"The Giver," Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa 5.19.2025

"He’s always helping us, when we’re the ones who are supposed to be helping him!"

 – Darian Harris

The Giver

It was “Demo Day” for the Fuel Accelerator last Wednesday and perhaps it was serendipitous that it was being held at the new Heartland Whole Health Institute. But, the serendipity was just beginning to be unveiled, as Darian Harris loped up, in his larger than human stride and smile, to say hello.

“Andrew Bart tells me that your new Fuel Cohort in Phoenix is going very well,” I said, knowing that Darian was a key contributor to its successful launch.

“Yes!” Darian responded before continuing on with, “He’s always helping us, when we’re the ones who are supposed to be helping him!”  

“That’s who he is,” I said while adding. “I’ve never met anyone who knows as many people and is constantly and happily connecting them to others in an effort to be helpful!”

As those words left my mouth I remembered recent research that reveals how telomeres, tiny bits of DNA, can reduce stress while lengthening life. And, yes, this connection between telomeres and Andrew Bart came to me, while standing in the Heartland Whole Health Institute!

Scientific studies show that specific individual practices can help slow the deterioration of and even lengthen telomeres, potentially slowing down aging and improving overall health. The best news is that, unlike treatments such as Botox and facelifts, these don’t come with much of a price tag. I won’t go into the details of each research suggested practice, just the first one, the personal practice of helping others. After all, it’s the trait that Andrew has fully assimilated into his life. 

It can also be called the characteristic of compassion and fostering social connections. 

Research studies have shown that when elderly people are given something as simple as a plant to care for, they live longer. And many studies continue to make the point that helping others helps all of us individually.

A study from the University of Wisconsin found that people who practice loving-kindness meditation increased their telomerase activity, through an enzyme that helps maintain telomere length.

Showing compassion to others, as well as ourselves, lowers stress hormones like cortisol and triggers positive physiological responses in the body. When you and I practice self-compassion or offer kindness to others, we feel calmer, more connected, and less stressed, which helps reduce the strain that stress puts on our bodies.

Best of all, you and I can start receiving such benefits immediately by practicing small acts of kindness each day, whether it’s offering a kind word to a colleague or sending positive thoughts to someone you care about. 

I’ve decided to call such small acts, “Andrew’s-micro-moments of giving.” Because when you give to others, life gives right back to you and your health, just like Andrew, The Giver.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ktZfblXh2jAyKce2-EJazGOdQnaERL3A/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, "Universal Assistance" 4.21.2025

“Most people think that these kinds of events are simply serendipitous. But, they’re not! I’m convinced that the universe puts the right people into our lives, at the right place and time.” 

- Chris Peterson

Universal Assistance

It was early in the evening and a Startup Junkie group had gathered at Bauhaus to socialize, have dinner and drinks. My friend Carl Maloney was the first to offer me a greeting. 

“I had coffee with Chris Peterson this morning,” he said cheerfully.

“You’re kidding,” I replied. “What time did you meet with him?”

“We got together at 10 a.m.,” Carl said.

“I met with him at 8,” I said with a slight chuckle.

It, would perhaps, seem to be a single serendipitous circumstance to someone jumping into the conversation without additional background. Yet, singular serendipity wasn’t the whole story here. It would take me another day and another conversation with Chris in order to recognize more and broader connections. But for now, my conversation with Carl continued.

“Chris told me that he was having some issues with data. As you know he has three or four businesses and each one is having a data management issue. So, we’re going to meet again to talk about how I can help him solve those data challenges,” Carl continued, without going into more detail about his full conversation with Chris.

Chris is an early riser, so I wasn’t too surprised to get a text from him at about six-thirty the next morning.

“Would you guys like to have dinner with us tonight at June’s at about 6?”

I responded with a quick “yes” and we met at 6 for dinner in the appointed place.

As soon as we were seated Chris opened a conversation with, “Carl and I had coffee yesterday.”

Then, he went on to tell me about his nephew who lives in Texas and how much he likes to mountain bike. “My nephew wants to get a job building mountain bike trails,” Chris explained before continuing with, “Carl loves to mountain bike and when we talked yesterday he told me he knows of a guy who owns a company that builds trails all over the country! He’ll be making an introduction for me soon, so my nephew can schedule an interview for summer work. And, by-the-way, Carl is going to meet with me to see if he can help solve some of my business data issues.”

Chris then made an attention getting, noteworthy statement.

“Most people think that these kinds of events are simply serendipitous. But, they’re not! I’m convinced that the universe puts the right people into our lives, at the right place and time.”

Chris’ words made me pause and remember having, another similar experience earlier in the week.

I was sitting in my office working, when for some reason I looked out of the right window, at exactly the right moment, to see a friend walking by. I was needing to discuss a couple of details about some important work he’s doing for me, and there he was! So, I jumped up and went out to visit with him.

With my attention back in the moment, I responded to Chris’ observation and statement with, “I’m pretty sure you’re right, and Carl would agree.”

I looked out of another window. It was again evening. This time it was the restaurant’s window, beyond Chris’ left shoulder, and said to myself, “Universal assistance is out there! I think I’ll just keep looking for it!”

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYFyXlDwN-fc35VXcwo-Fza_bVNWEong/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, 14 April 2025, "Begin"

“You’ve got to start with what you’ve got.”– Robert Rodriguez

Begin

Robert Rodriguez’s movie studio is a vast place. A place where ideas take shape, and movie pitches come to life. When I say come to life, it’s because the lessons of creativity he’s discovered, over more than ten years, are aptly relevant to every person and every life.

