Joy Swank's Account of the STEPS Session on Wed, Mar 6th

Our STEPS meeting was so incredible today, I can not wait until next week to tell you all what happened, I have to tell you now. Our first speaker was wonderful, cheerful, positive and her message of Choose Your Attitude was well received.  WE all ended up in a circle, arms around each other singing! Very uplifting,  and then our second speaker came forward. She was  a former student and started to cry and give the most moving message of agony and hope to everyone.  This girl survived molestation, rape, attempted murder,  drug use, miscarriage, abandonment by men and finally had a child of her own and realized it was time to make positive changes.  She made it clear that she made some bad choices and once she realized that she turned her life around about a year and a half ago.  She returned to school and got a job with Blake-Austin.  She is raising her eight year old daughter on her own and making her life a success. She sobbed at many parts and we were all affected by her story.  I thanked her and told her she would never know how many lives she changed today.  Later she told me she was so scared, then surprised by how many people came up to hug her.      She told me it was scary but also EMPOWERING! Wow,   it was so moving. She made a difference today,  as did Suzy Mitchell with her positive attitude exercise. I am so grateful Desiree brought this project to us and we were smart enough to proceed with it.  We are making a difference in lives! Hugs to all