My Inner Voice

I was e-mailing my friend, Nancy, one day last winter to update her on a mutual friend of ours that has cancer. I finished the e-mail and on the "To" line, I started to type in her name, N-A-N...and her address popped up just like it always did. I clicked on her name and just as I was about to click on "send", my eyes happened to shift over to her address and I had the wrong Nancy's address in there. "STOP!", my brain told my clicker finger, but alas it was too late...my finger came down on the little mouse and off went my e-mail...to the wrong Nancy!

It happen that at that time, I was running a network marketing business and I had hundreds of contacts in my address book. I looked at the address I had sent the e-mail to and had no clue who this Nancy person was. None whatsoever! Good heavens...I had just sent a very personal e-mail to someone I didn't even know. How on earth did I do that?!?

I quickly typed up another e-mail to the unknown Nancy person, apologizing for my mistake. I entered her e-mail address and hit send. A couple of days later I got this really nice e-mail back from Nancy. She said she knew right away that the e-mail was not meant for her, but when she saw the word "cancer" she couldn't help reading it. She said she could definitely relate and she wished my sick friend well.

Okay, so that should have been the end of it. No more really needed to be said, but for some crazy reason, I was drawn to this cyber-Nancy, and my little inner voice kept telling me to e-mail her back. I finally listened. Since that day, there have been dozens and dozens of e-mails and a beautiful friendship has blossomed. Nancy and I have so much in common from our love of the arts, to writing and nature. We have become wonderful friends, even though we have never met.

Oh, how did Nancy's e-mail address find it's way into my list of contacts in my address book? My husband and I had placed an ad on Craig's List earlier that winter and Nancy had responded to our ad! Now I realize that Craig's List ads and errant e-mails aren't your normal way to make friends, but I guess it's what had to happen for us to "meet" at all!

Nancy was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago. She calls her cancer experience her "journey", and I know now that we "met" because I was meant to walk with her on her journey, and I am...every step of the way.

So, if you ever hear your little inner voice telling you to do something, even if it seems a bit strange at the time...don't question it....follow that voice. A very special friend might be waiting there for you!

Love you Nanc!

I have honored Nancy and our friendship this month with a special Breast Cancer Awareness Card. Nancy named the card "Nancy's Rose of Inspiration", and it is on sale in my online store at http://www.fourdogday.etsy.com/. Part of the proceeds from each card purchased is being donated to Cancer Patient Care in Spokane, Washington. Just click on the card below for more information.