Robert is a legend. You may know him as the creator of the Spy Kids series of films. He’s someone whose career and family life has always been transforming and inspirational. From the groundbreaking El Mariachi to his low-budget indie films, Robert has built his life around creativity, not cash. Perhaps that starting place could be called the beginning of more than film making. He’ll tell you it has also become his philosophy of fatherhood.

“Working with my children on projects has brought us closer together and deepened our relationship in ways I never could have imagined. I’ve been blown away at what my children are capable of. They’ve moved way beyond me in so many ways.”

Had he waited for the perfect time begin collaborating with his children he never would have started. 

“You’ve got to start with what you’ve got. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect’ moment or the ‘perfect’ resources. When I made El Mariachi, I had $7,000, no crew, no fancy cameras, just an idea. I had to get creative because that was all I had. And that’s what forced me to think outside the box, to tell a story with limited means. Creativity doesn’t come from having more; it comes from working with what you have and making it work.”

You start small, with what’s in front of you, and you build from there. Your circumstantial limitations are actually what force you to come up with the most innovative ideas. It’s all about making the most of what you’ve got.

“That’s the key,” Robert explains. “When you’re creating with the intent to innovate, the rest seems to fall into place. The work you’re afraid to make, the one you think might fail, is often the work that will connect the most with people. They’re not looking for perfection, they’re looking for honesty, for something real.”

The true creative process happens when you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone, to experiment and fail and learn. If you’re stuck in doing the same thing, in the same way all of the time, you’ll stop evolving. But if you allow yourself the freedom to try something new, you’ll discover your passion. Starting is like punching a ticket to receive.

You can only receive new inspiration by starting, looking and receiving more as you go. It is a freeing process, because the act of starting with what you’ve got precludes other paths and gives you focus. 

“It makes it easy,” Robert says.

_________________________________________

I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYFyXlDwN-fc35VXcwo-Fza_bVNWEong/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, "Worry" 31 March 2025

“Worry is a misuse of the imagination.”– Dan Zadra

Worry

On a rain sputtered Friday, Andrew and I sat across from each other to have a conversational lunch at Local Lime. And, it was clear that something was furrowing Andrew’s brow. The second indicator that something was bothering him was his deep sigh just before he dipped a crispy tortilla chip into the warm queso stationed between us.

“Something on your mind?” I asked, with a quick sideways glance at my friend.

Andrew popped the queso-dripping chip into his mouth, as if trying to warm the thoughts weighing him down. “I’ve been thinking about how much time I waste worrying about my wife and daughter. They’re on a girl’s trip with my wife’s cousin right now and I worry constantly about them. It’s silly, really. Both my wife and her cousin are smart and capable people. And now, talking with you about it, it just seems ridiculous for me to be consumed by this.”

I chuckled softly. “We all worry about small things sometimes. But you know, one of my favorite writers, Dan Zandra, once said, ‘Worry is a misuse of the imagination,’ It’s one of my worry-counterbalancing thoughts, whenever I begin to jump into an anxiety spiral.”

I watched as Andrew raised one of his thick, bushy eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” I bounced back to him. Our imagination is powerful. It’s what helps us create stories, dreams, ideas and the future. But, when we focus on worry, we’re using that same power to create worst-case scenarios that haven’t, and likely won’t ever happen. Instead of using the gift of imagination to create cherished, hoped-for dreams, we’re stuck imagining problems.”

Andrew nodded slowly. “Like me, worrying about whether my wife and daughter are safe!” Then, a laugh escaped his once grimaced mouth. “What I should be worried about is my wife’s reaction if I don’t get the house back in order when they arrive home safely!” 

“Exactly,” I replied with a laugh. “It’s the difference between planting seeds of fear instead of trust. Worry can feel real, but it’s just imagination working against us.”

Andrew sighed again, in a mix of frustration and realization. “It’s funny, isn’t it? We spend so much time fearing the future, but when it arrives, it rarely looks the way we thought. How do you stop it, though? I mean, it’s not like anyone chooses to worry.”

At that, I smiled gently. “Maybe it’s not about stopping it, but redirecting it. Remember that quote from Dan Zandra? Next time you catch yourself worrying, use that as a catalyst to take that same scenario you’re imagining, the one where things go wrong, and flip it. Imagine what would happen if everything went right instead.”

Andrew mulled it over. “So, if I’m worried about work, I should picture myself handling things well instead of messing up?”

“Precisely,” I replied. “The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. You’ll train your imagination to work for you, not against you.”

Andrew seemed to breathe easier. “I never thought about it that way. I guess I’ve been letting my mind run wild in the wrong direction.”

“We all do sometimes. But, Dan’s catalyst can help you stop painting a dark sky so you can paint with colors for a sunrise instead. It’s a habit, and habits can change.”

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYFyXlDwN-fc35VXcwo-Fza_bVNWEong/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, "The Next Right Step"

“We offer hope and transformation to young women by helping them take the next right step.” – Bekah Shaffer

The Next Right Step

“Saving Grace serves young women ages 18-25 who have aged out of foster care or are facing homelessness. We provide safe housing in a dorm-style setting and offer each young woman educational assistance, career guidance, coaching, counseling, and more,” Bekah started.

