A Thank You to Chuck Norris

Lauren Nixon-Matney • May 4, 2025
Pixel art tribute inspired by Chuck Norris and Walker, Texas Ranger, representing childhood memories, karate lessons, and gratitude for the strength and inspiration found in the Searching for Stars Cosmic Post Office.

Thank You: Chuck Norris

A Thank You to  Chuck Norris


Chuck Norris doesn’t just inspire people he roundhouse kicks inspiration directly into their lives.


I have never met Chuck Norris. But somehow, the man has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. And honestly? I owe him a thank you.


Some people grow up with childhood heroes movie stars, athletes, cartoon characters. Me?
I grew up with  Walker, Texas Ranger.


It was my granny’s favorite show, and that meant it was
our show. If Walker was on, the world could wait. And if Chuck Norris said something was important, you listened. Which is why one completely normal day, in the middle of my childhood, Chuck Norris unknowingly changed my life.


The Day Chuck Norris Pulled Me Out of Class


I was about 11 or 12, going through a rough patch my family was on edge due to some pretty serious circumstances, and life felt uncertain. But on this one particular day, I was sitting in school, minding my own business, when I got called to the office.


Now, let me set the scene: this had
never happened before. My mind immediately jumped to panic mode. Had something happened to my dad? Was I in trouble? Was I about to be abducted by secret government agents?


Turns out, none of the above. I walked into the office, and there sat my granny, looking
dead serious.


And then she said,
“I was watching Walker, Texas Ranger today, and at the end of the episode, Chuck Norris said that kids should do karate.”


Now, if anyone else had said this, it might have seemed
random. But this was my granny. And this was Chuck Norris.


She proceeded to tell me that she had seen a
flyer for karate lessons at the Methodist Church and, since Chuck Norris personally recommended it (as far as she was concerned), she wanted to sign me up. She would pay for it, take me to my lessons, tournaments, everything.


So I did it. And you know what? It
helped me so much. Karate taught me discipline, confidence, awareness, and strength. But even more than that, it gave me treasured memories with my granny. She never missed a class. She never hesitated to be there for me. And all because Chuck Norris gave her the idea.


The Total Gym Obsession (And My Baby Workout Partner)


Fast forward a few years: I’m in high school, and late-night TV is
infomercial gold. And the best of the best? The Total Gym commercial.


I was obsessed. I
wanted one so bad. Chuck Norris made that thing look like the ultimate workout. Forget a normal gym—I wanted the Chuck Norris way.


Years later, after I had my first baby, Jaxon, I told my husband Jamie that I
deserved a present for having his child. Naturally, I asked for a Total Gym.


Jamie delivered. And so did the Total Gym.


Not only did it help me
get into the best shape of my life—even better than before having a baby—but it became a special bonding time with my son. Jaxon loved it.


He hated being rocked in a chair, but if I
laid back on the Total Gym, holding him in my arms while doing squats, and sang to him? He was out like a light. I literally sang my babies to sleep on a Chuck Norris workout machine.


I have
photos, videos, and countless memories of this. And now? Jaxon and Maggie love using the Total Gym, too. Chuck Norris workouts have officially become a family legacy.


Post-Baby #3 &
  The Roundhouse Kick to My Gut Health


Now, after my
third pregnancy, I was feeling the weight of time. Recovery was slower, energy was lower, and I needed something extra. Enter: Chuck Norris’ Roundhouse green juice and probiotic.


Embarrassingly enough to admit I have struggled with
gut health probably my entire life. But this? Game changer.


Chuck Norris doesn’t sell
health products.


He sells
bottled invincibility.


Between the
Total Gym, proper diet, exercise, and this probiotic, I have felt stronger, more energized, and healthier than I could have imagined. And yes, I fully believe that Chuck Norris himself has something to do with that.


The Shirt, The Legend, The Roundhouse Kick of Gratitude


Jamie once had a Chuck Norris t-shirt I gifted him that read:


“Chuck Norris doesn’t break hearts. He breaks legs.”


He loved that shirt. He wore it until it literally fell apart. And when it did?
I saved it to make a t-shirt quilt.


Chuck Norris, you’ve been more than just a Texas icon—you’ve been an unexpected mentor, a source of strength, and a legend in my life.


