Creator of think happy stuff Christine Fekete and her children.
My husband Doug and I have eight children. Four are birth children- four are adopted. Our heart has been to adopt older children.
Three are adopted through the State of Tennessee. One son is from China, and joined us when he was nine.
I continue to be amazed by children and their resilience. Their young hearts are healing from some horrible injustices. If anyone had the right to be mad at the world, it would be them. However, Doug and I have seen these children learn how to love and trust again. It is astounding.
We have seen our birth children bond and accept their new siblings without hesitation. When children at school did not believe that a white boy, a bi-racial boy and a Chinese boy could all be brothers, it never occurred to my birth son to end the argument my simply stating that his brothers were adopted. He just knows them as his brothers. I love that.
My children truly inspire me. They are amazing.
Part of my journey includes a battle with depression. This was a battle long before I had children. To the world, I seemed happy, confident and secure. I really thought I was OK, but then I would “crash out”- sometimes even desiring to permanently “check out”. Then I’d get over it and move on- until I crashed again. It was a continuous cycle. It was exhausting.
Finally, I sought the help I needed. I began to realize there are no small choices- everything is connected.
How I choose to respond to the smaller challenges life brings determines how I respond to the bigger challenges life brings. Even the mug I choose to make my tea in can encourage me and help prepare me for the day ahead.
I also realized that no matter how deep and painful my experience, God’s grace ALWAYS runs deeper. I do not completely understand the law of gravity, but from personal experience, I know it to be true. I do not completely understand this law of Grace, but from personal experience, I know it to be true. Because it is true, I can choose to think happy stuff.
When think happy stuff, inc. began in December 2006 I began to more freely share my story- and I began to hear YOUR stories in return.
“I was just diagnosed with cancer. I need this mug.”
“We were told our son would not live past the age of two. Now he is ten. I am getting him this shirt!”
“My sister died of cancer. Her family needs these shirts.”
“My husband was just deployed to Iraq for the third time. I need to surround myself with this stuff.”
“My friend just had a double mastectomy….”
“I struggle with depression…”
“My husband just left me…”
“I’m in recovery…”
There is such power when we share our lives with each other!
I deeply appreciate your support and encouragement of this line of clothing and gift items. Thank you for spreading the word.