Kathryn Grant - Before You Were You: The Metamorphosis of a Soul

BEFORE YOU
WERE YOU

THE METAMORPHOSIS
OF A SOUL

KATHRYN GRANT

Copyright 2017 Kathryn Grant.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-7310-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-7311-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-7322-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017900583

Balboa Press rev. date: 03/09/2017

CONTENTS

This book is dedicated to the five amazing, beautifully delicious creations I am privileged to call my children. Taylor, Hillary, Ashton, Tristan & Kieran. You have imprinted on my soul and we are forever together, now as we were in the creation realm. You have brought more love and light into my life than I deserve.

For Roger. You opened your heart and soul and offered me and my family comfort, strength, stability, a new perspective, a second chance and a love I never knew I was worthy of. Soul mates forever. Ive known you for a thousand years. We will never truly say farewell, bound by the heart, connected at the soul level. Thank you for pushing me ever so lovingly toward this accomplishment. I am eternally grateful.

For Robin and Wayne, who truly are angels that walk among us. I love you and will never in a million lifetimes be able to thank you for your generosity, love, support and the safety net of comfort and peace you provided me and my family as we traveled down an uncharted road of loss, grief, and survival. You are amazing friends and will forever be in our hearts and minds with love, gratitude, and prayers for your prosperity, health and well- being forever and ever.

A special thank you to Wendy, Julie, and Laurie who took the time to read the thoughts within my heart and had the courage to tell me what I needed to hear.

For Mother. You not only gave me life but also taught me faith, love, kindness and perseverance.

For KC Miller who encouraged me to write my story and through a generous heart, held out the hand of hope as I journeyed into becoming a life coach.

For Abel, Arrow, Lucy, Emerson, Isla, and Mila Fear not, for I am with you says the Lord. Be fearless in your dreaming, relentless in your pursuit of goodness, and intentional in your creating the life you can see clearly in your imagination. Remember that Honey will always love you.

In memory of my late husband Rick, for giving me 34 years of love and life, and encouraging me to write my truth. Youre the bravest person Ive ever known. I will never stop missing youuntil we meet again.

Somewhere deep inside all of us is a calling, a small soft voice that says Im here! Now what? But where is here? And where was I in the first place? My name is Kathryn Grant, but everyone calls me Kate. I am a fellow human being with all of the responsibilities that come with family, friendships, romantic relationships, business obligations and the rest of the pressures that life serves up to us on a not so silver platter. I am overworked, underpaid, tired, frustrated, elated, excited and challenged. However, equally inspired and hopeful that this world will someday raise its consciousness to a place where it all makes sense. A world where every human life is valued and humans feel a part of a collective whole. A place where we can be a part of , not apart from something greater than ourselves, our own needs, our silly insecurities, our lack of focus on whats true and right and divine.

Im a no frills, fifty-something southern girl with all the spit and vinegar that comes with growing up with five brothers. I wear boots and shorts, and my favorite casual food is a good burger and a beer. But put me in front of an awesome steak and seafood dinner in a little black dress and I can work every fork on the table. Just add wine. I grew up with cotillion, and debutants, rode horses, attended dance classes, and went to church. I was scared to death of the tornadoes that had us hiding inside the bathtub, and spent summers swatting mosquitos, watching for rattle snakes, and shucking fresh corn with my Grandmother on the patio. Whats there not to enjoy about all the magnificent tastes, sounds, sights, smells, and touches of this unbelievable place I call the physical realm? Being an entrepreneur for 35 years, Ive had my share of successes and failures, and Im still here. Ive owned retail stores and manufacturing businesses, dance studios and other small ventures. But my greatest accomplishment is standing in the humility of myself. My truth. Accepting who I am for what I am, and giving myself the grace to screw up and look ridiculous for trying and failing.

My family is by far my paramount achievement, yet not of my doing, but of Gods grace. I have always made it my intention to love and care for my five children like the treasures that they are. Like special gifts from heaven meant only for me and their father. They have taught me more about the loving intentional creation that we all are than any other experience except for one. You see Ive carried a secret with me an entire lifetime. An experience that needs to be shared with my fellow human beings in an effort to inspire someone, somewhere, and leave a small contribution to the world. To throw my arms around the human race and squeeze tightly with the warmth that only we can bestow on each other while in our physical bodies. I have been given a gift from beyond. I have kept it a secret all of these years, until now. Im ready to whisper it within these pages.

We are spirits all of us, encased in a beautiful expression of what the Creator intended us to be. Threads in a tapestry that is ever changing its gorgeous appearance as we each weave our story into the divine fabric of creation. We are all a part of this gorgeous, intentional expression. We are each an amazing piece of this beautiful spec of history. We are all truly connected.

Being a widow has been everything I feared and more. I hate that word. Its so dark and even when we speak it, there is an ugly distortion to our mouths. Its like a sentence to forever be sorrowful, lonely, and depressed. A life sentence without parole. I am but a broken hearted remnant of a 31 year marriage to a once high school sweetheart that I grew up with and wanted to grow old with. The mother of five exquisite creatures that are the most amazing gifts to my unworthy soul. And when my grandchildren call me Honey its the sweetest sound Ive yet to hear uttered above all the delightful music in the world. Being a widow, according to our society, one is supposed to be disappointed, jaded, embittered, angry, and forlorn.