wake up, my heart

day five.

task: write a post thanking someone who has made your heart come alive.

is it possible to name one?

there have been so many people who have touched my heart.  however, i think the phrase make my heart come alive is one that requires a little more depth.  there have been a few, for certain, and to those individuals i am always grateful.  it was they who helped me to truly feel alive.  they helped me to be myself, trust my heart, and gave me wings.

to louisa may alcott:  to this incredible woman i will always be thankful.  her story, little women, made my heart come alive at a young age.  i soared with her characters' success and cried at their loss.  this was one of the first books to truly make my heart come alive.

to j.r.r. tolkien:  little women may have been one of the first to reach deep inside me, but the work of this incredible man stirred my heart so much that it started a lengthy obsession.  i'm still moved by his writing, deeply.  i'm thankful to him for creating characters that speak to me of unlikely heroes {even in the smallest}, of companionship and courage in the face of unlikely success, of hope and freedom and sacrifice.

to a boy i once loved: true friendship can make the heart soar.  i'll always be thankful to this boy for being a true friend, for accepting me just as i was, for encouraging me to be better, and for leaving me when it was necessary.  friendships, especially those that come into our lives to teach us and leave once we've learned, are some of the most awakening things this earthly experience has to offer.

to isa sandra moskowitz, terry hope romero, and rebecca bent:  these women made my heart come alive several years ago and still do today.  these are the authors of vegan cupcakes take over the world.  add to this of women my incredible sister, lori, for gifting the book to me upon my high school graduation.  once i started baking, i simply couldn't stop.  they helped show me that i could love food.  they showed me that food could make people happy.  and to this day i'm grateful for that.

to angela liddon:  this woman is an inspiration.  she's reached the very deep parts of my heart and shown me that there is hope for happiness and peace with myself.  she's a blogger, a baker, a runner, and a beacon of light to anyone that's suffered eating disorders and body image issues.  reading her writing awakens me in a way that makes me want to do something.  it motivates me to live, to love, to really wake up.

these are just a few - there are so so many people that helped my heart to wake up, little by little, and i'm thankful for each of them.  God brings people to our lives in interesting ways, always for a reason.  and because of that, i'll always be grateful to Him.