Dear friends,
Pam and Becky have been my Pea Pals for several years. Together, we have celebrated new beginnings like marriage and the birth of grandchildren. And we have journeyed together through the long and heartbreaking process of watching a loved one struggle through the ravages of cancer. Through words, we have championed one another, prayed for one another and brought compassion to one another. Our written hugs bounce back and forth from Atlanta to South Carolina to my home base of Minnesota like giant tennis balls of hope.
I have never met Pam or Becky in person, though I’m confident I will one day. Why? Because they are two of the most faith-filled, courageous and extraordinary individuals I know and I want to share a cup of coffee with them, feel their hugs and sit up late at night sharing stories of heartache and triumph. We are survivors. And we need one another to navigate life.
So how did Pam and Becky become my Pea Pals? Each of them wrote to me to share their Eat Your Peas story and I sent them back a note of gratitude, although it didn’t end with just one letter. We kept writing back and forth throughout the years like old friends, thus I named them my Pea Pals. It’s funny: People always find it interesting when they hear back from me, the creator of our little PEAS books, but hey, I’m just a person like anyone else and corresponding with the individuals who are touched by my creations inspires me more than a hike to Mount Everest ever could (plus it’s a lot warmer!).
Pam and Becky were put into my life for a reason. Just like many of the people you meet are put into yours, even the ones that disappoint us from time to time. What makes the Eat Your Peas books so unique is that each book begins with a promise to be there for a special someone throughout life’s hilarities and heartaches. And I can’t imagine getting through life without some of my Pea Pals to champion me along the way.
Is there someone you’re inspired to reach out to? Someone who needs hope (maybe it’s even you!), or needs a little love…or maybe it’s someone who needs a promise to know they are not alone in what can sometimes feel like a crazy and upside-down world.
Reach out and extend yourself. We all need one another. Maybe you’ll even become my new Pea Pals!
Here’s to a spring bursting with peas, faith and love!
Cheryl
Cheryl can be personally reached at T) 877-224-7886 or cherylkarpen@aol.com
