Crystal Bodie-Smith

I am Crystal Bodie-Smith and I am people-oriented, compassionate, outgoing, innovative person, very driven, creative, family-oriented, and spiritual.  However, my life has been extremely difficult.  The challenges that I’ve faced have been very unique. Nothing has ever just been easy-going.  That song – “Easy Like Sunday Morning” – is not my life.

Coping with losing my parents, I couldn’t concentrate. My bills weren’t important to me, and everything was falling apart.  I couldn’t think, and I just wanted to sleep.  I couldn’t think about my reality because my reality didn’t look like it used to.  There was no normalcy.  Then, I had to start over.  I went through a transition and I needed to do something else.

Then, my brother got sick.  That’s when I started writing my book, “Final Wishes: A Guide for Transitions from Life to Death.”  When I went through that with my brother, I felt so much better when I was prepared and equipped to handle his medical and personal affairs.  Whatever they asked me, I was ready.  I realized that I didn’t want other people to have to go through what I went through.  My mom and dad’s stuff was in order, but that experience with my brother opened my eyes.  It took me some years to do it, because in the midst of all of this, my sister got diagnosed with leukemia.

I started writing on my lunch breaks and whenever I could, and that’s when Capital City Hope Foundation was born.  Capital City Hope Foundation has a vision to bring awareness, influence the community to assist each other, empower the needy and bridge the gap so everyone can return to a productive state of mind.

The most difficult moment for me was just having to be strong, and that’s where I think the Hope Catalyst concept came out of this.  I believe God made me that person because every time I minister to somebody else I’m ministering to myself.  It makes me stronger and more hopeful.  It helps me.  During my dark times, during my weakest points, I’m still hopeful.

When I tell people to keep hope alive, they don’t really understand what I’m saying.  There’s not much that I haven’t been though personally.  I’ve been through the divorces, I’ve been through the loss of family, the loss of jobs, the loss of a place to live, and even a domestic violence situation.  I try to support people, because I don’t want anyone feeling lonely.  I don’t want them to feel emptiness, because I know how that feels.

This is what keeps me going. I’m on a mission to spread hope.  Everybody doesn’t have faith, but everyone needs hope. I’m trying to lift people up and tell them that they can do it.  If I can, they can too.  Keep hope alive is not just about the things you want to accomplish; it’s about believing in yourself despite being knocked down.  You have to keep hope alive for yourself.  You have to, and you can.