From the time I was a little baby on up, my mother and dad said I was fat sloppy and that I would never amount to anything. They said I was too dumb to become a psychologist. They said I would always make bad grades and I was going to be a no body, so I had better become a secretary and marry a boss, if he would find a fat girl attractive, that is.

When my sister got married, my mother insisted I wear a girdle. I wrapped me from my chest to my hip, to pull my stomach in.

Today, I am a gifted psychic, healer and counselor. God has blessed me with the ability to help others heal their self-esteem.

… But it wasn’t that way for me back then.

I had a friend who helped me loss weight in a very un-healthy way. She would count the calories I ate and then gave me diuretics whenever I ate more than a half a sandwich a day!

My friend limited my eating to only 700 calories a day.  When we went dancing, I would not eat much, except for two hard boiled eggs for the entire day. She said alcohol had too many calories and I did not want to be fat, so I didn’t drink.

In 1988, within only 7 months’ time, I went from 256 lbs. to 136 lbs. and was on my way to losing more weight. No one was going to stop me. I wanted love and approval from my parents.

My heart raced and my kidneys hurt. Yet, the weight was melting off.

One day, I went to Union Station. It was the one day my life changed for the better.

Rose Mary Cosentino, an astrologer, asked me, “You love Patti LaBelle, right?”

I said, “Yes, of course!” and told her that I loved LaBelle too, they are so talented.

Rose Mary Cosentino was my best friend, and she purchased tickets for me to attend a Patti LaBelle Concert, on September 18th, 1988. She said, “I think this will start a real friendship with a woman named Patti LaBelle, not someone who is a negative influence on you.”

In the way home, all I could think about was what she said. And I thought about what I felt when she said it. I felt good and wondered why she never told me she did not like my friend, who was helping me lose weight.

I wanted my parents love and approval.

How could she think that my friend was so bad? Look at the weight loss! It was 120 lbs. in 7 months of friendship. I thought it was great. Even so, my dad still talked down to me, whenever we ate dinner together outside the home, as a family.

The night of the concert, my friend who stopped me from eating all day told me that I did not want to look so fat. Actually, I was already too thin for the broad shoulders I had and big rib cage.

Sitting in the fifth row from the stage, second seat in, I sat happy listening to a woman who had made it in the world when women, especially African American women, had it hard.

She took a break as the band started to play, “There’s a Winner in You.”

She told us that her friend Sylvester was dying that night, and that her last two sisters had been told they also had cancer. She placed the microphone on the piano in front of Bud Ellison, her musical conductor and bent down, looked at me and said; “Little girl in the fifth row, second seat , can you come up here please? “

I did and she bent down, with tears in her eyes.  She asked me my name, I said, “Linda Humphries.”

She asked, “Linda, are you sick with cancer?”

I told her no, I just wanted to get thin enough for approval from my parents.

With tears in her eyes and love in her heart she asked me to please go home that night and “look at myself in the mirror. See, you are too thin, Sugar. You promise me, you go home tonight and look in that mirror and see how thin you are and you know that Miss Patti is worried about you. You are important to me and I don’t want you to forget it.”

She motioned for Bud and he walked over and handed her the microphone.

She held my hand and started singing, “It’s only me. I’ve come to see you and I know what you have been though …..”

With each word, tears were rolling down her cheeks and mine. When she got the buildup for the big ending, I pulled away and sat down. I did it out of respect for her and because I was overwhelmed that a lady who had her own pain cared enough to call me to the stage.

A lady, who had no need to care for me, cared with every fiber of her being and we are still friends to this day.

I may not go to her home as others do, but the relationship is real. The fact is, that night I got help and started to stand up for myself.

The next song was “You Are My Friend“.

She said, “I wrote this song the night my son Zuri was born. Linda, little girl this goes out to you.”

I walked away from the friend who was helping me starve myself. Patti reminded me that that person did not know what she was talking about.

The year her last sister Jackie passed and both parents passed, Patti was at the St. Louis Muni Theatre. She came out on stage with the dress Jackie loved. It was long and weighed a lot.

She sang, “There’s a Winner.”

I could sense with my gifts she was hurting and I was glad the crowd sent her love.  She came to St Louis within days of her lost.  I could tell you the lady I was with just lost a relative of hers. She saw Patti’s strength and how she talked about the loss. Patti told us telling the people you love you love them because tomorrow is not promised and you don’t want to miss out like I did thinking my sister Jackie was going to be here later to go see.

