Saturday, September 14, 2013

Family Reunion

Today was a good day, in a very strange way. The rains let up here in Northern Colorado for a bit, and I was able to venture out to something I've been looking forward to for several weeks.

Over the past 4 years, I have spent many, many hours with some very dear friends. Since we have two sets of twins, we felt like God would want us to get to know and serve other families with twins. There is a great multiples club here in NoCo, and it's supported by one of the biggest non-profit consignment sales in the country! It's really cool that along with several hard working friends, I got to help grow this consignment sale from a tiny sale to a successful fundraiser that supports it's community at large by giving families both a way to make and save money on the things for their family, provides for the needs of an organization that supports families with multiples, and even makes enough to be generously charitable. It is well organized and run strictly by volunteers. I have missed this group of people terribly.

A year ago our friends from the twins club put on a huge fundraiser for our family with raffles and they collected donations. It was a lot of money. At this fall's sale, they handed out gold ribbons to promote childhood cancer awareness and gave me a spot right in a thorough fare to put a display. On the display I was able to feature some of the kids we've met on this cancer road, many of them from Brent's place. When I see each of the faces on this display, I don't just see a child, but friends we've cried with, prayed with, and fought with. I see the supportive, loving friends from Brent's Place and the incredible caregivers from the Children's Hospital. I humbly say, it was beautiful.

Then my sister and two of her kiddos came out to make sure people didn't just walk by the faces. They bravely approached people and offered them some information about how to be an active participant in the lives of kids with cancer through research, awareness, head shaving, and practical support.

Today I spent the day here and there and all around the sales floor, hanging up clothes, putting away toys, telling about brave children, talking to old friends, and making new ones. With my sister and her kids, my friends from the twins club and the Grow With Me Sale, and the faces of children near to my heart, it felt a bit like a family reunion. Running around that floor, basking in extroversion not bound by a fear of germs, I felt like myself. Amongst toys and bottles and books and clothes, there was a glimpse of an old and new life coming together. What a good day.

 

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