To live is to connect with others. Making connections across our journeys with one another provides us opportunities to teach and to learn, to inspire and to soar, to bless and to be blessed.

A couple weeks ago, I read Andy Andrews’ The Traveler’s Gift, recommended to me by Dana Lehman, children’s book author of the Walnut Grove Series. I met Dana through the Authors Specialists Knowledge (ASK) Program. She sent me a message in response to my blog post, Choosing to See Rejection as a Pass. Her choice to encourage another writer with her words and experiences helped me immensely.

The Traveler’s Gift is such a special book, and I highly recommend it for everyone, whether or not you identify as a writer. The genre of the book is a bit tricky; it’s a mixture of self-help, historical fiction, fantasy, and realistic fiction. This book connected to my heart in countless ways and it is one I will reread each year. I look forward to reading Andy Andrews’ other books.

There’s such power in connection. You never know how the connections you choose to make with others will change lives. Choose to connect with others. Choose to use your words to build others up. Choose to notice and to reach out. Such simple choices profoundly impact our world, casting positive ripples that span past our awareness.