As we get closer to the 2014 Miss Heart of the USA National I cant help but think back on these last five years! Never in a million years would I have thought a little bitty pageant I started in Dothan, Alabama as a food drive would have grown into the program we have today or would be doing the things we have done to date. We have had over 40 states represented at Nationals with at large entries and this year will be holding 19 different state pageants, well over 100 preliminaries and have over 1,000 Miss Heart of the USA queens scattered from California, down to Florida and up to New York. It may not sound like much but coming from something that was suppose to just be a one time event... I think it is pretty awesome. These past five years have definitely been a roller coaster ride and an amazing journey! It definitely has not been an easy one... a journey with joy, frustration, excitement, heartache and often times disappointments and definitely some setbacks. I have learned that God truly does put all sorts of people in your life... ones that are blessings (like Sherry L. Crews --- I truly do not know what I would do without her) and ones that are lessons (like... well nevermind). I have been able to watch little girls blossom into the most beautiful young ladies. I have been able to witness total transformations of little girls who could barely tell you their name at check in and by the end of the year are rattling off a confidence filled self introduction on a National stage in front of hundreds of people like they had been speaking in front of crowds for years. I have gotten to witness mothers who at one point struggled with their own self esteem walk across the stage during evening gown as a proud husband smiles from the audience because his wife finally sees in the mirror what he has been seeing all along! I have developed some of the most amazing friendships ( Andrea Kellum) with people whose paths I am sure I would have never cross without this little food drive that I had an idea to do 5 years ago. I went from praying I could make it work to award $1,000 at a state pageant to now awarding $7,000 at Nationals all because of the absolutely love and generosity of contestant families and sponsors. So to all of you sweet girls who always send the thank yous to me, Sherry and all of our Directors after a pageant... no... THANK YOU! I dont think you realize the absolute joy you girls bring to our lives on a daily basis. Even on the absolute worst day one sweet little message can turn everything around. To my two sweet friends who are working so hard on their own programs Cindi K McDaniel & Amy Ard Oyler) you are in for the ride of a lifetime and I hope you will love it as much as I have. For those of you who scoff at these little beauty pageants... these little pageant princess are responsible for distributing over 5 MILLION non perishable food items to non profit organizations, not to mention the thousands of toys that have been waiting under Christmas trees at Christmas thanks to a Miss Heart of the USA family, friend or sponsor. These little girls and young ladies have grasped the fact that there truly is so much more to them than just a pretty face and really are changing the world one rhinestone at a time... :)
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 04:45:53 +0000
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