What is it about a woman and her shoes?

By Amy Hanavan

HappyNews Citizen Journalist

I had an amazing conversation with a friend of mine last night and felt such pride and admiration for this friend that I wanted to share what she and the human spirit are capable of. My friend Mary Ann, lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and recently lost her home and everything she owns, courtesy of hurricane Katrina.

This is a person who has already led a challenging and inspirational life. Her mother had cervical cancer when she was born, and many of Mary Ann's organs did not fully develop. She has battled many health problems for most of her life, but in the last few years she has finally been in a place of good health and was able to create a thriving business she is very proud of.

She spends a great deal of her free time in her garden, which is absolutely enchanting. It is filled with flowers, butterflies, dragonflies and birds, as well as many other furry creatures that Mary Ann devotedly feeds and invites to visit. I still can't believe that this garden, which felt like a fairy tale to me, is now gone with nothing left but mud and debris.

One of the things that created the deep bond of friendship between Mary Ann and I was our mutual love of beauty and our desire to have our homes reflect the things in life that give us meaning and joy. In addition, she has the most amazing sense of humor. She is now living with friends of a friend, camping out in a tiny room with her beloved cat, Cinnamon, two of her favorite books and a piece of her mother's jewelry that she retrieved from the debris that was once her beloved home.

As we talked, I asked her how she structured her days now that everything that was once familiar had been destroyed. As I listened to her recount some of her experiences, she confessed her cravings for a semblance of order and just some small measure of beauty and comfort. I wanted to know how she was coping--and what she was doing to meet that need. She described something to me that fills me with awe every time I think about it.

In the days that followed the storm, most of the green vegetation was destroyed, and despite the oppressive heat and humidity, the area has the eerie countenance of winter. The natural habitat and food systems were wiped out, and the natural order appeared to be severely interrupted. But as the weeks passed, new beginnings were revealed.

Yesterday, when Mary Ann was driving, she pulled over to observe a once magnificent bush that was timidly coming back to life. She noticed tiny green buds sprouting along branches that were daring to begin life again. As she savored the hope that this new life seemed to bring, she saw two beautiful butterflies hovering near a sole blossom that had just begun to unfold. She sat transfixed by their grace and fragility and was filled with a sense of peace that she had not felt since before the storm.

As she recounted this to me, I realized that she expressed what I most admire about the human spirit--our capacity to seek joy and inspiration from wherever or whatever we are faced with.

As life goes on, it amazingly perseveres. Beauty always reemerges and we are constantly led by new life coming forth and pulling us along. My love of nature and beauty is usually what fills me with hope and makes me want to use my life to bring more joy into the world.

I know that this shared love of beauty will be what guides Mary Ann to find a new home and create another magical garden. It is just a natural consequence of the beauty and grace inside of her. In the meantime, life will pull her along and keep her seeking and believing as we search for some happiness out of the piles of rubble.

After sitting for a while in companionable silence, we began contemplating what was likely to occur as life started to begin again. Finally, it seemed like our humor was restored and lead us on a more comfortable and familiar path.

We decided to make a list of all the things that Mary Ann now needed and would someday be able to buy. We began imagining the fun she would have doing something as mundane as shopping. Our laughter erupted over the seemingly ridiculous items that appeared to be "must-haves,"

First on her list was not kitchen supplies or something that might sound practical like sheets and towels. In fact our topic of conversation may really surprise you. We actually spent the next half hour discussing her new shoes!! We laughed and joked, and slowly, a sense of normalcy returned.

As we sat giggling and enjoying the sounds of our laughter, we realized something that was very deep and profound. Forget about heartbreak and being scorned--I realized once again, that life can definitely be full of pain, sorrow and stupendous suffereing.

But it also can be inspiring, magnificent and actually pretty funny.

This story was produced by Happynews Citizen Journalist, Amy Hanavan. Hanavan is a citizen reporter from Orlando, FL. She has her Masters degree in Social Work and 15 years of experience counseling and coaching people in the achievement of their goals. She consults with individuals and corporations, teaching them a concept she created called "The Energy of Success". She writes extensively about the energy and power of our thoughts and our ability to use this energy to create what we want in life.

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