| In 2011, I lost my grandpa, the first person lose to me who died. I never knew what death really destroyed in people, since I had felt loss but not grief. But on October 15, Minooka Community High School lost a beloved senior, Mitch Fajman, to Lake Michigan's turbulent waters. He was an acquaintance and our school united to comfort each other. I felt for them. But exactly one week later, I learned exactly what his friends experienced. I got a call on October 22 from Allie's uncle. She had died instantly from an extremely rare heart defect. She had just turned 18 a month before and finished applying to college. Devastated cannot begin to describe that heart-rending agony I felt. I had to face a school full of questioning eyes and whispers as "Allie's friend" in the days following this tragedy. But throughout her many memorial services, I sort of became her spokesperson. Even though I was the shy writer, I seemed to be the only one who had the right words to say. Since Allie's death, I have grown close to her family and I still pay her mom visits to keep her company and fill the void left by the loss of her wonderful daughter. The first time I went into Allie's house after her death, her face decorated every inch of the home. On the dining room table, next to her senior picture, was a piece of paper I vaguely recognized. When I got closer, I realized that the poem framed next to her smile was the worn and faded copy of The Dash we had both received nearly four years ago. I took out her prayer card from my pocket and unfolded my original copy that I had wrapped around it. Her mother burst into tears. We both saved it and neither had known. When accepting her award for "Best Smile" at our Senior Banquet, I read the first stanza of The Dash and based my entire speech off it. People have approached me since and told me that those words brought them comfort and changed the way they were planning on living their lives. I have transformed from the silent, meek girl Allie first met into a leader and a person who I love almost as much as I loved Allie. Allison didn't know how short her Dash was going to be, but one day she looked at me and said, "Michelle, life is short. We shouldn't be afraid to sprint." It's important not to save all your energy for the final lap; Live your Dash so hard it will be impossible to forget. Don't shut your eyes to the world; you might miss a miracle right in front of you. ~~~~~ What you just read is one of the stories submitted by one of our readers in The Dash New Edition. What are you doing with your Dash - the short time you have on this Earth? Are you making a difference with your life? For the last five years, The Dash, has been one of our best-selling books - touching a cord with thousands around the world. It has "hit home" like no other book we've ever published, so earlier this year, we invited our readers to send us a story of how The Dash has made a difference in their lives. We heard from a diverse group of people, form the young and those-not-so-young, from those representing all walks of life. But the readers who participated all had one thing in common - The Dash had touched their lives in a very profound way. Our new edition of The Dash captures some of their stories, along with Linda Ellis' beautiful poem and the content of the original book. I'm excited about the release of The Dash New Edition. It's a book that you can turn to...again and again to regain your perspective about what's really important in life. Today, I'm pleased to offer The Dash New Edition for the introductory price of $10.99. Our regular price is $19.95, a 40% savings. As an added bonus, each copy will include a free bookmark and DVD. You'll also receive free ground shipping on all orders of $50 or more per shipping address. For more information or to look inside this powerful book, just click here.
All the Best,
Mac Anderson
P.S. Don't forget to pay it forward by sharing this email with friends, family, and co-workers!
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