Then, she spoke of her own background.

“I grew up in a poverty household with a mother who neglected us and didn’t teach us how to take care of ourselves,” she explained. “One day someone from child services came and removed us from our home and that’s where I experienced foster care which ushered in the next step in my life.”

Then, “Becky” turned eighteen and she found herself “homeless” as the foster care system turned her out. It was another experience that indicated to her that she had “no people.” Yet, she took the next step with courage and went to work. And, since she had good grades she got into college where she began to meet new, different, people. Meeting a diverse group of people gave her the opportunity to really begin to learn how to live a successful life.

“That’s where I met my husband Kent,”   

Becky went on to say. “He taught me how to study and take care of myself more effectively. He taught me the value of a healthy relationship.”

After Kent and Becky were married she had a desire to help other young women who had endured a similar life experience. So, not long after their marriage the two hopeful collaborators created “Saving Grace Farm.”

At Saving Grace, young women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five are given the opportunity to heal from childhood trauma, cultivate healthy relationships, and break the cycle of poverty that has greatly influenced their lives. Each woman receives support tailored to her unique needs, including safe and stable housing, professional counseling, medical care, life skills training, education, steady employment, and lifelong mentorship. Saving Grace doesn’t put a time limit on healing and forming healthy habits. They invest what it takes to empower each participating woman to alter the trajectory of her life, and create lasting generational change.

They’ve made it their mission to empower participants with the relationships, coaching, and opportunities that will help them to create lasting change without government funds. Perhaps Kent summed-up this approach best when he said, “they come to us without people and when they leave, they have people!”

Well, perhaps, but they have more than just people. They have the farm animals as well. And, it is the animals who also reinforce caring, engage their senses, and compose the steady, healing rhythm of the sacred acres of Grace Farms. After all, animals are the most forgiving creatures on earth.

The animals and people at Saving Grace demonstrate that we all make mistakes and the only thing really needed to move forward is to take the next right step, while being surrounded by good, caring people.

_________________________________________

I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYFyXlDwN-fc35VXcwo-Fza_bVNWEong/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, 17 March 2025, "Know-It-All"

“That’s the reason I’m here.” – Jeremy Cupp

Know-It-All

“I have a question because I just don’t understand the way this works,” Ricky Porter said uncomfortably. 

It was hard to get these words out of his mouth, because Ricky is revered for his success and wisdom in a very competitive industry. In fact, he’s one of the people, inside and often outside his firm, that others call regularly for technical expertise. Thursday was one of those days and Ricky received a call from someone who used to be with his firm.

“Hi Ricky. I have a question for you. I hope you can help me,” the former colleague said before launching into some background information to set the stage for his question.

Ricky listened carefully and then outlined the solution in a minute or two.

“I knew you were the right guy to answer this question,” the caller said while thanking him for his help.

As Ricky finished the call he felt a warm sense of satisfaction glow across his chest. It always makes him feel good to help other people. He’s happy to do it. But, the day of asking for help wasn’t finished yet.

Ricky had a lot on his schedule for the rest of the afternoon. It was challenging work, but he was experienced and knew he could work through all of the issues associated with some ongoing negotiations; until he couldn’t.

The internal confusion about how to proceed was a feeling he had a hard time processing. After all, he already knew it all.

That thought made him snicker and then laugh right out loud! He had always thought of himself as helpful and kind. He had never thought of himself as a know-it-all and had never liked people who gave off such airs. But, It was time to do the uncomfortable.

“Hello Jeremy. This is Ricky. I would be grateful if you could help me. I don’t understand a pivotal point in a contract I’m in the middle of negotiating. Would you be willing to help me?”

“That’s the reason I’m here,” Jeremy responded immediately. “I’ll be in my office until at least five pm. Could you stop in this afternoon?”

When Ricky sat down with Jeremy he took a deep breath. It was a new experience for him to ask advice from someone so much younger. But, he needed the help, so he proceeded to review his questions with his colleague.

Jeremy answered his questions quickly and easily. In fact, his expert explanation opened Ricky’s mind to other applications for his newly gained knowledge. The meeting also gave Jeremy a chance to make some inquiries of his own before the meeting was finished. In the end it was a mutually beneficial meeting.

Utilizing the principle of mutually benefiting opportunity is a key to overcoming a know-it-all mindset. Putting it into practice can be a challenge, but it is always worth the payoff.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MYFyXlDwN-fc35VXcwo-Fza_bVNWEong/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, 10 March 2025 "Painted Nails"

“We enjoyed meeting you, discussing Salt Lake City and painted fingernails.” – Ryan Butler

Painted Nails

From the moment we walked into the large colonial home, which was embraced by mighty oak trees, my eyes were bouncing from the landscape and house to the painted fingers of the other man in our little group of three. A little voice inside my head kept repeating, “there has to be a story behind this.” I was sure there was.

However, I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask a question about painted fingernails. So, I didn’t ask for the first forty or so minutes we were together. But, very near the end of our tour the three of us took a few moments to sit around a dining table in the breakfast nook to talk about what we had seen. That’s when comfortable courage eased the question from my lips.

“Tell me about your colorful fingernails,” I proposed to Ryan Butler, someone I hardly knew.

“Oh,” he started. “I had forgot they were still painted.”

Ryan then went on to say that as his children were growing up he would enjoy time sitting with his young daughters as they painted his fingernails. It allowed them to grow closer together.

