Pass it on Kathleen Zeitler shows her 'soul passing' kit, an amethyst stone in a little, black, velvet pouch (photo by Tina Gohr). Zeitler's 'Soul Passing' makes a difference in people's lives By Tina M. Gohr News-Chronicle Kathleen Zeitler gently wiggles a purple amethyst stone between her fingers as she tells an inspirational story of how the stone came to the forefront. A person can easily be swept up in her rousing mission. Zeitler, a single mother from Green Bay, had undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment after doctors discovered she had breast cancer. Five stressful years followed until she was declared cancer-free. The same prognosis and five-year clean bill of health was experienced by her mother, too. But her mother passed away. "They were asking me what goals I was setting for myself after the five years and the rest of my life," she said. "Honestly, I assumed my mother's death was going to happen to me, so I was more or less planning my funeral." She prayed a lot. In so doing, Zeitler experienced a powerful change of attitude. "If I'm here 30 more years or three days, if I can put a smile on a person's face, I've made good use of my life," she said with a warm smile. If given the opportunity, she'd also extend hope, direction and opportunity to help others. "Soul Passing" has met those goals. The treasured amethyst stone comes in a little, black, velvet pouch. Also inside the pouch is an "occasion" message. The thoughtful original message is for a person with a birthday, for a loved one, those going through a divorce or a funeral. Categories for messages include wedding, divorce, attitude, friend, my body, sorry, sympathy, anniversary and love. "I believe I'm the messenger, and I'm just planting the seeds for the rest of the people to water," she said. The deep-rooted message to the receiver of the "Soul Passing" stone is to pass it on to somebody else. Tossing the stone into water provides a visual aid, the ripple effect, of how the stone should work. From that initial splash, the water ripples in all directions for a distance exponentially greater than the original displacement. "My heart is in this - big time. I've come to realize that this is my mission,'' said Zeitler, who shares her time as a small-business owner designing signs for companies. "Who knows the people who are hurting inside?" Reflecting on words to remember, Zeitler jotted down some of the thoughts that gave her inspiration. "I'd be sleeping and suddenly wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning with comforting words. I wrote them down," she said. "It took 11 months. I wrote down what was in my heart." The 3 o'clock awakenings provided the messages she included for "Soul Passing," which she began marketing in December 1999. For instance, the passage for "friend" reads: "Thank you for always being there with love and acceptance. We have shared laughter and heartaches, memories and dreams. You enlighten my heart and nourish my soul. Thank you for being part of my life." Or "attitude": "At times when we feel overwhelmed, hurt or angry, remember, our attitude is a choice. We can smile or we can frown. We can laugh or we can cry. We can forgive or we can hate. Listen to your heart and choose.'' Zeitler has been overwhelmed by the response people are relating to her both as a giver and a receiver. "They all have a story for me," she added. Those stories express the thankfulness for the words. Zeitler will be incorporating the stories in a book on "hope and inspiration." Information regarding the book is contained in the amethyst pouch. Her biggest challenge has been marketing "Soul Passing." There have been more doors closed than open. "I keep buggin' Oprah," she said with a laugh. "But, realistically, I've decided to take a course on marketing, and I've been praying a lot." Zeitler, a graduate of Urban Hope, an entrepreneur program, has been somewhat successful peddling at business shows and conventions. Her product is in a handful of shops in Wisconsin, including locally at Ivy Boutique, Gary's Luggage & Gifts, Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College's book store and Gifts With A Personal Touch. A funeral home ordered 500 "sympathy" stones, and Zeitler shipped 800 of the same smooth, polished stones to families affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "I heard from a mother in New York whose daughter was killed in the towers," she said. "She was on the 101st floor. The mother was given of the 'Soul Passing,' and she wrote to say that she cried and cried. She said it represents the passing of her daughter that she can keep with her all the time. "She eventually passed it on to her granddaughter. This one little bag did all that. It's touching so many people's lives."