HAS IT REALLY BEEN A YEAR????
Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary when Joli was diagnosed with cancer. And, while, of course, there is so much to be thankful for, it's hard not to feel a sense of sadness. So, we're outta here! We're going to go have some fun for a few days to take our minds off of it. It's just amazing to think about our journey this year -- it seems so long ago yet just seems like yesterday when we were at Mass Eye and Ear. Has she really been without an eye for a year now? It seems so far away, yet when I think about hearing the news from the doctor for the first time, all those raw emotions come flooding up from my gut to my throat to my watering eyes.
Now that we're facing a similar journey with Mari, I want to give a huge shout out to all the people we know -- and the many that we don't know -- who helped us this year with emotional, parental, spiritual, and financial support. I can't imagine having to go through this year without our family and friends and even strangers helping us. As a family, we always donated to "fundraisers" and such, and we even sponsor 2 young girls over in Africa, and I never really thought about how that help impacted those people. Well, it does.
Donating money to organizations means so much more to me now. And, when I don't have the money, I try to donate my time. From the receiving end, I know how much each dollar, each penny, helps a family in need. So, please, if you're faced with information that a family needs help, please help them. Please try to donate a dollar (ideally more!) or services or something! It makes a difference... it made a difference to us.
So, more pictures when we return! Thank you for all your love and support this year!
4 comments:
It has been a long year, during which there were several points where I wanted to, at the very least, kick down a wall to vent my stress over Joli's cancer bout. But every time I thought about effective ways of doing so, I couldn't help but think of you guys, Jorge and Liza, and marvel at how even on the day of Joli's diagnosis and surgery, you guys were still smiling. I know it wasn't easy, but you guys still managed to do so, while everyone around you lost their minds as you told them the news about Joli. I always managed to draw strength from this and it helped to calm me down whenever I got angry, even if only for a little while. This was no small feat and for it you deserve kudos if not a nobel peace price for denying my anger the opportunity to become misguided, which would have most likely resulted in me becoming the world's next terrible dictator
And by next year, Mari's ordeal will also be behind us.
Have in Sesame Place. Joli's been looking forward to it since February. Back then, we would go through the map of the park and talk about where she wanted to go.
Eat lots of cupcakes and take photos for those of us who can't there. . .
Thanks for your nice story, Ped. And, I guess I should have thanked all the people who let us take our anger out on them. Most notably- poor Gordon. He probably was the target of most of our mis-directed anger. But, whenever we felt mad or angry or whatever, we just thought of Joli. Because, no matter what we were going through, she was going through it first hand. Thanks for the nicey-nices, though! :)
Hope you have a great family vacation at Sesame Place- it is a well deserved break and celebration of all that you have gone through this past year!
Tam-Bam
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