Harmony, Adventure & Healy the Frog

This morning during a strength class, the instrumental version of the theme sound for I Dream of Jeanie started to play. I dream of Jeanie was a fantastical, dreamy story of boy meets girl where a United States [Rocket] Astronaut finds his life vastly complicated when he stumbles on to a bottle containing a genie.

Did I ever tell you my Daddy worked for the Space Industry? He was not an astronaut, he was an engineer and with the help of the other engineers at Rockedyne, he invented the Rocket Engine that placed the 1st man on the moon. Did I ever tell you I am married to “The” Major Healy and like Jeanie, fell in love at first sight. Now I know what you are thinking, the Astronaut Jeannie fell in love with was Major Nelson. Correct, Major Nelson did have a very close friend though, Major Healey. This is that true story:  

It was working for Novell and managed the relationship Novell enjoyed with Hewlett Packard. Together the high-tech companies collaborated on the first ever notebook computer to come pre-installed with the Linux operating system. The Compaq nx5000. It was unveiled at LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco during a keynote speech by then HP VP of Linux, Martin Fink. I was being saved a seat in the first row and was incredibly eager for the announcement. After the unveiling, a special guest, Scott Healy from Sabre Holdings was invited to the podium to share how Linux was ready for the Enterprise. I can still see today every curve of his smile, what he was wearing as he walked across the stage at the SRO Moscone Center to shake Martin’s hand and take the microphone.

Following the day’s event, special guests and speakers made their way to the iconic Museum of Modern Art for an unforgettable evening of inspiring networking, vibrant art and delectable culinary delights. I had everyone I knew “birddogging” for me. I had to meet him. When I spotted him standing by the dim sum table, steam rising from bamboo baskets, I seized the moment and walked over to introduce myself. My nerves were on fire—I have no idea what I actually said. What I do remember is making a quick escape to the ladies’ room, desperately trying to regain my composure—and using the wall-mounted hand dryer to dry my underarms. I returned to our conversation which went very well. I felt like we made some sort of a connection at least from a business perspective. Evidently I had something somewhat intelligent to say about Linux because he did give me his card and promised to stay in touch. He was curious about Suse Linux, I was curious about him. 

Fast forward months of playing technology footsie we started spending time together and our long distance relationship moved between Houston and Keller, TX . On April 8th, 2005, our budding relationship took a significant path when he asked me what my dream was. That was on the Kemah Boardwalk in Galveston, TX. I answered that my dream was to live on an island, a laid-back pace of life and a tight-knit community where everyone was connected and hung out together. A life where I could dive into the water anytime I wanted, walk past the volunteer fire department and wave on all my neighbors to meet up at the joint at the end of the road. He said that was his dream too!  That was the night he asked me to pinky swear we would always be friends and the night I remembered I had a dream years before about a frog that had the power to heal. So I blurted out, “wait, I dreamt about you!” and I ran into my study to grab a piece of paper where I had started to sketch out the makings of a children’s book about a little frog that I had named “Healy” - a name that became mine when I became his wife one year later. 

In 2002 I dreamt about a white frog that had powers to heal. I thought it would make a great story kids so I kept the sketch. I had not thought about it till Scott asked me to pinky swear I would be his friend 3 years later

As newlyweds and a new Mom to the three wedding gifts he gave to me named, Caleb, Rachel and Amanda, I wanted to discover how to express love in a language my new husband and family would understand. We read "The Five Love Languages" together and at the end, I asked Scott, “So what are your love languages?”. He replied, “Harmony and Adventure”!. “Harmony and adventure” I asked? Those are not in the book. So you want to go kayaking and for me to keep my mouth shut the entire trip? 

The “Healy” life has taught me the value of spiritual unity and dreams can come true. The life we are composing is a divine partnership that had us sell our home in Lakeway for The "Sea Way", a sailing vessel we found in Kemah, TX. We are living out what he meant all of those years ago about harmony and adventure. Life is teaching me that God answers prayers. He has been with me this whole time and He uses people to “heal” us. 

Our lives carry the name and spirit of that little frog and one day I will write the book. Until then, we are living our dream!  

Dreams and fairy tales about frog becoming princes do come true! Love from God through a prince that started as a frog named Healy can heal broken places.