Dear Reader:

When I heard the expression “When leaving earth…Make sure you leave your heart prints bigger than your foot prints” on a news segment last evening…I repeated it several times…and liked the meaning behind it more each time I said it.

Immediately two faces popped up in my mind…Mike and Honey Burrell. For those of you lucky enough to know these two individuals…there is no need to explain the extent of the level of generosity they both represent. They give until it hurts… and then keep giving until it heals .

Listing the number of accolades they have both received for their charitable acts over a life-time of giving would take more than one post to list. Yesterday, at the annual Christmas luncheon for MS, they spoke about the Challenge Race (to raise money for MS research) they both participate in each February…walking fifty miles…and to date raising over $60,000! Honey’s latest accolade was being awarded, last year, the most Motivating Walker in the race.

 In Charleston Magazine ( March of 2013) Mike and Honey were recognized for ‘going the extra miles” to fight MS.

Click on this link to see the whole article:

Going the Extra Miles | Charleston Magazine

I drove over to Mike and Honey’s house where we met before going to the MS Christmas luncheon (where the Burrells were presenting and I was telling a story.)

There were signs  pointing the way to the Holiday Pottery Sale today and everything was decorated so festive…including their mailbox.

…Also including Honey Burrell in her beautiful sweater and skirt. The house is decorated so “loverly.”  Honey said she is ready for the pottery sale…so come on early and stay late!

We also exchanged some fun gifts of pottery and pigs…too much fun!

Then we were off to the luncheon. It never ceases to amaze me how much detail and preparation goes into this special Christmas luncheon for those living with MS in the Summerville area.

There is always a special  hand-made gift at each plate (this year it was a beautiful angel with the manger scene at the bottom -exquisite) inspiring music, drawings for prizes, talented dancers and musicians bringing the Christmas spirit into everyone’s hearts…leaving big heart prints behind.

Andrea Andrews calls each year to invite me to return and tell a story at the luncheon…we have known each other since our early days of teaching social studies at Alston Middle School together. Andrea has been fighting MS for several years with such spunk and determination it (MS) should just retreat and run away…give up against such a formidable fighter as Andrea.

As I was pulling into my neighborhood…a tall, massive fire truck was waiting to pull out on Highway 17. I found myself yelling “Rutledge…Look a fire truck!” But there was no little Rutledge in the back…he would have gone “nuts”..all he wants for Christmas this year is a  fire truck, a  siren, a hat, a water hose, etc…anything in the fireman category!

(I have to admit I was relieved when I pulled into my driveway not to see anything smoking or more firetrucks pulled up!)

A few minutes after I got home…my back yard neighbor, Faye, came bringing Christmas gifts…everything was so cute….and two little “fellas” are sitting on my steps welcoming everyone inside “The Happy Room”

So until tomorrow….It is not enough to have lived and walked this earth we call home…we must leave more than footprints of the evidence that we were once here…we must leave heart prints on the people we passed along the way.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh