The Power of People Who Believe in Us

 

Lately I've been spending time reaching out to libraries, bookstores, community groups, and organizations to see if they might be interested in a Caitlin's Star reading or presentation.

Some have responded.

Many have not.

Like most people, I prefer hearing "yes" or even "no" to hearing nothing at all. Silence can leave you wondering if your email was received, if your message was read, or if you’re being ghosted..

Then something interesting happens.

A friend asks, "Have you thought about contacting this group?"

Someone at yoga mentions a local connection.

An acquaintance suggests a bookstore I hadn't considered.

A neighbor knows someone who knows someone.

And I find myself smiling because for years I taught job seekers the very same lesson.

As a job search coach, I often shared that many jobs are found through networking and relationships rather than online applications alone. Depending on the study, as many as 70 to 80 percent of opportunities are influenced by personal connections.

The principle is simple: people help people.

A conversation leads to an introduction. An introduction leads to a meeting. Meetings lead to an opportunity.

As I work to share Caitlin's Star with new audiences, I realize I need to follow my own advice.

Sometimes we become so focused on sending emails, filling out forms, or checking things off a list that we forget the power of simply talking with people. We forget that the person standing next to us in a yoga class, sitting beside us at a community event, or chatting with us at the gym or doctor’s office may hold the key to a door we didn't even know existed.

But there is something else I've discovered along the way.

The people offering suggestions aren't gaining anything from it. Most have no connection to publishing, bookstores, or libraries. They simply take a few moments to share an idea, make a suggestion, or offer an introduction.

Why?

Because they want me to succeed.

As I think about it, that may be the greatest gift of all.

Yes, networking opens doors. Yes, relationships create opportunities. But beneath all of that is something even more meaningful: people helping people.

The older I get, the more I realize how much kindness exists in the world. Sometimes it arrives as encouragement. Sometimes it arrives as advice. Sometimes it arrives as a few simple words:

"Have you thought about...?"

And behind those words is an even more powerful message:

"I believe in you."

What a wonderful thing it is to discover that so many people are cheering us on.

Whether you're looking for a job, promoting a book, starting a business, volunteering, or pursuing a dream, don't underestimate the value of the people around you. Sometimes the next opportunity doesn't come from a website, an application, or an email.

Sometimes it begins with a conversation.

And sometimes it begins with someone believing in you before you believe in yourself.

Gobsmacked

Just when we think we've crossed the difficult part of the journey, life has a way of reminding us that there may be more ice ahead.

 After months of recovering from knee replacement surgery, physical therapy, exercises, and modifications in yoga, I finally felt as though I was turning a corner. Then, while massaging what I thought was scar tissue, I noticed a drop of fluid emerge from my surgical scar.

Gobsmacked.

It wasn't the fluid itself that bothered me. It was the reminder that healing isn't always linear. Just when we think we are getting close to the finish line, life has a way of handing us another unexpected challenge.    

It doesn't have to be a medical issue. Sometimes it's a family concern, an unexpected expense, a work problem, a disappointment, or simply news we weren't expecting. 

Just when things seem to be settling down, we find ourselves adjusting our sails once again.

What Really Matters

 People spend so much of their early and middle adulthood building careers, proving themselves, achieving, striving, and managing responsibilities. But over time many begin to realize that while work matters, it is not usually the thing they hold closest at the end of the day or the end of life. 

 What remains are relationships, purpose, meaning, moments of joy, people who mattered, animals we loved, places that felt like home, work that aligned with who we really were, and the feeling that our lives meant something beyond productivity. 

 Perhaps the most meaningful parts of our careers are not the titles we held, but the lives we touched, the encouragement we gave, and the differences we made along the way.

One Step at a Time

 

Yesterday, I noticed something small, but it stuck with me.

As I was walking, I realized I didn’t need to look down at every step. For weeks, I have been doing just that, watching carefully and making sure I felt steady. It was part of the healing.

But yesterday felt a little different.

I caught myself looking ahead. Not the whole time, I still glanced down now and then, but enough to notice the shift.

And it made me think about the job search.

In the beginning, it feels a lot like looking down at your feet. You are focused on the next step. Your résumé. Your LinkedIn profile. Networking, maybe for the first time in a long time. Each step takes thought, and sometimes a little courage.

It can feel slow and at times frustrating.

But those small steps are doing more than you think.

Over time, if you keep at it something changes. You get a bit more comfortable and confident. You start to lift your head and think not just about the next step, but about where you are going. The kind of role you want. The kind of company you want to share your skill set with.

You're still careful but you're looking ahead.

I guess that is how progress works, whether it is healing or a job search. It's not one big leap, but a series of small steps that slowly build confidence.

Yesterday, I noticed I was looking ahead and that felt like progress.

Healing Happens Here, Too

 Last Thursday, during my physical therapy session, something unexpected happened.

While my PT was pushing on my knee, the painful part of therapy, she asked what I was doing for the rest of the day. I mentioned that I was being interviewed by the local paper about my book, Caitlin’s Star.

She paused and said, “Bring it in sometime. I’d love to see it.”

So today I did.

While I was pedaling on the stationary bike for my ten-minute warmup, she sat nearby and began reading the story. As she read, she shared the book with another therapist in the clinic. That therapist had told me the week before that her boyfriend’s five-year-old niece had recently lost her mother. She believed the book might help.

Physical therapy is about rebuilding strength, regaining movement, and restoring confidence. In many ways, grief is the same. It’s not linear. Some days feel like progress. Some days feel like you want to stay in bed.

When I wrote Caitlin’s Star, I hoped it would reach families in living rooms and bedtime moments. I didn’t imagine it being read in a physical therapy clinic while I worked to bend my knee.

Loss reshapes us. So does recovery.

Both ask us to stretch beyond what feels comfortable. Both require support. Both remind us that progress is sometimes measured in unseen ways.

As I pedaled, I thought about the little girl who lost her mom. I thought about how children need language for feelings they cannot yet name. I thought about how adults need it too.

My therapist looked up and said, “This is really beautiful. I love how you can personalize it for other people and how you can keep a journal in the back for any loved one.”

The other therapist mentioned that the part of the book about the rainbow reminded her of her grandmother who passed away this fall. “She’s always sending me rainbows,” she said.

That’s the point of the story.

It isn’t just about one grandmother.
It’s about seeing your person in the pages.
It’s about remembering.

It’s about the subtle ways love still shows up — in a nail salon, a physical therapy room, a group session, or wherever it’s needed most.

Caitlin's Star - A Book About Navigating Loss for Children and Adults

 Welcome, Caitlin’s Star is an interactive picture book offering comfort to children and families navigating loss. Explore the book, media features, and related resources below.

Explore the Book 

Caitlin's Star on Amazon

Caitlin's Star on Goodreads  

 

Watch and Learn 

 Caitlin's Star Book Trailer 

Nancy Range Anderson reads Caitlin's Star here.  

Nancy Range Anderson explains how to use the interactive prompts and journal pages here.

 

Seasonal Reflections 

Holiday Memories

 

 In the News

 The Monmouth Journal 

 The Link News

The Patch News Estero, Fl

The Patch News Long Branch, NJ  

 

Connect 

Nancy Range Anderson Children's Author  on Facebook

Nancy Range Anderson Books on Instagram

Recovery

 

Yesterday marked three weeks since my knee replacement surgery.

I did my PT twice and walked a couple of times, once around the block and once at an outdoor shopping center. By the end of the day, I felt as if I had been in a fight. My knee was swollen. My calf and ankle ached. I iced a lot and even slept with the ice machine sleeve wrapped around my leg.

Two steps forward, one step back has become my motto.

I continue to be surprised. I’ve always bounced back from things quickly, but this recovery is not linear. It is effort followed by inflammation. Progress followed by rest. Independence followed by humility.

What caught me off guard is not just the physical work, but the vulnerability. If you are used to being independent, needing help is its own kind of challenge.

In Caitlin’s Star, I write about the stars that twinkle behind the clouds. We may not always see them, but they are still there. That’s the brass ring.

Recovery feels a bit like that right now. The progress isn’t always obvious. Some days it is hidden behind swelling and fatigue. But it’s there.

 I saw this tee shirt on Amazon and think that it represents my recovery. I think I will buy it!