turn me up when you feel low

I was talking to my friend Ann and she described the boost we get from creativity and connecting as a spiritual airlift and I was all,

YES. That’s the best thing to say and yes.

Then one night I was mixing baby cereal and Elsie didn’t think I was doing it fast enough, and with her teething fuss fussing she was MAD. So while I stirred I started lip-syncing and dancing to the music that was playing in the kitchen. She stopped crying and started watching, wide-eyed and smiling.

I said to myself, Ellie would love this, because I think about Ellie and her struggle with cancer all the time. I think about how she’s too far away. And I know how much she loves it when I do weird things, so I knew that if she was there in the kitchen, she’d be dancing and laughing with us.

Ellie and Elsie have this connection that can’t be explained in any other way than something that is born in heart and soul. (Remember how Ellie is the person who received Elsie Jane’s first real smiles? Like upon meeting her?) So I just love how this idea was born out of a moment with Elsie Jane, with Ellie on my heart.

I knew Ellie could obviously use a spiritual airlift (or many), so I asked some friends to help me make it come to life. The result is what came together through our silly and Ellie-loving hearts.

Ellie,

The way we care about you is proof that we can live a hundreds of miles away and have most of our communication and connection online, and still come to know and love someone in a very real way. So. Here’s the ridiculous and heartfelt video born out of a moment with EJ.

Your friends? We’re with you…

(if you have trouble with this stalling, it may play better if you push play and then push pause and let it buffer up a little bit and then push play again)

Operation Spiritual Airlift from Heather King on Vimeo.

{Featuring: Jessica Bern~Ann Imig~Maggie~Eileen~Becky~Smacksy and Lee and family}

This was totally not possible without the editing skills and immeasurable patience of someone who shall remain nameless because his humility will not allow the praise. {No, it is not my husband. Although, he was also supportive by listening to me constantly talk about this. ahem.}