Deep in the Heart of Dixie
“One, two, f-ree, four, nine, ten. Ready or not, Gammie!” bubble from two bright hazel eyes and sandy-brown hair in curly baby piggy-tails. Alice.
Alice peeks around the corners of the house. Grandma’s (Gammie’s) house. Alice, our 2-year-old seeker, is hot on the trail. And Gammie has learned to be a fast hider, as Alice hasn’t learned all her numbers yet.
Both hider and seeker adore this game, complete with hugs and squeals of delight. Gammie Dixie loves this time of carefree play and encouragement with a favorite playmate.
This is one of many ways Gammie Dixie Elliott brings her bright love into the world.
Before she was a Gammie, Dixie loved being Mom! Her big heart made for such an easy fit on the stay-at-home-mom team. She cheered her two kids in every season of their lives. Whether it was volleyball, basketball, science fairs, or public speaking, she showed up. She put on her Mom-jeans. She learned to love another human unconditionally. God, that is so hard sometimes.
Dixie’s heart-centered life lead her to play a larger role in other familys’ lives, too. She worked with parents, in their homes, to help care for special needs and at-risk babies. It filled her heart to see the families flourish. Sometimes, there was a devastating diagnosis. These times tested Dixie. She dug deep; learned about boundaries. Boundaries helped her take care of her heart and the hearts of those in crisis. And still came home with love to share.
By now, you might be wondering “How does Dixie stay vertical through it all? That’s tough stuff.” I know, right?
Big Faith and Little Steps
Faith might be the biggest word in Dixie’s self-care toolkit. Since she was little, Dixie has had faith in Jesus Christ. Her faith has grounded in her a deep and abiding ongoing conversation with God. Her faith has also taught her that, if she asks for help, she is worthy; she will receive it. And does this surprise you: She has never been proven wrong!
For example, one-day last summer, she got to her truck to find a bumblebee in the back window. Now, Dixie grew up on a farm, but she’s no fan of bees. In that moment of “Dear God, what am I going to do?” God helped her remember she had a big decorative cushion within reach. She used it to gently swish the bee out. Both lives saved that day! Boom.
To restore her big heart, Dixie now sits by the lake by her cottage, watches the water, and prays. Dixie has always had a deep connection with God through nature. Perhaps the connection was forged in childhood, where she spent a heaping amount of time exploring the woods with her brother on their 30-acre hobby farm. Her way of connecting with God as a kid.
Like many of us, Dixie has had a winding path to what healthy and self-care mean for her as an adult. For many years, Dixie tried diets to get healthy. Eventually, she tired of all the overly-restrictiveness of it all. And took little steps. Over time, those steps became habits. Like using a smaller plate for meals and water as the main beverage. That makes sense to me!
Then. It. Happened. She gained energy, lost weight, moved more, and found the Holy Grail of love. Increased self-esteem. She’s been successfully taking little steps to health for a decade now!
Many people in Dixie’s life noticed her inward and outward change. They saw her as a light of hope. With a big heart and an encouraging, faithful spirit, Dixie decided she could show the way. She started a small in-person support group to share her little steps to health.
To be clear, Dixie’s decade-long dedication to health and well-being hasn’t been a cakewalk. She was not in charge of this support group. In the traditional sense. She was much more.
Dixie’s wisdom is from her whole journey. She navigated life’s floods, avalanches, and days that involved just too much coffee and cookies. I am so with you, Dixie! In her patience to stop and celebrate little successes. In her encouraging heart that walks alongside you during the rough times. In her faith that you will flourish. In her humility she is always a student.
After the group disbanded, Dixie felt there could be more. She knew she had more light and love to share. But she did not know the way. Like with many things in her life, God gave her too many nudges to ignore. She now shares her heart wisdom on a little corner of the internet. HTTPS://LittleStepsToHealth.com.
Through weekly stories, tips, and (sometimes adorable pictures of Alice!), Dixie’s message reaches hundreds of women. With her big, encouraging, heart and deep faith, Dixie is an unwavering friend to many.
The SoulJourner QUESTion: How to start your Little Steps to Health Journey with Dixie
Feel free to pop over to her page and sign up for this Love and Light Warrior’s healthy messages and kind support. She even has a cool gift for signing up: Discover 25 tips for a healthy, happy life that you can start immediately.
And, would you like to follow her on Facebook? She has a page for that, too! And if you’ve felt like Dixie might be a kindred spirit, she can always be reached at do*******@ic****.com.
