Lil Blue Boo

We have all had times when we feel our life may not be going the way we want it, or we've been tested and we think we're at our limit, or we just want to have a pity party for ourselves.  I've had a few of those moments while being here in China, whether it's because I'm being very closed-minded and letting myself become highly agitated by the Chinese culture, whether I'm missing my mom and dad, or whether I'm just being generally grumpy one day for no reason or a lot of little reasons.  This all changed one day when I came across a blog I'd never seen before.

The blog is written by a woman named Ashley and she quickly became an inspiration to me through her heartfelt, open, and uplifting posts.  Ashley is a talented woman who makes quality, handmade clothing for kids.  Her designs are adorable!  She has also been through a lot in her life including losing her father unexpectedly, enduring the heartbreak of a miscarriage, then finding out she had a molar pregnancy that was really a huge cancerous tumor.  She is so strong and keeps such an amazing outlook on life.  She CHOOSES JOY every single day through all of her struggles.  Her father left her with that perspective after his death when she found a devotional page on his desk with that title at the top.


I find myself checking her website daily for a new blog post.  I look to her to help me set the tone for my day, or to check my attitude or perspective when I know it's not where it should be.  She's an amazing person going through a horribly difficult journey at the moment.  I encourage you to read her blog posts.  When I first came across her blog, I sat there for hours and read as many as I could.  Just click any of the links above to take you to her blog, as well as her website to view her amazing clothing designs.


She shared this video of shaving her head which makes my eyes well with tears every time I watch it!  So amazing! (The other amazing woman with the shaved head in the video is Ashley's mother.  She didn't want Ashley to have to do it alone so she showed up at her house and surprised her to show her support)

Rite of Passage - Shaving my Head from Ashley Hackshaw on Vimeo.

As everyone knows, cancer is not only difficult emotionally and physically, but also financially.  Ashley hates asking for help, but some amazing women have put together an auction to help her with her medical bills.  Please click on the picture below to learn more about the auction.

I hope everyone enjoys Ashley's blog as much as I do, and comes away with some inspiration and perspective.