Why I love being a Heartie, by Megan Alexander

(photos: Megan and her “Hearties” friend Sherry Bellenfant. A family photo and one with our new 2-week old baby girl)

I can’t remember the last time I was so captivated and inspired by a television show or movie. Anne of Green Gables on PBS comes to mind…but that aired in the 1990s.

I’ll never forget the first time I watched When Calls the Heart. You see, I used to be a “seasonal” Hallmark Channel watcher. You know, the kind who would turn on the channel in late November to watch the Hallmark Christmas movies and keep it on 24/7 until the end of December? I did so several years ago…and as I was watching their delightful Christmas movies, I kept seeing a Christmas special promo for the show When Calls the Heart. The characters were dressed in old fashioned frontier attire and the main actor had an Australian accent. “What is this?” I thought…intrigued. I decided to record the two-hour Christmas Day special and watched it late one night, a few days after Christmas, when my kids had gone to bed.

In two hours, I was hooked. What was this show? The scenery was beautiful, the characters were charming, the storyline was wholesome, and the plot was intriguing! I looked up the show online and realized it was in its 3rd season. I quickly ordered the DVD’s and began watching it from the beginning.

Like all of you, I fell in love with the characters and the storyline. When Calls The Heart became a much-needed escape from the current world that often feels out of step with me and my faith. I grew up in a Christian home and have always sought out entertainment that aligns with my values. But as we all know – that is hard to find today! I was thrilled to find a TV show that my eight and four-year-old sons could watch with me! As I worked my way through the first season, I remember telling my husband “you have GOT to watch this show with me…I need to be able to talk to you about it!” Soon my husband was hooked, and my manly, muscle-bound man shed a real tear when Jack proposed to Elizabeth in front of the schoolhouse.

I soon discovered the Hearties community on Facebook and Twitter and joined. This is when my eyes were really opened to the power of this show. As I read post after post from the Hearties, I realized tens of thousands of people around the world felt the same way I did! Seeing this large community rally around this show has been greatly encouraging to me. Its a reminder that many people long for more wholesome, family-friendly entertainment and storylines that align with their values and morals, and they are eager to say so!

I have also met wonderful people through this show. I am an author, and when my first book Faith in the Spotlight, Thriving in your Career while Staying True to Your Beliefs came out in 2016, I held a few book signings across the country. One was held at the local Lifeway bookstore in Nashville, TN, where I live. As I was signing books that night, I looked up to see the smiling face of one particular woman named Sherry Bellenfant. Sherry cheerfully introduced herself and explained that she saw my post about this book signing on Facebook and had found me because I was a fellow “Heartie”! I was amazed at the reach and depth of this community. We became fast friends. My son and I have traveled to Sherry’s home every Sunday and watched the latest season of When Calls the Heart together. Sherry and I text and email often. We update each other on our families and life, and our thoughts on the latest episodes. Sherry is battling cancer and I have seen the Hearties rally around her, pray for her, and encourage her. At the time of writing this blog post, Sherry and I are going to a “Hearties Tea” that has been planned in Nashville for all local Hearties. I am so thankful this show introduced me to people like Sherry.

I work in the media for a living, as a reporter for the tv show “Inside Edition” and I just published my second book, a children’s book called ONE MORE HUG. I wrote it partly because When Calls the Heart inspired me to make my own small contribution to give the world wholesome art and entertainment.

Professionally, this show has also inspired me. I have interviewed countless celebrities and newsmakers over the past decade for my job, but let me tell you, folks, I was giddier to meet When Calls the Heart Executive Producer Brian Bird than Madonna or Justin Timberlake! (true story – I have met them both!) I was attending a Christian conference last year and saw Brian walk across the room. I bounded up to him and introduced myself and shared how much the show meant to me. Like so many of you, I am so grateful for the leadership of people like Brian, who brought this beautiful story from Janette Oke to life…believed in this show and fought for it to air.  I appeared on Fox News to explain the phenomenon of this show and what it meant to be a “Heartie”. I am grateful for any chance to promote this precious show.

On a personal note, one of the reasons I love being a Heartie is because I honestly believe this show has made me a better person. The show has made me a better mother to my three kids through the lessons learned in the schoolhouse, the way the child characters resolve conflict and the wisdom of the adult characters that is imparted to the kids. The show has made me a better wife because of interaction and conversation between Elizabeth and Jack, Lee and Rosemary and others. My husband and I had an old-fashioned courtship. We long for relationships and families that we can admire and emulate. We found that in Jack and Elizabeth and are so grateful for the example we can show our children. That “good guys do exist”. And the show has made me a better friend. In this self-centered, frenzied world, it’s easy to get busy and distracted from what really matters in life. After watching When Calls the Heart, I found myself checking up on my friends more regularly, and trading text messages for long talks on the phone, or better yet, in person! I admire the way the Hope Valley community drops everything to support a citizen in need. I want to be that person in my own community, too.

In conclusion, I love being a Heartie because this is what happens when entertainment is used for a higher purpose – to inspire, encourage and equip. These are the many reasons why I dearly love this show so much. That hour of watching every week is an hour well spent, and I sincerely believe my life is better because of it.
Megan Alexander is a national correspondent for CBS Television and the newsmagazine show “Inside Edition”. She is the author of the books “Faith in the Spotlight” and the new children’s book “One More Hug”, in stores Nov 12th! Both available on Amazon.She is married with two sons and a brand new baby girl. www.MeganAlexander.com