Birthplace of a Platform

 

This was a weekend I have been looking forward to for months.  Ever since I attended Women of Faith in Kansas City this fall, I have been so intrigued to try a different format.  I loved the more relaxed feel of this weekend and loved getting to speak to artists personally.  After Ms. Wheelchair Kansas weekend, I was even more excited to attend this event.  It was after hearing a speech by Ann Voscamp during the fall event, that my platform began to take shape.  It was that speech that prompted me to really take a look at the role of gratitude in my life and I felt compelled to share it with others.  I was excited to get to share my story and the role Women of Faith had played in the birth of a platform.

 

This was the largest event by far that I have attended as Ms. Wheelchair Kansas.  Although there were some bumps at the beginning getting appropriate wheelchair seating, at the end of the event, it was one of my favorite experiences ever.  For some reason they had seated us up the stairs.  Well, you all know that would never work for me.  :)  But, they quickly got it taken care of and we ended up with excellent wheelchair seats.  I'm thankful that was an easy fix.

I loved getting to meet all sorts of women and tell them all about Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and my plans for the year. I got to hand out several business cards and even talked about possible future appearances. What an amazing weekend and what a positive response overall!

 

 Probably my favorite part of the weekend was getting to meet Selah. Their song "You Raise Me Up" has been important to my life since the accident.  I was thrilled I got to talk to them and share my story and the importance of that song in my life.  I was even more thrilled they are genuinely nice people and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.  Some artists are not as nice as you imagine when you meet them in person.  I must say, Selah certainly did not disappoint.  I am an even bigger fan now than I was before I met them in person.  The memory I will carry with me is that of hearing my name from the stage.  They sang "You Raise Me Up" and said, "Angel, this is for you."  My Grandma was so impressed she was telling people afterward that Angel was her granddaughter.  :)

So excited to see their sign . . .

Even more excited to meet them in person.  :)

All in all, this was a very successful weekend.  Personally, I got to share how Women of Faith had impacted the birth of my platform and I got to meet Selah.  For Ms. Wheelchair Kansas I got to bring awareness and talk to several different people about the program and make potential contacts for future appearances.  I was exhausted when I got home, but thrilled.

Thankful thoughts for today:
Connecting with friends
Support from unexpected places
Naps
Day off
Finding out you make a lasting impression


"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessing."
                                                                             Eric Hoffer