Follow Friday”. #FF is the hastag used to find who people are following, and why. I am very inconsistent with these, but today, I wanted to point out some people, mostly writers, who have done good in my eyes, and those who I’m a tad jealous of!

Andilit
Andilit is who I hope to be. She’s full of zest, strength, and she really knocked my socks off when I met her in person. I had assumed her to be this quiet girl from the south, a nerdy English prof who stayed behind her books. Boy, was I wrong! She’s outspoken and lovely, vulnerable yet open to discussing everything. She was a major encourager of a blog I wrote a few weeks back, and I thank her for giving me the gumption to write it. When you peruse her blog, you’ll find she recently lost her mother, and of course, that leaves her in an even more soft spot in my heart.

My Widow’s Walk – Christina Cassidy
I need to stop assuming things about people. Christina founded this extraordinary non-profit in Colorado to support widows. I found her on Twitter, and have followed a lot of the advancement she’s been making for her organization. When I posted the BIG BLOG a few weeks ago, I really feared judgment, especially from the widow community and those with a more religious front. Christina has come through widowhood with extraordinary faith, and ya know what, she didn’t judge me. She related to me. Over the past several months, I think we have both grown a fondness for one another, and I appreciate all the work she does on behalf of the widow.

Supa Dupa Fresh
Supa Dupa Fresh, whom I finally met in person before the holidays, is just rockin’. There are so many things I could say about this powerhouse of a woman, but most recently she has initiated a new forum for widows called Widowed Village. It is a forum where widow(er)s can go to be safe and talk about the things that are difficult. She puts a lot of time and effort into helping those struggling around her, and she takes it all on without complaint. Thank you Supa.

Shawn Smucker
Shawn Smucker quit the regular job and became a writer. And he’s done pretty darned well at it. He’s written a variety of books as a co-writer and has an extraordinary touch with his words and friendship. My words cannot stand up to him, so please, check out his blog, and why not buy a book?

I really could go on and on and on, but these people have been an extreme influence on me, especially in the past few months as I have struggled with how to further share my story to the public. If you are looking for encouragement, relatability, some humor, and some love, give them a look-see.