As you
know, Levi and I have been in panic mode regarding our financial
situation. With the furlough and him being out of work temporarily, our
money situation has been fairly perilous and not good at all. I wasn't
sure how we were going to make it through the next 3-4 weeks.
If people don't believe in the human spirit and the amazing generosity of people, they need to read this post. I have been shown how amazing my support system is. Levi and I were blown away by the assistance offered to us. I had several friends contact us yesterday and offer financial support, food, and information about programs that might be able to help us get through. It's amazing to me - every time we are down and out, and can't possibly imagine how we are going to pull through, our friends (old, new, long-distance and next door) have helped us out and given us hope.
Last night, a friend showed up at my door with one of her best friends that I've only met once. They were laden with boxes and bags of food. I had NO IDEA they were bringing over this much. Randi had called me to say she was coming over with some food. I was eternally grateful because one of the biggest concerns I had was how to pay for basics for the kids. We have a pretty good stock of some stuff but were missing others, which Randi and Rebecca supplied us with. Well, more accurately, they oversupplied us. It's amazing - they brought over two boxes and about six bags of food, including perishables, meat, snacks, and fruit. As I was unpacking these blessings, I started crying. It was truly overwhelming. She and her friends and family (most of whom don't know me from a hole in the ground) gathered together to help my family out. She had never met Levi (she did last night and gave him a HUGE hug!) but was willing to help us out with more than I could have ever expected.
I have also had several other friends offer up financial support, which is absolutely unbelievable. With all that's been offered to us, we are able to breathe once again. Levi spoke with his new boss last night, and he will start working on either Monday or Tuesday (depends on whether the job site is open on Monday because of the Martin Luther King holiday). They get paid twice a month, which means that at the outside, he will get his first paycheck in about a month. Whew - it's nice to have a time frame.
Last night, Levi and I just stood in our kitchen after these offers of help and assistance poured in and weren't really sure what to do. It stopped us in our tracks. He kept asking why people do these types of things - for years, we haven't had much to fall back on. While we lived in Minnesota, we had support systems but they weren't as vast or large as this one. The group of people that we have come into contact with here is, well, I can't come up with a word.
I have had this kind of conversation with people before - can there be good that comes from a cancer diagnosis? While I don't think that the cancer itself can make you a better person, I think that you can choose to make decisions about your reaction to the cancer that make things a little easier to deal with. There are people who choose to fight the battle, then move on with their lives, giving little thought to the cancer after remission. I am a little envious of those people - to be able to move past this life-changing event and continue on with their lives as if nothing happened must be liberating. And yet, I can't do that. My cancer diagnosis has changed me in ways I know that I haven't begun to understand.
Forgive me if I'm rambling, but there's a lot in my head right now....
One of the things I have been granted lately is the realization that I can depend on people. People have pulled through for us more than I could have ever hoped for. I'm not referring to specifically this situation - since the day of my diagnosis, people have offered up help in the most amazing ways. They have helped with things, child care, money, emotional support, resources, and friendship. I know that there are people who doubt the goodness of people in general - to them, I say that people are good, and I have proof.
Levi and I were asking ourselves last night what we have done to deserve such goodness in our life. I was at a loss - I haven't done anything that I find worthy of deserving this kind of generosity and support. And yet, people are willing to open themselves up and help us out. I finally realized last night (after coming out of my daze) that maybe this is just what people do. If the tables were turned and I had the chance and capability, I'd willingly offer up anything I had to help out. I never thought that we'd be the ones asking for help. I'm just grateful that we have the help available to us.
To those that have offered help, now and in the past, PLEASE know that we will pay you back and pay your generosity forward. We will help others as we can. And, we will never, ever forget your generosity and your assistance. This has been a life changing event and can only make Levi and I better people, better citizens, and better parents.
I am so overwhelmed.....in such a good way. This week has been amazing......
And, off I go to get my shower to get ready for what I know is going to be a good day - in spite of the needle biopsy. It's going to be fine. I have no worries.