My friend and I called many people the next day. I pass the message on to all the people I counsel.

The year that Miss Patti signed “don’t block the blessings”, I gave her a Botanical Garden shot from St. Louis so she always had St Louis with her.   She asked what I other that art work and library work did I do.

I told her God told me not to tell her about what I do until she really needs a lift.  She said, “Okay girlfriend I’ll accept that but someday I want to know what your gifts are.”

After she finished one signing, again she said, “Come on girlfriend. I know you have more pictures to take. Come back up here.”  I did and took more pictures.  I apologized to her staff but she is my messenger from God.

When her marriage ended, she was in St. Louis at the July 4th weekend celebration.

I had just returned from Kansas City, counseling children who had a friend take her life.  Three of the teens were starving themselves.  I shared my Patti LaBelle story and they said they wanted Patti to know that by hearing that story they were going to their counselors or teachers they trusted for help that next Monday.  That was the message from God to tell her who I was and what I did for God.

So I put a picture from the concert she did the time her last sister Jackie left earth to become an angel. I then wrote how I was a third generation gifted healer, teacher, and spiritual counselor, minister also.

I let her know that since she saved my life, I have stopped four people from suicide.

I had ten cancer patients’ now cancer free, and thirty five couples with babies that were told they could not get pregnant.

I told her I share the story of her saving my life with all the people being abused, which sees me as so “together”, they doubt they will ever be as successful as me.

I told her I knew she and her husband had ended their marriage but that she was part of the family of all my clients who I have healed because they are all grateful for what she did.

The next weekend she was at our state fair in Springfield, IL. Walking back to my car, the young man who danced with her on stage in St. Louis said”, “Hello, you are Linda aren’t you? “

I nodded.  He hugged me and raised me up off and ground and said, “I want to thank you for the letter you wrote Miss Patti. She read it to us when we went back stage after dancing with her. It was just what she needed.”

I felt really good because I could help her who helps so many of her fans at her concerts.

The year of LaBelle’s Reunion tour, I took great pictures of the ladies. The concert was wonderful! When she asked to diabetics to raise their hands, she told me to put mine down she already knew that.

My friend Nancy said, “You are right. She is really not a diva. She is just real. Yet, Patti and Nona, and Sarah sing as great as you told me and I am so glad I came to Chicago with you.”

Every New Year’s Eve I ask God for healing, for people I love and jobs for people I care for then I ask for my list of intentions.

The top of the list for 2010 was, “God, please let me tell a sold out crowd how Patti LaBelle saved my life in 1988. Also, because of her, I have given counsel thousands of people since.”

On February 12, 2010 I walked into the Fox Theatre and a lady at the door said, “That’s Linda, Patti LaBelle’s friend.”

I just walked on not sure she was referring to me. Yet remember, on New Year’s Eve, I had asked Jesus to please let me tell a sold out crowd that Patti had saved my life years back.

Jesus and God really do hear me.

When I went up to the stage to give her a picture of LaBelle I took in Chicago the year, before she told the security, “That’s my girlfriend. Let her through. Come on girlfriend. He’s fine he won’t stop you.”

I handed her the bag and she handed me her microphone. “Hold it baby girl don’t go anywhere. I will be back.”

She showed off the picture of LaBelle I gave to her to everyone who could see from the stage that sat up front. She came back to me saying.  “Linda, you got my microphone. Tell them how we meet 22 years ago when you sat in the fifth row over there in the second seat.”

She remembered.

I did  it happily shared my story tearing up as I told it, As I finished I said, “That is why I love Patti. She changed my life and I got help. She changed my life and others by helping me and they all love her.”

I tried to hand the microphone back saying, “Thank you Patti, I love you.”

Patti said, “Not yet sugar. Now tell them what you do for a living.”

I said that I counsel women and children and men. And then she added that I heal and teach. Then she told the crew to put both spotlights on me, and asked the crowd to stand and applaud what I do for people.  I turned to her handing back the microphone saying thank you Miss Patti I love you.  She said I love you more.

My rows of fans were still clapping as I got back to my seat.

