There are a few angels who walk the same ground as we do. These special people are placed in our presence to teach us lessons. One of the lessons for me is that those unique people are more times than not taken advantage of by those who they wish to help. They are humble, inspiring, and giving. For the fortunate few of us who are here to protect and defend these angels, we never know why. We just do.

Carie Lee Flynn-Hamilton was one of those extraordinary people who visited us. Her amazing journey of life contained all of the pain and joy that most of us experience. However, she mastered something many will never learn, living with optimism and grace, while coping with difficult challenges. Carie was an inspiration. She lived with complex and ever changing family unit dynamics while growing up. After she gave everything for her children and life, she fought a courageous battle against the environmental epidemic we know as cancer.

I picked up her ipad the other morning and discovered a document slipped inside the jacket cover. I do not know if Carie authored or found the essay. However, it explains who she was and what influenced her success.

"A few years ago I was lost. Frustrated. Scared. Unsure. Anxious. Trapped. Unfulfilled. Stuck in a dead-end job. Smothered by society’s expectations. Didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. I cared for myself enough to change my life, but didn’t have the slightest clue where to start. I spent my days wishing things would change. Wishing that I could escape a life my soul could no longer bear. The worst part of all, I was living the life that society had always told me to live. Find a secure job, work hard, they would say. Get a solid job and work your way up the ladder. I don’t know about you, but it turns out for me, that the right thing to do sucked the joy out of my life."

"Imagine feeling trapped in an unsatisfying existence. Wasting your precious time doing things that you really didn’t want to be doing. Being afraid of expressing your uniqueness. Having fun on the weekends, then dreading the upcoming week. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it. Maybe your life is just like mine was. Few moments of satisfaction drowned out by a constant grind of work that doesn’t fulfill you."

"Then something hit me. It was the proverbial hammer to my head. I’d heard it before. But it had never sunk in. Then, as if out of nowhere, a voice in my head spoke loudly and clearly. Discover who you truly are and fully give every aspect of your uniqueness to the world. This is your path to an extraordinary life."

Carie followed that voice’s wisdom. Her life changed in amazing ways. Everyone who believes in and lives unconditional love learned from and shared in her remarkable journey. She lived a truly exceptional life. It was my honor and joy to have shared her journey. – J. Mark Hamilton