Recently, I was introduced to the concept of the “thinthread”.  A thin thread is amoment, event, setback, crossroad, or encounter that connected you to a person,place or an opportunity that changed your life for the better.

Losing a loved one may very well be one of these moments,but, in the darkness of grief, this “moment” may be overlooked or ignored.

I truly believe that there are no coincidences in life.Everything for which we desire is put in our path, and it is up to theindividual to grab hold of it. It is unfortunate that in our sorrow (andsometimes even when we are not grieving), we might be walking with blinders onand our heads down, so we miss the opportunities offered.

“When a door is closed, a window is opened” is an old cliché,but it holds an undeniable truth. Despite your great loss, the universe (andyour life) continues to flow, and there are new chapters of your life to bewritten. It is just up to you to pick up the pen.

A heavy door slammed shut upon the death of  my late husband. While looking for windows toopen, I stumbled upon a class in spirituality given by a local intuitivetherapist. I became friendly with the teacher, and she told me that she hadbeen praying for someone to enter her life to help her write a book --  and she felt I was that person. Together, wewrote "The Other Side of the Vail, Spiritual Guidance for EverydayLiving", which we have just recently updated for a second printing. So outof my great setback, came an encounter with a woman whose teachings set me on apath that changed my outlook on life, helped me immensely in my grief journey,and moved my career forward. Certainly a “thin thread” moment!

Thin Threads® Stories is actually a book series thatembraces the best of the human spirit - the heart and instinct in each of usthat leads us toward becoming who we were meant to be. These Thin Threadstories are a collection of moments, events or decisions told in personal storyform, each showing how the course of our lives can be redirected for thebetter. The stories encapsulate our human desire to tell our own stories and toread and relate to others through their stories.

More volumes of this series are in the works, and I havebeen asked to be a collector/editor of these stories – in particular aboutgrief and recovery and spirituality.

Although so difficult with which to cope, losing a loved oneteaches a mourner the most about life. Consequently, I believe a great numberof you have a story to tell which could be classified as a “thin thread”moment. 

If you are interested in sharing your "moment" bycontributing to this series, please visit the Thin Threads website at  www.thinthreads.com to see sample stories andguidelines.

You may submit your story online, and if you choose Ellen's blog for legacy.com under the question -- Where did you hearabout Thin Threads? -- your story will come directly to me.

This is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring writers, aswell as those who want to create a legacy by chronicling a life-changing event and/orhonoring a lost loved one. Moreover, please feel free to share this opportunity with others.

If your story is chosen, you will receive $100 and have theopportunity to write a blurb about yourself. You also will be entered into thestory contest outlined on the website. If you have a compelling story to tell,but you are having trouble writing it, you may contact me through my website at www.LNGerst.com, andwe can discuss another option.