A two month long twisted path led me to the St. Vincent Intermountain Regional Hospital in Billings, Montana to my surgeon Dr. Alexis Hokenstad. It is a long story of how that all happened, but I promise God placed the exact trusted key people in my path all along the way to guide my decisions to get me there to this remarkable woman.

During my seven day stay, I tried to make it a habit to thank each caretaker for taking care of me and I would ask them their name. During a twelve-hour shift I would have time to get to know them and I would ask what path led them there. What was their story. A trial took place that influenced their life or they had an individual who steered them. These events or people changed the direction of their path. Such is the case in all our lives, right? At the end of their shift, they would say goodbye to me and wish me well for my recovery. And I would say, I was sent from North Dakota to tell you that you are on the right path with your life or you are a ray of sunshine or you made a difference in my day or you keep on shining your light.

My favorite was HANNAH and next was FAITH and ERICA and NAM. Briefly one named HEAVYN. On my last morning, I began to ask for a sign, like could you send someone with a special name like HOPE or JOY. There was a knock on my door. A beautiful Native American lady entered and said, "Good morning, I came to clean your room. My name is HELEN." I smiled and said, "HELEN is my mother's name." She said," Your mother said to tell you hello." I told her about my name gathering and asking for a sign. And that HELEN was even better because she means hope and joy to me. She said, "You will remember my last name too. My name is HELEN WHITEFEATHER." (White feathers symbolize angel wings.) I put out both hands and she grabbed onto them and she had the most radiant smile. I told her to keep on shining her light and we cried happy tears together. I had been anxious about how I would do on the six-hour home, but right then I was at peace. Reed got me home and he and my family are taking such good care of me.

Oh, and Kari reminded me that while HELEN came to me through a cleaning lady; Reed, Kari, Kori, Katie also had a sign while they waited through my seven-hour surgery. They met a man with one-eyed, deaf dog named CHARLIE. Kari feels like she can see her grandpa with a smirk on his face about that one.

God continues to direct my path and place people along the journey. Some for a moment, or hours, or days or months or years. Thank you, God, for filling my path with Lunette's People.