I have always believed in magic, but when my 30-year marriage ended unexpectedly, I was shattered. The magic in my heart seemed to vanish. Then one day, my son Jake asked me to jump out of an airplane with him and I said yes. I felt no fear as we flew; I was numb. But when I jumped and soared through the sky, I felt a tiny spark in my heart again. It was small, but powerful enough to inspire me to choose a word that could help me reconnect with my light. The word came to me effortlessly: FLY. Soon after, the magic of “three” began to appear. At a craft fair on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, I discovered a jade necklace, my favorite stone, with the word FLY engraved on it. I bought it and wear it every day (magic #1).

Shortly after, my friend Trish came to visit from California. Unaware of my new word, she brought me a sculpture of a bird. On its chest was the word FLY, and beneath it were the words: “First Love Yourself.” I stood frozen, it was a God moment (magic #2). I hadn’t known FLY could mean that. From then on, I began the journey of learning to First Love Myself. If someone had taught me this truth at age five, my life might have unfolded very differently. As a kindergarten teacher of 35 years and founder of KinderMagic, I now share this message with my students. They write FLY on their papers, and we sing and sign a song I created around it. This book (magic #3) is for ages 0 to 100+. Because before we can truly love others, we must first love ourselves. It is never too late to FLY, First Love Yourself.