Last Saturday I spent my evening at my best friend's side during the Lauren's Ride kickoff dinner. I wrote about the event in my last blog, I also included links to get more information on the non-profit to get my best friend an adapted vehicle. You can re-fresh your mind on the cause here it was amazing to sit in a room absolutely full of people all with the same goal: to get my girl Lauren a ride and some much needed (and deserved) independence.
I was blown away by her bother John's speech describing his journey through this process and his anxious energy about starting his bicycle journey across the country. I was impressed with his mother's words of encouragement and the love she showed for her two kids. I was even more taken and lets face it, inspired by Lauren who took the room in her hands and basically made us all putty... i think the world of her- I mean she IS my best friend after all- but she can command a room like no one else, and she had us all captivated with every word that came out of her mouth. I was so inspired that I went home and was literally buzzing with positive energy.
They are still trying to figure out how much they raised at the dinner, for sure they made thousands... and there was a hint of being in the double digits... i seriously can't wait to find out how we did... i was taken aback by the generosity in that room and my heart was so full... i don't know how to describe it, i truly felt like i was part of something important and my only job of the night was to sit with Lauren ;) it's just amazing to me what people can accomplish when they work together.
I've been trying to figure out what my next step is... see, I was so inspired by the dinner that I thought more seriously than before about my idea for a foundation for women like me. I couldn't believe when we were being faced with the toughest decision of our lives, we also had to figure out a way to come up with $6,000 in a days notice. The alternative would have been to just wait for the second trimester miscarriage or even worse early labor... all the while my son being in pain.
I still get emotional thinking about telling my dad what insurance had said, and without even a minute going by he told us not to worry about it, that he would take care of the cost. When we tried to pay him back, he wouldn't let us... he was perfectly fine being our hero. My parent's aren't made of money, I don't remember ever struggling growing up but I know that dropping $6000 was not an easy task. I still don't know how he did it or where he got it from but that day he was Mason's angel.
I want to be someone's angel.
I want women like me who are given an impossible choice and only want to do what is best for their children to have someone to turn to when insurance deems them unfit. I want couples like us to be able to have options and have one less thing to worry about. I remember i posted on facebook that i wanted to start a foundation for couples who are ready to start trying again, that sent them on vacation somewhere so they could reconnect and not have the pressure on. So many of my friends were supportive, and it made me think of all the people like me who didn't have that same support. I want to be all of these things, but I'm not really educated on how to start things like this.
I am scared though, that people will take what I want to do into a negative context. I don't want to be seen as someone who promotes the 'easy way out' (like some have told me) or anything like that. I know I'm not alone, I know there are women out there who have been in the same situation as us, and just wanted to do what they felt was right for their child. I want to be the person they can turn to and I want to be able to help them. It's just something I've been thinking about for some time but after seeing John and Lauren's idea become a reality... well it's hard not to be inspired to try and add more compassion and love to the world.
I'll be doing research, and maybe one of my future blogs will have more insight. Mason changed me in so many ways, I want to make him proud of his mommy and maybe this is one way I can.
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