To Meet My Heroine!

As many of you know I owe Karen Grassle big time! This is the lady who literally saved my life many years ago. I've recently been in touch with her about our planned trip to US in August and she E-mailed me back yesterday to say she'd like to meet up with my family and me. I'm beside myself with excitement and don't know how I'm going to contain myself until August! Just wanted to share this with you all because you know what this special lady meand to me.

Have you met her before now? How exciting for you. Be sure to get some great photos!!

No I haven't met her, Gin. I've spoke to her on the telephone and we're in contact by mail too. Photos and videos will be taken aplenty!

Maureen, you will have a wonderful time with Karen. I met her in Keystone S.D. in September and she was sooo nice. Can't wait to see pics! Have an amazing time.

Wow, Maureen! That's exciting!

That's wonderful news, Maureen. I am so happy for you.

I am thrilled for you Maureen!! You'll be on pins and needles until August, I'm sure!! Can't wait for your dream to come true! Like Savannah said, we'll be wanting details and pictures!!

Maybe for some of the people on the board who don't know your story (and some who are rusty on it---I do recall it, but it's a little vague to me), you could share your story again with us?

Hint taken, Savannah!!! Plenty of pics and we'll have the video camera with us too. I'll probably be a jibbering wreck but hopefully will be able to remember some of the things we talk about!
I've been on cloud 9 since receiving Karen's E mail and don't know how I'm going to be able to contain myself until August.

For Amy and anyone else who doesn't realise why Karen is special to me:

I had a very unhappy childhood and teenage years. My dad physically and mentally abused my mum and mentally tortured me. It wasn't at that time the thing you could discuss with your friends or anyone else. Little House was on our screens at the time and I so wanted to be in a family like the Ingalls. Things were so bad at home I wrote out all my feelings and what was happening at home and mailed the letter to Karen. Little House was massive at that time and I wasn't expecting to hear anything back. 2 weeks later the first of many hand-written letters, with her home address, arrived from Karen, advising me how to cope and finally putting me in touch with counsellors. I was suicidal just before the first of those letters arrived and will always, to the day I die, credit Karen with saving my life. We lost touch and I eventually got back in touch with her in 2006 and spoke to her for the first time by telephone. Now I'm to meet her, me and the family, and after August I'll be able to die one happy lady!

That's a remarkable story, Maureen. I'm sorry for all you went through, but I'm happy for the way things turned out.

Thank you for refreshing my memory Maureen. It makes me so sad to think of what you must have gone through growing up. That is so neat to think Karen took time out of her busy life to be there for you, a young girl she didn't know personally. I can see why you are so grateful to her. Meeting her will truly be a remarkable experience!

Maureen I am so sorry to hear all you went through, but my you are a success story in itself!! You were brave to write to Karen, and she was a remarkable lady to respond as she did. We need more shows like LH. They do more than just entertain us.
You enjoy every moment of your visit with Karen and please let her know how much we all love her.

That will be so exciting for you to finally meet her!

Thank you everyone for your good wishes. Yes I did have an unhappy childhood but I found peace through the counselling Karen organised for me which helped make me realise not all men were bad. My husband Phil and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in June. He's seen me through a lot of changes in my life and we have two beautiful children who have been raised in a totally different environment to what I was.

Our trip to US is a kind of wedding anniversary/dream holiday trip and when I contacted Karen I wasn't sure if she would want to or be able to meet up. She couldn't be more enthusiastic and can't wait to meet the family.

Thanks again everryone and yes Gin I will certainly let her know about our forum and how very much she is loved.

carolineingalls wrote:

Our trip to US is a kind of wedding anniversary/dream holiday trip and when I contacted Karen I wasn't sure if she would want to or be able to meet up. She couldn't be more enthusiastic and can't wait to meet the family.

Aw Maureen, that is just so aweseome. It truly IS going to be quite the anniversary celebration, all the way around! Congratulations to you, and your hubby too! 25 years!!

Thanks, Amy. I've now been almost married as long as I was single! Scary how time flies!

ChristinaAL wrote:

Maureen, I'm so excited for you! I know this is a dream come true. It's gonna be tough waiting til August but it will be so worth it!

I'm already counting the weeks, Christina but daren't look too much forward in case something goes wrong! Ever the pessimist, that's me! I can die a happy woman if I get to meet Karen, though!

That's wonderful. I hope you will have a graet time!

Maureen,
Thank you for sharing your story. I can't even imagine all of the pain you and your mother had to endure. I am so glad that you will finally be able to meet Karen. How exciting for you and your family! Do your children enjoy watching LHOTP? You are such a strong and brave person. I'm glad that you were able to find a man that you could trust, and fall in love with. Congratulations on 25 years of marriage!! I'll be looking forward to hearing about your trip. August will be here before you know it.

I introduced my kids to Little House several years ago, Teresa and they love it. Not as much as their mom, but they love it just the same! I haven't said anything to them yet about meeting up with Karen. I want to wait until everyhting is finalised first and I hope it'll be a wonderful surprise for them. Christine, who's 17, is mildly aware of what I went through in my younger years but I haven't explained to her yet the influence Karen had in helping. I certainly will before our trip and I hope she will then realise what this meeting will mean to me.

That will be a very special meeting, Maureen. What she has done for you speaks volumes of the kind of person Karen is. I am so glad you had someone there for you in your time of need. Who would have known that reaching out to her would have ended up making such a difference in your life. Thanks for sharing your story with us. I am so happy you will finally have a chance to meet her. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Thanks Pam. It's gonna be the highlight of my vacation for sure.