On Wings of Vision
Julie White, RN came to Vermont in 1988 from Cooperstown, NY, with
many years’ experience in staff nursing, nursing education and management in maternal-child health, pediatrics, family nursing, cancer and
hospice. She assisted in creating the Birthing Center at Rutland Regional
Medical Center.
By 1992, accumulated life and job stresses had worn Julie down physically, mentally and spiritually, and she entered into a very dark time of her life.
She felt as if she had lost herself. Medical care and therapy were helpful, yet
there was nowhere to find resources or comfort during this healing process.
She knew she had reached a crossroads and had to make a change, but she
had always been a nurse. What else could she do? While her artistic abilities
were not utilized in her scientific nursing practice, she believed they were
separate worlds and not to be shared, as she had been told many years before as a nursing student. What was to be the next phase of her life’s work?
Suddenly, without warning, the answer came to Julie. While sitting on her
living room couch, contemplating the life yet ahead of her, she looked out her
bay window on February 12, 1993. There in a blink of an eye, she saw it…
“A room with blue and white walls, soft
music playing, wind chimes tinkling, a
water fountain with an angel at the
center, floor to ceiling windows with
small glass panes looking out upon
trees and nature, a large peaceful quilt
at the entrance, and shelving filled
with books and gifts pertaining to the
milestones of life and chronic illnesses.”
It was a storefront she imagined, run by nurses who would be there to
offer comfort and guidance to people going through life challenges or
health crisis. Julie remembers that, “at that moment a tremendous sense of
peace came over me; an inner knowing, complete calm, serenity. This was
what I was supposed to do. I was seeing my future. This place was a fusion
of my artistic abilities and my nursing science, a place of wholeness for
myself and for others.”
She immediately called Barbara Fitzgerald, RN, a colleague who had
experienced many spiritual visions throughout her life. Julie wanted her
input and expertise in helping her to understand and interpret what she
“saw.” They met the next day and Julie described her vision. Barbara
assured her it was real, powerful and could help a lot of people. Barb, at
age 62, was ready to retire and start a new project. She offered her support,
labor and commitment.
“But where is this place?” Julie wondered. “Where is there a place that fits
the beauty and magical images I saw in the vision?” They both immediately
thought of a fairly new building in Rutland, Vermont, housing three shops.
“The scenes of the vision fit the west side shop perfectly,” Julie said,
“but that shop is successful. This vision must be a dream, a fantasy of sorts.
It can’t possibly be real.”
A day later Julie drove up the road to prove herself right. However, the west
side shop was vacant. There was a “For Lease” sign on the door. Julie was awestruck. From those moments on, all the details fell into place synchronistically
to move Julie and Barb forward in their quest to create this vision into a real
store for people who where stressed.
Julie immediately phoned her oldest brother, a former bank president,
and asked, “How do I start a business?” He said, “Write a business plan with
financial charts, etc. Then take it to a bank for financing. I will send you a
book.” Julie said, “Ugh!”
A few days later she opened the local newspaper, and turned to the
