This is the true story of how a souvenir voodoo doll helped me, my friends and family find true love.

WARNING – this story, this blog, my life, is not about voodoo – it’s about true love. If you’re offended by or afraid of the voodoo doll, please stop reading. However, if you choose not to read on, you’ll miss out on the exciting true story of how my loving little voodoo doll helped me and others find their true love.

My journey to true love started in New Orleans. I’d just spent three days sitting in windowless hotel meeting rooms at a business conference. Also spent two nights partying hard with my co-workers on Bourbon Street. The conference was over and the sun was shining. I had two hours to waste before heading to the airport so I left the hotel and walked towards Jackson Square. I decided to buy some souvenirs for myself, my mom, and my current boyfriend – and there it was – a giant, bright, cheesy souvenir shop – it’s double doors wide open. I stepped inside and started scanning for souvenir goodies. Clear as a bell, I heard a whisper, “Psst. Over here.” I turned. Our eyes met. I picked her up. She was one of hundreds of souvenir dolls on a large display unit standing in the very middle of the middle row. I knew without a doubt it was she who spoke to me. Her little head and body was made of black cloth, stuffed with moss, wrapped around a stick. She wore a rough burlap dress and stood about six inches tall with shocking pink hair fashioned from feathers standing straight up. She was firmly glued to a small piece of black wood so she could stand. She wasn’t pretty, but she had stature. I read the card hanging from her belt – “How to get a real man.”

Back home, I studied my souvenir voodoo doll. She had clearly called to me in the New Orleans souvenir store. And she knew what I secretly wanted – true love for life. I’d been divorced, single for the last eight years. Dated a lot, even had a serious boyfriend for a couple of years. But, right before I went to New Orleans, I had decided that I was done with short term relationships. I wanted to be married again. The little card attached to her belt read, “How to get a real man” on one side and listed steps to cast a spell on the other. I don’t believe in the power of voodoo, so I had no intention of performing the spell. However, the last line spoke to me “List your true love’s positive attributes.” I love lists! My journals are full of lists of what I want to accomplish, where I want to go, and what I want to do. But I never thought to make a list of my true love’s positive attributes.