one proud mama

I just had to share what my kids did last week.  

The organizers of "SOCCER FOR HOPE" ask the kids attending the camp to get donations for pediatric cancer research at CHLA during their week at camp.  My daughter was determined to raise a lot of money but I never guessed that she would raise as much as she did. Last year she worked hard going around our neighborhood and raised $320. I thought that was amazing.





This year she and my son went knocking on doors in our neighborhood EVERY day after soccer camp. They received donations from more than 50 people. I was shocked at how many people that we don't know would give them $10 or $20. One little girl was home alone and even gave them $2 of her own money.  So amazing! In addition to going door to door, my daughter also wrote and sent a handful of emails to a few others (our friend list isn't very long these days).  She only wanted to ask 1 family member.  I think that even she is recognizing that "family" is not a part of our life anymore.




At the end of 4 days she raised $704.   PLUS she asked for a donation from our brand new Chick-fil-A restaurant and got them to donate $300 in food to next years camp. All in all, she (and Noah too) raised

$1,004 in 4 days!!!!

I think that is AMAZING and I am such a proud mama.  I just love that their hearts are leading them to do this.  I can't wait to see what they accomplish in their lives.  I have a feeling that they are going to change the world!!!!

soccer 4 hope

This week, my kids are doing a special soccer camp. 

SOCCER FOR HOPE is an annual soccer camp that is organized by a couple who have been struck hard by cancer.  The husband is a former National team member and current coach for my daughter's club.  He fought his own cancer battle many years ago and is now thriving.  5 years ago his sweet daughter, Abella and son, Hudson (ages 3 and 1) were both hit hard with brain cancer.  Abella is now in remission and one of the happy 8 year old campers this week.  Sadly, Hudson died at age 3 (a couple months after Nate).

The goal of the camp is two-fold.  Rather than focusing on soccer skills and development, its focus is on FUN while teaching the kids about how to reach out and help other kids that are fighting life threatening diseases.  They remind the kids daily about how lucky they are to have their good health and how fortunate they are to be able to run around and play soccer.  It's a lesson that many adults have yet to learn and I am so grateful that these kids are hearing it.  Most importantly, it also raises money for pediatric cancer research at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (same hospital that Nate had his heart surgery at). 

I just love that my kids have been going to this camp for the past 3 years.  Even more, I love that my daughter (and son...but he is more of a prop) are knocking on doors in our neighborhood every night collecting donations for this cause.  My sweet girl has already collected over $340 from people in our neighborhood (and that doesn't include any family). 

This is one of the moments that I am thankful for the path that I am on.  I am thankful that my kids are growing up learning how to help others and I am thankful that they will never take their health for granted!!!

a quote

A dear friend sent me a link to Joy's Hope blog today.  I have never heard of her blog before but she is also a babyloss mama so I felt an immediate connection..

Here's the quote that my friend sent me from a post last week:

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.  - Author unknown


All of the times that someone told me that I was strong when I felt so weak...  All of the times that people told me "God won't give you more than you can handle"...  All of the times that I was criticized and abandoned by people that I cared for...All of the times that I climbed out of bed to face yet another miserable, grief-filled day...All of the times that I sobbed uncontrollably and pleaded to God for mercy...


I can't tell you how much this quote impacted me.

a conversation with a checker

Ever since Nate was diagnosed in-utero with a heart defect almost 3 years ago, I have been afraid of the grocery store checkers.  They always ask "how's it going?" or "are you having a good day?"  I know that they ask those questions of EVERYONE and that they are not sincere.  But, for some reason, I have difficulty responding insincerely.  So, I tend to fear that interaction.

This week, as I was checking out I had a conversation that I never planned on having.  The checker asked me if she could "round up" the total for a donation to some sort of foundation (colon cancer or something).  I responded with a "sure, that would be fine".  She then went on to tell me about an experience that she had had with another customer.  She stood there complaining about someone that, as she said:  "wouldn't even donate 20 cents for a good cause". 

"Well you never know what is going on in someones life that would cause them to do that"...was my response.  She kinda laughed at my comment and looked at the person bagging my items for assurance (probably thinking that I was a little crazy). 

I could have walked away at this point. 
I considered just keeping my mouth shut and minding my own business. 
I told myself that it wasn't my responsibility to educate people on the hardships of life and that I should just worry about my own problems. 
All of the options swirled around in my head during what had to be a 10 second time period of her handing me my receipt. 

So I just took the receipt and left...

I couldn't do it. 
I couldn't just walk away under these circumstances. 
I had to say something. 
I just HAD to.
And I did.

In a sweet and kind voice I explained to the checker that sometimes, people have an experience that prevents them from doing certain things (I still didn't get to her). 

I went on to tell her that I have a hard time donating to CHOC (the children's hospital right in our community that EVERYONE loves and supports).  She looked at me with shock and confusion.  As if the word that I uttered were of another language. 

I further explained that even though they do amazing work and they provide life-saving help for many, many children...I have a hard time giving them my money (she started listening more intently). 

I then went on to say that a mistake that they made caused my son to die (now I had her attention).  I summed it all up by once again saying...
you never know what's going on in someones life and you never know why they make the decisions that they do.

I walked out of that store feeling like I had served my purpose for the day. 

It was a good day.