Weaving Dreams: The Joy of Work, The Love of Life

Chapter 21. Longaberger 101: Improve Yourself and Pass It On!

As a girl, Elizabeth McCormick was painfully shy. Her days were spent with eyes downcast, staring at dust accumulating on shoes that pinched and squeezed. Later, as a young woman, it got to the point that she wouldn't even pick up the telephone to call her hairdresser; the fear and debilitating nervousness were almost too much for her to bear. The wings of her spirit folded in on top of themselves, cloaking her in crippling timidity and suffocating introspection.

When Elizabeth joined Longaberger in 1999, she was beginning to come out of her shell but was still reserved and admits to having to push herself. I guess she figured that serving in the U.S. Army as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot would help! Elizabeth gave birth to her first child during her time in the Army, breastfeeding during flight school and struggling as a single parent. While she was proud to be serving our country and pursuing lofty goals, honing her technical skills and excelling as the only female in a male-dominated world left her feeling increasingly trapped on an island of isolation. She missed having girlfriends and longed for the camaraderie she knew in her hometown.

Little did she know that in the spring of 2001, a medical condition would soon send her back to the States, releasing her from active duty under a medical retirement. In Texas safely, though still healing, Elizabeth was embroiled in a bitter custody battle for her daughter.

"It was God," ...