I Want To Be A Stephanie

Savannah and Stephanie Payne

(Photo Cred:  www.imalive2thrive.com)

I think a lot.  Sometimes I think too much but often times my thoughts lead to deeper things.  Last week, July 22, 2019 an amazing lady left this earth.  I was shocked.  I just couldn't wrap my mind around what had happened so I decided to dig a little deeper and I'm so glad I did. 

Stephanie Payne had devoted the last several years of her life as a grief counselor after the passing of her daughter, Savannah.  From what I found, she impacted and helped thousands of people over the past years.  Her words.  Her hurt.  Her purpose.  Her heart.  Her life.  She didn't sink but she swam and never stopped.

When my dad passed away, I didn't know how to deal with my grief but I remembered he always told me to write and share my story.  I didn't really know how to share my story so I just shared my heart and his story but I'm now learning that my 'Payne' is not in vain.  I want to help others deal with "life" and learn how to not just survive each day but truly live or thrive as Stephanie would say.

I don't know what connected me to Stephanie several years ago.  Perhaps it was the last name we share or just her sweet spirit that drew everyone to her.  I didn't know that she blogged after the loss of her daughter until last week.  We both blogged to share or deal with our grief hoping to encourage someone else walking the same journey.  Now we share the number 22 -- my dad passed away on the 22nd.  I found her blog and her last post that she shared on July 22, 2019.

She mentioned ways to deal with the "dragon" in your life.  I'm not going to copy her blog but I will share her link at the bottom of this post.  I encourage you all to check it out and share it.

One thing she mentioned was "leaning in" to our thoughts and not running from them.  It was a reminder of a conversation I had earlier this week with a friend.  How often do we want to just run away from our problems.  From our hurts?  From life?  The last thing I want to do is "lean in" to them.  Most of us can't just get away in order to heal from our hurts.  Sometimes we must learn to heal where we were hurt.  Whew… that's NOT easy but it's possible.

Which leads to the point of this blog... How would you be remembered?  What would your last words be?

We often times speak from hurt.  We say things out of anger.  We never take the time to heal so we just live hurt and in the process we damage others along the way.

So if today was your last day on this earth... how would you be remembered?

What was your last text message?  What was your last social media post?  What was the last conversation you had?  What were the last words you spoke to your child or your spouse?  Your brother or your sister?

How would you be remembered?

Stephanie left a message for us all... her final blog post was a wake up call.  We aren't here to sit back.  We aren't suppose to dwell on the negative events of our life but we were designed to live and live with purpose.  Grief is real.  Grief comes in many different forms and we all deal with it differently.  Why don't we lock arms... link up and encourage each other on this journey of life.

I want to be a Stephanie... Don't you?

www.imalive2thrive.com