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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Positive Words of Encouragement

A candle loses nothing ' by lighting another candle ~ Erin Majors. '

Jennifer Cline wanted to encourage President Barack Obama. Jennifer, a 28-year-old mother of two and nine year old boys, has been unemployed since losing her job as a pharmacy technician in 2007.

Despite her troubles, Jennifer wrote the President a cheerful three page letter describing how her family was faring despite job losses and her medical battles with skin cancer. You would think that she had a scant amount of time or energy to write to the embattled President, but she wrote anyway.

Jennifer nearly fell over when she opened her mailbox one morning to find an elegant looking letter addressed to her from the White House. President Obama's signed, handwritten response to her letterread: "Thanks for the very kind and inspiring letter. I know times are tough, but knowing there are folks out there like you and your husband give me confidence that things will keep getting better. "

Encouragement for encouragement. Strength for strength. Hope for hope. The President's letter became the gift that kept on giving. Having been pursued by an ardent autograph collector, Jennifer decided to sell the memento to help tackle her family's growing pile of bills.

"I needed to do what's best for my family, and this was best for my family," she said.

Jennifer and her husband used about $ 3,000 of the money they received from the President's letter to pay down bills, many of which are related to two forms of skin cancer that Jennifer has battled into remission. Theremaining money has been set aside as part of a down payment on a future home.

What I love about this story is how it demonstrates the law of the candle. Jennifer used her little light to send light to President Obama, President Obama sent light back to her. And everything got brighter. That's what encouragement does, it blesses much more than it costs.

It may only be a few words, an email, a hug or a cup of coffee with someone who could do with some kindness. Come to think of it, why not be wasteful and give your light away even to people who don't seem to need or want it.

The more light in this world, the less darkness. The more likely we are to see each other clearly.

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