I'm a girlfriend-kind-of-girl. I love having women in my life. In fact, I think women who claim they don't need a girlfriend just haven't found a good one yet. I don't have that problem. I am surrounded by an abundance of the most remarkable women God ever created to be my sister, mother, daughters and friends. It's a blessing I don't take lightly. Quite simply, having such dear women in my life makes my heart tingle.
The Tingle Heart collection was spawned on July 2, 2003, when my closest and dearest friend, Candy Swanson, died of ovarian cancer. Candy and I met by chance in Israel on a tour of the Holy Land. After destiny's meeting half a world away over two decades ago, the fabric of our lives became a tapestry—woven together into a beautiful collage of absolute trust, mutual respect and complete acceptance. The seeds of Tingle Heart were sewn. Throw in a handful of brutal honesty and 2 understanding husbands who acknowledged our deep friendship, and you begin to get a glimpse of the tingle heart relationship Candy and I shared. The fact is, I am the woman I am today, in part, because of Candy's undying, unconditional friendship.
The last time I spoke to Candy, we talked about death. In my selfishness, I said, "Without you, I'll be so alone." In her profound way, she answered, "How does it feel to be alone in the world? . . . Suzy, you and I will NEVER know. For wherever you are, there WE will be." The day after she died, I tried to drown my sorrows in a bag of Lindor Chocolate Truffles. I sat down and painted and wrote the first piece in the Tingle Heart series . . . "Forever Friends" . As I held the brush in my hand, I could feel her presence. My pain was replaced by a tingle in my heart as I drew those first faces on my paper. The Tingle Heart collection continued to grow with "Gathering of the Goddesses” , "Beach Babes" , "Girlfriends" and "Hissie Fit" soon I had enough Tingle Heart pieces to unveil at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival—a show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This event is held in conjunction with the International Balloon Festival, which brings in a million people from more than 80 countries. The response to the Tingle Heart collection was overwhelming. Women from all over the world embraced Tingle Heart along with my memories of Candy. At that moment, I knew I would always have a great sisterhood of women to sustain me. Now, as I bask in the success of the Tingle Heart collection, I know, without a doubt, that Candy is right here with me as Tingle Heart was born.
As a woman who acknowledges the power of this great sisterhood, I beg you . . . cherish every moment you have with the dear women in your life. Reach out to them, embrace each others' uniqueness, and feel the tingle too.