“This time my little niece painted them when she and her parents were staying with us,” he continued, our shared experience of having daughters unlocked the door of friendship.

Our conversation caused me to recall a time when my own daughters had invited me to go with them to a nail salon to get a pedicure with them. Toward the end of our sprucing-experience they cajoled me into getting my toenails painted a deep blue with snowflake highlights. I agreed, just to please them, knowing I would be the only one to witness our painted-toe-pact. Yet, confidentiality was not to be so.

A day or so following it was snowing a good bit. That storm ended up leaving six or eight inches of snow covering the ground when I received a call from someone asking to tour a home in Erda. When the time came for me to leave my house I slipped my snow boots over my bare feet and drove to the house to meet people I did not know. And, of course, when we were about to enter the door we removed our boots out of courtesy to the property owners. That’s when my blue toes with snowflake accents were revealed!

Who knew such toe decorations could generate such laughter between strangers?

The backstory of unexpected painted nails caused strangers to become friends quickly. The same way as Ryan’s panted fingernails increased the depth of our friendship in short moments. Strangers came closer together swiftly on both occurrences. We were able to relate to each other as parents, uncles, aunts, or grandparents. 

As a result of sharing painted nails and toes, we shared tenderness of heart.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa, 3 March 2025, Free-For-All

“I woke up this morning to the sound of birds singing.” – Jewel Mlnarik

Free-For-All

 “One year ago, I was sitting in my law office, looking out it’s skyscraper window with slumped shoulders. All I did, each day, was argue with other attorneys,” my friend Lane said while standing amidst our gathered group of friends.

Lane is, or should I say was, a very successful real estate attorney. He was living in one of America’s largest cities. He had worked hard to obtain his law degree, get hired by a major firm and finally, become a partner in the firm. He thought he was working toward happiness and freedom.

“It felt as if every day was some kind of free-for-all. I felt as if my whole life was continuous fighting,” he continued. That was about the change. 

One particular morning he was struggling to leave the comfort of his car as he pulled into the large parking garage attached to his office tower. So, he continued to drive up and up, until he reached the very top level of the structure. It was so early, there were no other cars parked on that top deck.

He parked his lonely car toward the east side of that concrete pad, planted his long legs on its hard surface and got out of his car. Once he was out of the car, he walked to the cement wall in front of him, which reached up to about his waist. Lane stood there, raised his arms to the middle of his body and put his hands on his hips while looking out over the early morning, still lazy city.

The sun was just rising over the mountains. Its rays pierced his chest and warmed his eyes. And, it brought a thought that would change his life. “This beauty is freely given to all. It welcomes joy and peace.”

“Today, I got up and got on my mountain bike, before breakfast. I rode on the trail near my house and felt the wind rush across my face. I let the beauty become infused with my entire being. I’m happy to be here. I’m glad to be living a happy life here with you,” Lane said, before sitting down.

Two mornings later my friend Jewel Mlnarik came over to talk with me after another meeting.

“I woke up this morning to the sound of birds singing, just before the frogs joined the chorus. Then in the evening, I was dazzled by the sight of the lightening bugs, gliding to the music offered by a band of chirping crickets and croaking frogs,” Jewel said with sparkling joy radiating from her eyes.

I replied with, “Isn’t it wonderful that such beauty and wonder is free for all?”

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Lynn Butterfield's Monday's Warm Cocoa 17 February 2025

“It takes time and effort to layer flavors” – Chef Tyler Rogers

Layering Flavor

“It takes time and effort to layer flavors,” Chef Tyler Rogers said with a glint in his eye. He was sitting kitty-corner, sort of across the table talking in his new restaurant, Stonebreaker. And, one of his newly crafted dishes was on the table for tasting.

The moment food left the fork and entered the mouth it became difficult, if not impossible to see the Chef, even though he was so close. The reason is simple. One cannot look straight ahead with eyes rolled way back into their sockets. The taste was exquisite!

Chef Tyler’s smile simply widened as he watched. “It’s all about layering and developing flavors,” he said. Then he launched into a description of some of the steps he took to create the squash mole sitting on the plate. “The nuts have to be chopped and then cooked for several hours, or the mole will taste gritty. It takes a long time to cook nuts for this use.”

It also took him a long time to find local farmers he could count on for food quality as he started building his planned-for Stonebreaker Restaurant menu.

“I wanted to do something to highlight what is grown right here,” he explained. “Most of the food used in the restaurant is from around here, within a three-hour drive from where we sit. It took me a little more than one year to source the producers for the menu I was creating for Stonebreaker,” he continued

It was worth the effort! The depth of the flavor in every dish is astonishing. If you take a moment to savor each bite you can begin to ferret-out the unique taste of each ingredient. And, you’ll discover that they don’t detract from each other at all. The combined, unique flavors build each bite into a crescendo of perception. 

Such a result also happens with the separate components of the entire plate and its carefully curated combination of foods. There is no fighting between ingredients, just taste jubilation. With experiences such as this, it becomes easy to assume that the final outcome tells the whole story. Yet, it doesn’t.

Chef Tyler Rogers began his career in the kitchen as a short-order, line-cook in what could be classified as a greasy, fast food restaurant. But, he had a more expansive vision of who he could become personally and professionally. So, he left his home town of Magnolia and accepted job-after-job seeking more knowledge. Until after years acquiring experience he became a saucier.

