Heaven Is Here

Why do bad things happen to good people?  I am sure today we are all asking ourselves that question, as have countless people countless times before.  Bad things happen to good people everyday, making us realize just how fragile this life and these bodies really are.

Heaven Is Here is a memoir by Stephanie Nielson.  By her own admission she had a pretty perfect life, with a loving husband, four beautiful children, a large extended family and an unshakable faith in God.  She started her blog (nieniedialogues.com) in 2005 when she was living in New Jersey and missing her family in Utah.  It quickly drew a large and loyal following attracted to her positive outlook and eclectic sense of style. Then they moved back to Mesa, Arizona, close to her in-laws, and life couldn't have been better.  Until the small plane Nie and her husband were flying in crashed, and she was burned over 80% of her body.  

What followed was a journey of body and mind: three months in a drug-induced coma, innumerable surgeries and excruciating procedures followed by physical therapy to learn to walk, eat and even lift her arms on her own again.  But the hardest part was finding the courage to see her children, and to see herself for the beautiful person she still was.

Heaven is Here is a testament to the power of love and the strength of the human spirit, and a reminder that a person who isn't beautiful on the inside, won't ever be beautiful on the outside.  So hug your children, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, dog, cat, etc. Remember how lucky we all are and count your blessings, for no matter how bad things seem, someone else has it worse.

So read Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson!  And check out nieniedialogues.com.  You will fall in love with her adorable family.  I'm off to hug mine!!

TBC