After the concert, I helped a lady in the ladies room. When she asked what she owed I said, “Go to another Patti Concert.” She did, the next summer. She said her son’s life had changed thanks to my advice to her.

The next day, I went to Our Lady of the Snows, in Belleville, IL to ask Father to thank God for the fact that I got to tell a sold out crowd about Miss Patti my friend. He said his sermon was about her and me and how we give not wanting anything back.

So that is why that night, being able to thank her, was more important to me than the night she healed me. She is my friend and great lady.

In 2008, a friend’s daughter traveled to Florida with me. The stewardess said she knew who I was. She heard Patti talk about Linda Humphries a healer. She asked if was I her.  I said yes.

During that same trip, my aunt Maude died while I was in Florida. I had to fly back early but I am sure that it was the easier. The same stewardess was on my flight, and reminded me of Patti’s song with words that our passed on relatives; “Would not want you moping around all day.”

The next time I saw Miss Patti, I was at an outdoor concert with a frozen right shoulder.

Patti was led to the microphone. I could tell she wasn’t feeling well.  She said something about her girlfriend being in the crowd and she was asking to have energy sent…

I pushed hard on my frozen arm to send her energy. It really hurt but it unlocked.

My physical therapist said that was amazing the next morning in session.

I said it was just a God thing.

When I had a biopsy of my neck in November that year, the lady that wheeled me out asked if I was the one sending Patti healing. She told me that her sister was in charge of the concert and was glad I sent energy. She mentioned she can see why people love Patti. She really wants to be there for her fans.

I have very seldom been at a concert were she did not talk to or about someone in the crowd to acknowledge them or build them up.

I save change in can I can do it bottle.  In 2015, I had quarters I’d collected just as she announced a Kansas City concert. I had a dream that I needed to go and talk to young people in Kansas City, again.

My clients came through and signed up for readings and mediumship work talking to relatives and friends that have passed.

The concert at the Kauffman Center was wonderful as she always is. But her closing songs were totally different. She did the closing two songs, “Winner in You” and “You Are My Friend”. They were the first two songs she sang to me. I knew I was being told from God to tell her story to the teenagers that next day.  I counseled two teens that had eating problems and one cutting herself.

I shared with them the Patti LaBelle story and told them phone numbers to call for help.  That weekend was one of the hardest weekends for me because of the abuses being done to little girls and how they were being made to feel they deserved it, just as I was made to feel as a child and teenager?

It is not fair to have stepdads or mothers talk down to your child or for you a parent to talk down to your child or any child. What we say over and over programs them from birth as to what they can or can’t do as adults.

Patti LaBelle teaches us that you have to be yourself, to never block your blessings, and don’t ever forget to tell people you love you care about them and love them tomorrow is never promised.

I, Linda Humphries teach people, thanks to Patti LaBelle healing me.

Remember if you believe you can achieve you can achieve anything and I believe in you.

You have to have trust found in God. He will provide you with love, money, and friends.

It cost nothing to care of someone you run into on the street, at the doctor’s office, while your car gets fixed, at an office party, on a subway ride in New York, at a Patti LaBelle concert and any other place.

A gentleman, who appeared in the back seat of my car, told me he committed suicide because he did not get help for his war trauma. He said his brother was thinking of doing the same.

I was parking at Walmart and just about hit a young man!  I heard a guy ask again, to please help him.

I told the young man what was said to me by his brother and mentioned that his brother wanted him to go back to roller blading. I told him to also realize that there would be many people affected by that feeling as hopeless as he did.

We talked about ten minutes and he left thanking me and hugging me and wanting to pay me.  But making a difference was payment enough.

I told people at the Patti LaBelle show and any many times in the public, I believe it is my way of giving as service to God for the great life I now have, with family members that are clients. I was taught that your family comes in many sizes, colors, sexual preferences, and nationalities.

To Miss Patti LaBelle I will forever tell the story of what you did for me. I am hope the people I counsel realize that a kind word or act can change someone’s life forever.

We are put on this earth to be able to be totally rich in spirit by giving to others.  If we do things the right way, we also will be wealthy with friends and family that are not related. Yet they are always there for us.

Many of you out there who are being bullied, or who suffer from an eating disorder, or suffer from depression or many other things such as abuse, my website has lists of help numbers to call.  You can also contact me to schedule a session by calling (618) 277-1368.