I have
Gifted a Giving Key
With the word
GRATEFUL
My Story
An old girlfriend that I had lost touch with for over 10 years. She gave me a Giving Key necklace with the message GRATEFUL. She told me that she was GRATEFUL that we were back in each others lives and making new memories and best friends. She told me the story about paying it forward. I thought, at that time, I don't ever want to part with this necklace. It meant so much to me and I loved it and everything it stood for.
On October 1, 2017, I was at the Route 91 Harvest Country Festival in Las Vegas with my other friend Michelle Farias (picture attached). At 10:05pm gun shots began and bullets rained over us and 22,000 others killing 58 beautiful souls. #58Strong Everyone around us dropped to the ground, trying to take cover. The gunshots were so loud. As bodies were dropping around us, on us, we did our best to take cover.
We were on the ground for at least 10 minutes, hiding, holding our breaths, hoping that it wouldn't be our last. We called our love ones to tell them we loved them. We did not think we would make it out alive. A man found us hiding behind a bar and told us that if we wanted to live, we had to run. "RUN NOW"!!!!!!! When we stood up, I couldn't run. I could hardly walk.
I had injured my knee when we all fell to the ground. I told Michelle, RUN!!!!! I will catch up to you. She said, "NO"!!!! I am not leaving your side. There was no changing her mind. We made it safely to a nearby hotel where we remained locked down for many hours. I was amazed at Michelle's bravery that she would keep herself in harms way to stay by my side.
A couple of weeks later, Michelle and I got together and I knew, without a doubt, what I wanted to do. I was wearing the Giving Key GRATEFUL necklace. The minute I saw her, I said, "You're my person! You never left my side that night. You will never know how GRATEFUL I am for your friendship and for being a part of my life!" I took the necklace from my neck and placed it around hers. We cried.
Patty Fleming