If people don't believe in the human spirit and the amazing generosity of people, they need to read this post. I have been shown how amazing my support system is. Levi and I were blown away by the assistance offered to us. I had several friends contact us yesterday and offer financial support, food, and information about programs that might be able to help us get through. It's amazing to me - every time we are down and out, and can't possibly imagine how we are going to pull through, our friends (old, new, long-distance and next door) have helped us out and given us hope.
Last night, a friend showed up at my door with one of her best friends that I've only met once. They were laden with boxes and bags of food. I had NO IDEA they were bringing over this much. Randi had called me to say she was coming over with some food. I was eternally grateful because one of the biggest concerns I had was how to pay for basics for the kids. We have a pretty good stock of some stuff but were missing others, which Randi and Rebecca supplied us with. Well, more accurately, they oversupplied us. It's amazing - they brought over two boxes and about six bags of food, including perishables, meat, snacks, and fruit. As I was unpacking these blessings, I started crying. It was truly overwhelming. She and her friends and family (most of whom don't know me from a hole in the ground) gathered together to help my family out. She had never met Levi (she did last night and gave him a HUGE hug!) but was willing to help us out with more than I could have ever expected.
I have also had several other friends offer up financial support, which is absolutely unbelievable. With all that's been offered to us, we are able to breathe once again. Levi spoke with his new boss last night, and he will start working on either Monday or Tuesday (depends on whether the job site is open on Monday because of the Martin Luther King holiday). They get paid twice a month, which means that at the outside, he will get his first paycheck in about a month. Whew - it's nice to have a time frame.
Last night, Levi and I just stood in our kitchen after these offers of help and assistance poured in and weren't really sure what to do. It stopped us in our tracks. He kept asking why people do these types of things - for years, we haven't had much to fall back on. While we lived in Minnesota, we had support systems but they weren't as vast or large as this one. The group of people that we have come into contact with here is, well, I can't come up with a word.
I have had this kind of conversation with people before - can there be good that comes from a cancer diagnosis? While I don't think that the cancer itself can make you a better person, I think that you can choose to make decisions about your reaction to the cancer that make things a little easier to deal with. There are people who choose to fight the battle, then move on with their lives, giving little thought to the cancer after remission. I am a little envious of those people - to be able to move past this life-changing event and continue on with their lives as if nothing happened must be liberating. And yet, I can't do that. My cancer diagnosis has changed me in ways I know that I haven't begun to understand.
Forgive me if I'm rambling, but there's a lot in my head right now....
One of the things I have been granted lately is the realization that I can depend on people. People have pulled through for us more than I could have ever hoped for. I'm not referring to specifically this situation - since the day of my diagnosis, people have offered up help in the most amazing ways. They have helped with things, child care, money, emotional support, resources, and friendship. I know that there are people who doubt the goodness of people in general - to them, I say that people are good, and I have proof.
Levi and I were asking ourselves last night what we have done to deserve such goodness in our life. I was at a loss - I haven't done anything that I find worthy of deserving this kind of generosity and support. And yet, people are willing to open themselves up and help us out. I finally realized last night (after coming out of my daze) that maybe this is just what people do. If the tables were turned and I had the chance and capability, I'd willingly offer up anything I had to help out. I never thought that we'd be the ones asking for help. I'm just grateful that we have the help available to us.
To those that have offered help, now and in the past, PLEASE know that we will pay you back and pay your generosity forward. We will help others as we can. And, we will never, ever forget your generosity and your assistance. This has been a life changing event and can only make Levi and I better people, better citizens, and better parents.
I am so overwhelmed.....in such a good way. This week has been amazing......
And, off I go to get my shower to get ready for what I know is going to be a good day - in spite of the needle biopsy. It's going to be fine. I have no worries.
Comments:
Heat said...
:-)
:-) :-) :-)
January
15, 2010 at 7:55 PM
Awesome,
just awesome :)
January
18, 2010 at 7:19 PM
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