Because of you, my granny walked into my school and signed me up for karate. Because of you, I got in the best shape of my life and somehow turned a piece of workout equipment into a lullaby for my babies. Because of you, I found strength in every season of my life before kids, after kids, and even now, as I chase them around.


I may never get the chance to meet you. But if I do, I’ll shake your hand, look you in the eye, and say
thank you. And then I’ll probably embarrass myself by crying.


Chuck Norris doesn’t just inspire he
leaves a roundhouse-kick sized impact on people’s lives and footprints of strength wherever he stands.


A Thank You To Chuck Norris 8bit Image of Lauren in Karate Gi
Latter to Chuck Norris Image of 8bit Digital Stamp from Searching For Stars - Letters of Light

A Thank You To Chuck Norris

RESUME THE RHYTHM:

DRIFT THROUGH A CONSTELLATION OF MEMORY

Searching For Stars

By Lauren Nixon-Matney July 5, 2026
Buddy Holly : Last Kiss Pearl Jam: Last Kiss Cover
By Lauren Nixon-Matney July 5, 2026
My favorite literary phrase of all time is spoken by Josephine March, written by Louisa May Alcott in Little Women. “I like good, strong words that mean something.” You, my dear, you say good, strong words that mean something. You put good, strong words that mean something into the world, and I thank you so very sincerely for that. You have made such an incredible impact on my life, and on my outlook on beauty and aging. ⸻ I stumbled across your incredible fashion sense on Instagram and was completely hooked on your vibe. I absolutely love fashion. I always have. I’ve definitely had my own kind of zany style over the years. So when I saw you, I was like, OK, yes, she is amazing. I love this energy. ⸻ The way you put things together, the confidence, the energy, it makes you wanna get up, go into your closet, and actually enjoy getting dressed again. And for a woman approaching 40, who’s had three children and has had many of her own struggles with who am I, what’s my fashion, what’s my energy, or what’s my style, You just felt so damn refreshing and inspiring. So I hung around, but what really hooked me wasn’t just the style, it was you, the essence of you. The way you talk, the honesty, the fact that you just say things straight, no fluff, no sugarcoating, no trying to be anything other than exactly who you are.. and somehow that makes everything you say sound even more profound. ⸻ The impact your message was having in my life became undeniable. It wasn’t just something I watched for enjoyment anymore, it was something I actually began feeling, and carrying with me. I grew up in a time where it felt like there was an expiration date on women. Like if you didn’t fit into a certain mold, or size, or type… your worth somehow became less. And then life happens. You grow up. You age. Maybe have kids. Your body changes. Your priorities change. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, you can kind of lose your sense of… who am I now? What’s my style? Who am I supposed to become? Am I too late for something? What even feels like me anymore? So for a while, I think I actually bought into that idea without even realizing it. The idiodic notion that maybe I had passed some invisible point where things were supposed to quiet down. Tone down. Fit into something more “acceptable.” Or the grand illusion that I was out of time to follow my passions! But watching you… that narrative just started to fall apart. The way you show up, the way you speak, the way you move through the world so fully as yourself… it made me realize that aging isn’t something to fear or shrink from. If anything, it’s where things start to get really good. It’s where you get bolder. More comfortable. More you. More beautiful. ⸻ What you’re doing matters so much. The way you show up, the way you speak, the way you fully own who you are, it doesn’t just stay on a screen. It carries through pixelated waves. It reaches people like me, in real life, in real moments, and shifts something quietly but powerfully within us. So I just wanted to say thank you. For your honesty, your energy, your style, your voice… all of it. You have inspired me, Searching for Stars, and undoubtedly countless women all over the world more than words can truly translate. Thank you, for being you!
By Lauren Nixon-Matney May 6, 2026
Okay, so I asked God for a sign this week… and I didn’t make it easy on Him. I had just seen this video about asking for a sign, about how God answers, about how He delights in it… and something in me just… recognized that. Like, oh. I’ve felt that before. Lindsey, it was your video. And the second I heard it, I remembered something. I remembered a time, years ago, back in that early, foggy, pinkless season of motherhood, when I had asked for a sign too. I had prayed, really specifically… really honestly… “God, just show me I’m okay. Show me I’m on the right path.” And I asked for a blue butterfly. I didn’t see it right away. I waited. I wondered if I had imagined the whole idea in the first place. And then, not long after, life moved us somewhere new. A new place, new energy… the kind of move that feels exciting and terrifying all at once. They handed us the keys… and right there on them… was a blue butterfly. And I remember feeling that same quiet