A saucier is not only responsible for sauce preparation, but they are assigned as the sauté person stationed on the hot-line in a classically organized kitchen. The sauté station is usually the most prestigious position on the hot-line due the volume and character of the dishes. As a saucier, he not only developed character of dishes, he developed his own character in restaurants such as the “The French Laundry” in Yountville, California.

Chef Rogers’ career-story is more than one of jumping from restaurant to restaurant and place to place. It demonstrates the way every person develops personal character. It illuminates the special nature of life’s schooling process. We are all schooled through a combination of desire, effort and lessons accumulated and learned over time. A lifetime.

And, components of a lifetime create what Chef Tyler Rogers calls the layering of flavor.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent and Associate Broker with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 3 February 2025, "Kindness"

“Even if you cannot feed 100 people, you can feed just one and change a day or a person’s life forever.” - Justin Doherty

Kindness

“I feed people. That’s what my life is about,” Eliseo Medina explained as he reviewed the field of participants from last September’s Tamale Festival. “We wanted people to feel comfortable, to have a place at the festival where they can relax and enjoy the other attendees. That meant we needed a lot of fencing!”

It isn’t as if Eliseo and Chelsea Medina had a lot of extra money sitting around to pay for all of that fencing. After all, the purpose of the festival was to raise money for “Toys for Kids.” They put their heart and soul into making sure that they have at least one toy for every child that otherwise wouldn’t have one in their tightknit town.

“We need all the money possible to go toward the presents for the kids,” Eliseo continued. “And the other people and businesses who help sponsor the festival feel the same! So, when I told our fencing sponsor we didn’t have the money for that much fencing, he answered quickly and kindly with ‘Okay. Can you feed us?’”

“That’s what do! I feed people. So, I replied with, you have a deal!” Eliseo said with his rye-little-smile of sun-bright-wattage. “I don’t ever want anyone to go hungry, whether it is one person or three-hundred people. If someone comes into my restaurant, needs a meal, and has no money, I feed them. I simply ask that they help me by doing a little work around here as payment.”

Eliseo fed more than three hundred workers of the fencing company that day of the festival. He felt it to be a good exchange for everyone involved, as well as for the kids who would receive the toys they bought, wrapped and delivered last Christmas. It was just one part of what made the Tamale Festival a huge success. 

The main ingredient to Eliseo and Chelsea’s Toys of Kids Tamale Festival and business success is more than great food. It’s kindness.

One could be tempted to think that such kindness is a fable, not part of today’s world. Yet, if I had any doubts, they were quickly erased as I gave my parting fist-bum to Eliseo and turned to the door to leave. That’s where I snapped a quick photo of the thumb-tacked sign, fastened just to the side of the door.

“Kindness. Pay it forward. Grab any paid meal ticket. No questions asked. Even if you cannot feed 100 people, you can feed just one and change a day or a person’s life forever.”

I looked over my left shoulder and smiled once again, at Eliseo, as I walked through the door. I had enjoyed the delicious meal he had made and served to me. But, his kindness had filled my soul to the brim.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 27 January 2025, "Surprise"

“You never know what you’re going to do in life.”

Surprise!

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop,” Confucius once said.

That thought came to mind as I sat on an airplane, during the boarding process, watching other passengers slowly file past. It seemed as if that trying-to-board line of humanity was not moving at all! At one such moment a stalled passenger looked at me and said, “You get to look at a lot of people!”

“It’s my hobby,” I quipped, with a good-humored smile on my face.

“You never know what you’re going to do in life,” she said with a lightness to her voice.

“We’re all surprised, aren’t we?”

“Yes!” she added as she turned her head slightly back toward me, as those in front of her began to shuffle forward once again.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop,” I thought again while waiting for the final few passengers to move past in an effort to find their seats. And finally, my mind took off, along with the airplane.

One of the wonderful things about being on an airplane, at its cruising altitude, is the chance to marvel at the change in perspective. It allows one to see the world in a different way. Somehow it seems to make the world much smaller, allowing one to see how everything fits together. Especially after feeling as if progress is slow; as if you’re not moving at all.

We all have times in our lives when it seems as if all we can see is a lack of progress. We feel all hemmed in as if standing in a slow-moving line of people. Such a feeling can cause us to hardly even notice our movement forward. It can be frustrating. But, we don’t have to stay stuck in that place. We can seek a different view, one that doesn’t require a ticket on an airline. Here are some ideas to spur you along.

Take a few minutes to look through old photos to remind yourself of the way your life used to be. Look at photos from when you were in school. Remember that first, old car you once owned. Reminisce of days living in a small apartment with three or four roommates. Then note the differences in the way you’re living now, what you’ve accomplished and soon, you won’t be standing in that stuck line of humanity. You’ll have gained a thirty-thousand-foot view of your life again.

Enjoy the view and relish your surprise at what you’ve accomplished.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 20 January 2025, Spread Love Everywhere

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” 

– Mother Teresa

Spread Love Everywhere

Cory Meyer and I were sitting deep in the bowels of the Paycom Center grabbing a bite to eat. We were in Oklahoma City working with ESPN to broadcast the Sprouts Farmers Market Quad Gymnastics Event. Cory has devoted 20 years of his career to college athletics, with positions at Idaho State University, University of Utah and The University of Nevada. In fact, he was part of the transition team moving Utah Athletics from the Mountain West Conference to the Pac-12 Conference and was a member of the National Athletics Directors Association. So of course, our conversation opened with a review of details focused on our about-to-start work with some of the most amazing athletes in the world, women college gymnasts. Yet, as the work part of our chat wound down, Cory introduced me to another adept woman.

