If you’re not on Facebook, you are missing out on an amazing opportunity. In my short time there I have reconnected with old friends I had lost touch with, and I’ve also made new friendships with some of the most talented, caring, amazing people you could hope to meet. The beautiful Linda Hawkins from Cape Town, South Africa is one such person. Linda recently posted the following on Facebook and she has very graciously allowed me to repost it here for you. It’s a great lesson to show us that, all you need to do is be genuinely curious about people, take the time to make a new friend and you will be full of gratitude for the things you have been blessed with. And if you really pay attention to your friends, they will teach you that you have the power to create the change you want in your life.

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Thank you Stranger…Friend
by Linda Hawkins

I haven’t been to gym in a couple of weeks and today I thought - ‘That’s it Linda, get your bum into gear and get going….!! No excuses and no home workouts with cats and dogs climbing all over you.. it’s back to doing what you really love doing. Keeping your body fit and healthy.’

On the way to gym I comfortingly told myself that I would take the cardio session a little easier than where I had left off and ease myself back into things….

The gym was relatively quiet. I scanned the place and noticed a slightly chubby lady working on a rowing machine. I made my way over to the treadmill closest to her - so that I could strike up a conversation with her. This is out of character for me because I normally focus on my workout and keep to myself.

We soon got chatting and decided that we would work out together. She didn’t seem too intimidating, so I agreed…..he he he….. 40 minutes on the treadmill and 40 minutes on the rowing machine later.. we were still going strong…chatting up a storm. By the end of the workout I bravely walked out of the gym feeling as though I had lost at least 10kgs in one session and that everything would be toned for the rest of my life - that everything had lifted and firmed up and was frozen into position!!

Our conversation cut straight to the chase. It turned out that Estelle is actually a Captain in the SA Police Force. That she had just won the gym’s Olympic Week - first place overall. That she is a Karate champion and that the reason she is a little chubby is because she has just recently beaten cancer.

She was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes 3 years ago and was told that the cancer had spread to such a degree that she had only 3-6 months to live. She instructed the doctors to do all that they could do - and part of their ‘treatment’ was prescribing cortisone - which blew her up to a whopping 110kg - she is only 1.6m tall.

As the doctors did their thing, Estelle started praying and meditating. Applying all that she had learnt while learning martial arts. She instructed her mind to kill each cancer cell in her body and her body became a fighting machine. Fighting for her life and claiming back her health. During this time, her husband admitted to her that he was having an affair and moved out of the family home. She was determined to heal her body and allowed her husband to leave. Forgiving him and letting him go. The night her husband told her that he would be moving out, she listened, understood and let him go. Then she phoned a friend and said ‘Tonight I have to laugh and have lots of fun.’ They took their motorbikes out and went ripping through the mountains.. Wild and free…

A year later she had beaten cancer, lost 37 kgs, and her husband was back in her life. She used the power of her mind to focus on what she wanted. Lived in the present moment at all times. Forgave her husband completely for his trangression - and through all of it she had fun! She laughed, she lived.

Every day I meet angels. Every day someone touches my life with their love, their experiences, their words, their honesty, their authenticity.

Thank you God for smiling on me today and for orchestrating this meeting with this incredible woman. I am truly blessed to know her. To be able to share her story with my friends online.

And yes, I’m going back to gym tomorrow evening - to work out with Estelle!! What a woman!! What a blessing!! What a sore bum I have!!

And thank you Linda, what a blessing you are.