recognition. Like… okay. And then, a couple months after that, with prayers inside us building for a second child, we went to a park. One of those ordinary days that turns into something you don’t forget. And there were butterflies everywhere. Hundreds of them. Yellow, filling the air, lifting all at once like something out of a dream. And right in the middle of it… one blue butterfly. I just stood there, overwhelmed, because I knew. I knew I had been heard. Nearly one year to the day later, our second child was born. And then… life kept moving. Time passed. Things got busy. Full. Loud. Beautiful… but a little hazy, too. Somewhere along the way, I think I stopped asking like that. Fast forward. I’m sitting with my kids on New Year’s Eve, going into 2025, talking about goals and dreams. The kind of things you say out loud but don’t always fully claim. “I’ve always wanted to write.” And my daughter, so sure, so certain, just looked at me and said, “Then make it your New Year’s resolution.” And something about the way she said it… she didn’t question it. she didn’t overthink it. She just… believed it was possible. So I did. I started building something I’ve carried in pieces since I was in high school. Old notebooks, scattered thoughts, songs, memories… things I’ve never really known how to explain out loud. And for the first time, it felt like someone actually got it. So I got to work. Writing with a baby asleep on my chest… voice notes, typed drafts, music playing in the background… piecing together old memories with new ones. And I love it. I really do. But if I’m being honest… I started to wonder. Is this meaningful? Is this worth the time? Is this something good… or just something I want? And more than anything… I wanted to know if it was something God saw as good. Not just something that looked meaningful… but something that was. So I sat down, quietly, and I prayed. And I said, “God, if this is something I’m supposed to keep building… if I’m on the right path… if this is your will for me… please just show me. Give me a sign.” And I paused… because I knew I couldn’t ask for something easy. I had asked for butterflies before and blue jays have been unusually common in our backyard lately. I needed something specific. Something I wouldn’t just brush off. I looked over… and saw this little pink and white poodle sitting on my daughter’s shelf. And I laughed a little and said, “Okay God… show me a poodle.” almost sarcastically thinking… well, this one’s going to take a little more effort. But of course… Not even 48 hours later, we ran into Burlington. We were just there to grab socks and shoes for my toddler, her sandals were bothering her. Quick in, quick out. We ended up wandering a little. We’re headed to checkout… and my husband steps down an aisle, picks something up, and goes, “Okay, I know this is ridiculous… but we need this for the office.” And he had no idea. Nothing about my prayer. Nothing about the poodle. I’m barely paying attention yet. And then he turns it around. It’s a painting. Of a poodle. Not just a poodle… a poodle in a full business suit… sitting at a desk… reading a newspaper. I just… stopped. A business professional poodle, for the office we’re building together, a space where I can write. Like everything in me went quiet for a second. Because of all the things in the world I could have asked for… of all the ways that prayer could have been answered… it was that. I remember thinking, smiling, fighting back tears of joy… of course it is. Because I had asked for something specific. And apparently… He has a sense of humor. Also, just to make sure I didn’t miss it… because let’s be real, God definitely knows how to show out… the very next place we went… was Petco. And there was this real poodle. Then again. And again. Every aisle I turned… I kept running into it. And that feeling came back. The same one from before. Quiet. Certain. seen. beloved. Lindsey… Thank you so much, you reminded me to ask. You reminded me that God doesn’t just hear us… He answers. Not always in big, overwhelming ways… but in ways we’ll recognize. In ways that feel personal. Specific. Sometimes even funny… like they were meant just for us. And Lindsey… I just want you to know how much I appreciate all of what you’re doing. Your energy, your humor, the way you show up so fully as yourself… it matters more than you probably realize. You make people laugh, you make motherhood feel seen, and you bring light into spaces that can feel heavy sometimes. But there is also so much more than that… God really radiates through you. In the way you speak, in the way you encourage, in the way you remind people to keep going and to keep believing. It’s powerful. And it’s beautiful to witness. What you’ve created with “get your pink back”… that message, that reminder… it’s reaching people. It’s lifting people. It’s giving something back to women who feel like they’ve poured everything out. And that matters. It really does. I’m so grateful I came across your video when I did. And I’m really looking forward to everything you create next… especially your writing. You’re doing something good here. Keep going. Please never stop casting your light into the world… it really does break through the darkness.
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