“I moved back to Idaho in support of my mother,” Cory said in response to my question about the reason for his move to Idaho. He continued on, explaining that she raised him as a single mother.

“My mom worked and worked to give me a great life,” he explained quietly. “I grew up, went to college and have had an amazing career in college athletics because of her love and encouragement.”

Then, when he had become the person she had worked and hoped he would be, a hard time came, asking for proof. Cory’s mother became terminally ill. And in answer, he returned a small portion of what she had instilled in him by coming home to be with her. It wasn’t that she needed him to become her caregiver. Indeed, her wishes in that regard were quite explicit as an exemplar and mother. There even came a time when she told him she wanted to move to an assisted care facility, because she didn’t want her grandchildren to associate her passing with their family home. She wanted to seal her grandchildren’s memories of her home as warm and cherished. And, her wishes were fully granted. 

I watched the warmth radiate from Cory’s eyes as he shared this intergenerational tale of familial love. His inheritance of love and happiness, from his mother, is so strong that he chose a short quote to encapsulate his own beliefs and ideals.

Mother Teresa said, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Happily, Cory and I were sitting deep in the bowels of the Paycom Center grabbing a bite to eat, getting to know each other better and preparing for our weekend of work with incredible women athletes. And, another incredible woman’s talent for expressing love and sharing happiness was also on display through her son.

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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kmxoi0M4AAIt0kbOKvplZyAd_Qg2SjYd/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 13 January 2025, "Forget Me Not"

“I fell two-and-a-half-weeks ago.” – Daniel Madewell

Forget Me Not

“I fell two-and-a-half-weeks ago,” Daniel’s text message flashed on the screen. “Still healing and rehabbing at this facility.”

There was a link for the address of the long-term care facility. So, I clicked the link to see how close it was. It wasn’t very far, about ten to fifteen minutes by car. I studied my calendar to see when I could work a visit into my already-crowded schedule.

Of course, as soon as I wedged a visit to Daniel into my datebook, the rest of the seemingly-expanding appointments shoved the just-scheduled-visit down the plan as if on automatic. Until I opened a desk drawer.

While shuffling some things around in the now open drawer to find what I was looking for, a packet of seeds stung my eyes. The seed packet was filled with kernels of Forget Me Not flowers. The bright color of emotion-tugging-flowers, mostly covering the envelope, arrested my eyes immediately.

Forget Me Not flowers carry a deep message of love, remembrance, and enduring connection with them. Its delicate petals, often adorned with tiny blue flowers and occasionally pink flowers, whisper a timeless plea: "forget me not." These bright and joyful flowers symbolize a longing to be cherished and remembered, making them a long enduring emblem of affection.

Whether found in a garden, wild meadow, or as seeds enveloped in a drawer, Forget Me Nots serve as a poignant reminder of true love, memories shared, and the bonds that tie us to those we hold dear. This flower transcends its physical beauty. It has inspired poets, gardeners, and now it was encouraging one friend to visit another. So, I pushed my friend Daniel to the top of my calendar and made the drive to visit him.

I knocked tentatively on the open door to his room as soon as I arrived, while barely pausing entry. After all, I could hear the mechanical-befriending-TV whispering its dulling charm in the background.

“Let me turn the TV off,” Daniel said as his eyes brightened immediately upon seeing me. “It is what you deserve. I’ve missed you.”

I didn’t know until that moment how much I’d missed him, as I returned his expression to inaugurate our visit. The rest of our time together was spent discussing his tale of falling unexpectedly while teaching children in a local elementary school. Of how the worried children in his classroom fetched the school nurse to come to his aid. And, how his now shattered femur was heeling. That was all important, but it was not the most important thing we shared.

The most significant part of our time together was pentimento, a visible trace of earlier painting beneath a layer of paint on the canvas of our current visit. It was wonderful to have the depth of our history together revealed and coalesced as one Forget Me Not painting.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 6 January 2025, "Unknown Impact"

“I can do hard things!” – Annie and Darryl McDaniel

Unknown Impact

“I received an email from someone I didn’t know, Annie said.

The message started with, “I don’t know if you will ever receive this, but I hope you do,” this unknown sender began.

“Of course, this unusual beginning got my attention immediately,” Annie continued, before saying, “As I continued to read the message, my emotions got the best of me and I broke down in tears.”

The reason Annie began tearing-up was, perhaps, because she had been struggling with an internal decision as to whether she was going to end her Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen work, calling and endeavor. Something she often refers to as her “inspiration,” not her work. As with many heart-felt pursuits, Annie had been enduring some disturbing opposition. Conflict that had taken a toll on her resilience over a period of time. And, as she continued her reading of the email, her heart was beating into her throat and her chest was warming. The message spoke directly to her tumult.

“I had been focusing my Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen messaging around ‘I can do hard things,’ in an effort to offer encouragement to others who are facing, often seemingly insurmountable trials. And, this email’s arrival just happened to come to me when I needed strength and encouragement myself. It seemed to beckon. It was a catalyst, urging me to sustain and continue on at a time when I was questioning my ability to do so.”

The email’s sender? The daughter of a woman Annie had never met. In fact, she had never exchanged personal messages or conversed with this unknown, inspiring sender or her mother. A follower who had been interacting with Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen for a long time.

Annie continued reading.

“My mother battled ovarian cancer for a long time,” the email-sender continued. “My mother was never able to tell you how much your posts had meant to her. So, I am fulfilling her desire to thank you, as unfortunately, my mother recently succumbed to this horrible disease. Yet she remained strong and hopeful as a result of your continuous encouragement. In fact, she wore her ‘I can do hard things’ t-shirt, purchased from your site, regularly. She wore it at her passing and into eternity.”

“I received an email from someone I didn’t know, Annie said, with Darryl, her husband, at her side.

It is just like the two of them, Annie and Darryl. They offer encouragement to people they know and don’t know, naturally.  It’s just who they are and what they do during the course of daily living. 

And, someone unknown, returned their encouragement and goodness, as if on cue, just when they needed encouragement themselves.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 30 December 2024, "Pajama Train"

Riding the “Pajama Train” with Santa Claus

Pajama Train

The Johnsons were rushing to catch the Holiday Pajama Train. Their hurry seemed to be a representation of the holiday season.

“One of us would not get his pajamas on so we could get here on time,” Kilee Johnson said, while sharing her getting-readying-challenge with her most energetic and youngest son. “But we’re here and everything is all right.”

With that being said the five Johnsons began to walk up the ramp to board the Arkansas Missouri Pajama Train with Santa Claus. The family, along with the other riders, were all dressed in their Christmas Pajamas.  And, the Johnsons walked onto the train in their new, matching Christmas PJs, where Jeff, the train’s conductor welcomed them warmly.

Jeff was in his festive-enhanced conductor’s uniform. He wore a red Santa hat, trimmed in white faux fur. His tie was a caricature of Santa, diving head-first into a frosted top, red brick chimney. He even had gingerbread men neatly tucked into each side of the hatband. The red, green and white embellishments stood out brightly against his black suit and white shirt. He was perfectly matched with the waiting Santa Clause, who walked up to greet the family almost as soon as they took their seats on the soon-to-depart train.

As the train began to ease out of the station Santa walked up and down the aisles of each car greeting everyone personally. He also handed crayons and coloring pages out to the pajama-clad-children, so they could add color to this holiday memory. Jeff followed Santa closely while handing out music sheets. So, the train was soon purring along with caroling; the tracks clicking to keep time.

Oh’s could be heard between the verses of song, as the children looked out of the train’s windows at the passing scenery. They pointed to community decorations and enjoyed nature’s beauty. It was as if the world had stopped, allowing the merrymakers to breathe joy into their lungs and hearts.

“What does Rudolph’s nose do?” Jeff asked, as he came into each carriage to recite Christmas trivia questions and hand-out small, sweet prizes to those answering his questions correctly, before the train pulled back into the station.

“Everyone please sit down as we pull into the station,” Jeff announced all too soon. “We don’t want anyone to fall down as we’re coming to a stop.”

And, as the train stopped, the joyful experience did not end. The now comfortable and Christmas-Spirit infused passengers began gliding off the train. In the end, the Johnsons and their fellow passengers were no longer rushing through their holiday season. They were relishing it. Hurry was no longer representing their season.

Christmas joy was now the track they were riding. After all, they had taken the pajama train to leave the feeling of bustle and stress behind.

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I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

Monday's Warm Cocoa, 18 November 2024, "Plenty of Good"

See beauty in the midst of the trees

Plenty of Good

It was toward the end of a long day. No. That is not right. It was nearing the end of a very long four-and-a-half-month process. A process originally envisioned to be completed within a couple of weeks kept continuing. And one thing was sure. Its end was about to evaporate like a drop of water on a searing cooktop.

“This isn’t lining up right,” Manuel said. “Please come and look at it.”

He was right. The pattern in the carpet was not lining up right. Suddenly, the last leg of this remodeling project was not as simple as everyone involved thought it would be.

The hard-working-crew sat and kneeled on the carpet they were not longer installing. Their faces showed disappointment and fatigue. After all, they had been working quickly and efficiently with the hope of finishing the job so they could begin their weekend. Instead of feeling good about a job well done, they were all speaking on their phones quietly, explaining why they weren’t on their way home.

“I try to do good work,” Manuel said. “I don’t want to do work for someone else that I wouldn’t do for myself.”

It was another delay on a project that had experienced delay after delay, extra costs and now potentially another cost increase. Everyone in the room looked and felt doleful.

At times such as these it can be easy to look at all of the encountered problems as if lost in a vast forest. Where trees tower over and dominate the whole picture. Yet, they are not the whole forest and are certainly not the whole for those with the ability to direct their focus. 

Here’s a simple secret: The more you recognize and celebrate infinite good, the less overawed you’ll be. Take moments to note the often unnoticed, hidden, beautiful and positive in all. Are you seeing the beautiful pond, the vibrant pink flowers and the lush green moss in the midst all those trees? When you cultivate your ability to do so, you’ll begin to see that good is everywhere, for those who have the developed the proficiency to see it.

Ask yourself a simple question when feeling lost in the trees of disappointment or discouragement. What good has come from this?

Manuel could have pressed his crew to complete their work regardless of the less than desirable outcome. It would have allowed them to be paid in full and begin their weekend on time. They could have all walked away without giving their integrity a thought.

Think of the compliments or words of gratitude you could share with such people around you, those offering good to you freely. We often downplay, overlook or downright ignore this kind of generously given good. We’re so focused on the negative (due to the brain’s negativity bias). But acknowledging the good things can remind you to have a more realisticoutlook. You, like everyone else, receive unique gifts of graciousness constantly.

We all receive plenty of good.

_________________________________________

I’ve helped thousands of people, as a real estate & lifestyle expert, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c2Ma9iKHAj7HZ3lb6mKIvI_0UEh2KbQY/view?usp=sharing

“If you listen and pay attention, I bet you can find a deeper journey you are meant to be on, too.” – Paul Millerd

Pathless Path

I looked at the pile of bailing twine in front of me.  The truth is that I had been looking at that heap of twine, in its not very lonely spot, in the hay barn for a long time.  After all, I, along with a couple of others, are the ones who had been putting that twine, strand by strand, into its large holding-garbage-can for months on end.  And, I didn’t want to go to the hard work of tackling and moving that gargantuan, Godzilla looking, mess. This particular viewing was different though.  It allowed me to realize that this seemingly, significant pile of strands was one component of a continual disquieting.

My friend Paul Millerd had talked with me about this kind of disquieting not long ago. He said, “If you listen and pay attention, I bet you can find a deeper journey you are meant to be on.”

He went on to describe like intermixed strands of bewilderment by admitting that, generally, no one knows what comes next in their life and that he doesn’t have an idea, all the answers, in his own life. But, he’s spent enough time on life’s uncertain journey to know that when it comes to building a life around what you love, there are no short cuts, roadmaps, or instructions. The best we can do is share our stories. Stories that will help others untangle their own strands and figure out the “real work” of their lives: finding things to work on that matter.

At one point or another I’m sure you’ve faced your own trash can filled with innumerable strands. You’ve felt overwhelmed. Well, if you're like the rest of humanity anyway! Such disquieting feelings tend to come to the surface when we feel as if we’re facing unknown unknowns, a pathless path.  A path we just don’t know how to walk; ideas and paths for which there is no map. 

Paul says that in an effort to untangle his own way he embraced a principle he calls “design for liking work.”  “The reality is that most people want to be useful, and that means some form of work in people’s lives. With patience and a willingness to feel lost and take it slow, over the last few years, I started to find a better relationship with work. Inspired by ideas from internet writers, poets, books on spirituality and religion, my own writing, self-experiments, and those conversations with internet friends from around the world, I’ve been able to build a life I am excited to keep living. While it took me more than five years to come close to matching my previous income—a reality that holds many people back from leaving their jobs—I can say without a doubt, it might be harder on this current path, but it’s worth it.”

“It might be harder in a way.  But, it might, just as well be easier!”  I said to myself as I took hold of two strands of bailing twine and quickly rolled them together into a hand-sized circle before easily slipping them into the pocket of my jeans.  Untangling just one or two strands, from that huge pile every day, was easy and comforting as I watched the once seemingly unconquerable pile shrink over time.  After a few weeks all of the strands had been untangled; the mess was gone and my newly created path had become well-worn.

When you find yourself on a pathless path, be a little patient.  Be willing to feel a little lost.  Take it slow, until what was once a pathless path becomes the well-worn path of your own choosing.

Madison Austin repurposes prom dresses by redesigning & updating them before she gifts them to others.

Transformation Style

As soon as Madison Austin received her first sewing machine she began to dream.  And, work.  She was eight years old then.  That was also the same year she dreamed, designed and crafted her first prom dress.  That inaugural, full length dress was white and lacey; just like her smile.

“The whole process was a transformation for me!”  Madison (Maddy) says with a wistful look.

That longing-like expression didn’t last too long, as she changed back into the twenty-two-year old woman she is today, instantaneously.  She’s not that little girl any longer.  She’s a senior at the University of Arkansas and will start law school next year.  A lot has changed for her, but one thing hasn’t changed.  She still loves to create prom dresses, transformation style.

“She takes donated prom dresses that have been sitting in a closet somewhere and modernizes them.”  Her grandmother explained.  “Sometimes she’ll take two or three of them and fashion them into something fresh and wonderful!”

Once the transformation is complete Maddy gives them to a young woman who cannot afford to purchase such a dress.  Perhaps it would have been best to say that Maddy begins a transformation by redesigning the dresses.  The final transformation comes as she gifts her new creation.

“I love the whole process of transformation even more now!”  Maddy exclaims.  “When I see the beneficiary’s face change, as she opens her gift, it’s as if I’ve become part of something magical!”

That magic, Maddy describes, is spreading through others now as well.

“I’m going to donate makeup to these women.”  Her friend, Donna, chipped in as we were watching Maddy work as a model.  “And, we have a friend who is a hair artist who has just jumped into our little gig!”

 

No.  Madison isn’t that little girl anymore.  At least on the outside.  She has transformed herself, as well as many others beyond herself.  And, that’s a testament to strength of the real magic that powers genuine transformation.  It is so meaningful that it simply can’t be contained.

As soon as Madison Austin received her first sewing machine something transformational began to happen.  She was eight years old then.  That was also the same year she dreamed, designed and crafted her first prom dress.  That first full length dress was white and lacey; just like her smile.

“The whole process was a transformation for me!”  Maddy said with a wistful look, before she went to work her magic on the runway as a model.

And, her magic doesn’t stop there.  Hers is a powerful, genuine transformation, of such influence that it gifts transformation to others.  Many others.