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COMING SOON--SHAREUNION 2009!

Jul 16, 2009 03:06pm (EST)

In 2006, when I found Share, I was looking for new ideas for our March of Dimes teams here in my area. After many visits to the site as a "lurker", I found that Share was much more than just a place to post fundraising ideas, but a place where others were sharing their heart within their own stories of daily living. I soon registered as a member so that I could ask questions of others and hopefully gain information for myself and my situation.

One day, while visiting the site, I found the Cafe' thread in the Community Center. The conversation there was light and fun and always included "drinks". One day the topic of conversation was about something called "Shareunion". I followed along and participated with the laughter as I'd always done, but thought that like the many drinks, naps, and cabana boys that "Shareunion" was just another virtual event! Several weeks later, there were pictures posted and low and behold---Shareunion was REAL!!

I decided that I was not going to be miss another Shareunion, and was excited to be able to participate in Shareunion 2008 in Houston, TX. Was I nervous to travel alone to a new city to meet people that I'd only met online??----ABSOLUTELY! Would I recommend it to other Share members after doing it myself? --ABSOLUTELY!! I found that everyone that I met there was just as I thought they'd be....caring, compassionate, and FULL of laughter!!

Shareunion was a time when I knew that everyone in the room understood completely what I'd been through and continue to go through in life concerning the birth of my daughters and, soon after, the death of Taylor. I was surrounded by others who understood why March of Dimes and their work is so important. They'd lived through situations that had pushed them to their limits just like I had, and wanted to make sure that others never had to have the same experience. In that room, my tears were understood without a word spoken and hugs were offered with understanding my "complete strangers". Was Shareunion worth it? ---ABSOLUTELY!!

Shareunion 2009 is planned for October 10th and 11th in Washington, D.C. I plan to make the trip to see my friends face to face once again. I hope that you will be able to join us! Look for more information in the coming weeks on Shareunion 2009, and I will REALLY see of you there!!

Posted by Angel Love | Comments: (8) | Permalink

WELCOMING BABY ON OUR TIME

Jul 01, 2009 06:26pm (EST)

For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, please let me introduce myself. I’m Ivette Morello and I work in the Education and Health Promotion department at the March of Dimes National Office. I’m mainly responsible for developing and editing the pregnancy and baby health articles on our English language Web site. I also contribute to our blog, News Moms Need. One of the neat things about my job, aside from working for a great organization, is that it allows me to combine my two favorite pastimes – writing and learning.

Although I’m new to many of you here on Share, I’ve been following your courageous stories for quite some time. Each one of you has so graciously opened a door into your life and allowed us to share in your joys and hardships. I think it’s only fitting that I do the same.

My husband and I have been married for almost three years – a short, but albeit wonderful amount of time. As a young couple starting out in life, we’re trying to enjoy our time together as much as we can. Of course, being a newlywed couple also means that we’re subjected to the dreaded “so, when are you starting a family” question.

I somewhat expect our families to be curious about the addition of a new member to the family clan. But what’s funny is when the question keeps popping up even after I’ve already answered it… almost as if my answer wasn’t good enough the first time. Did anyone else experience this? Maybe it’s just me.

It’s not that we don’t want a baby someday, it’s just that “someday” isn’t today. My husband and I know about eating healthy, avoiding bad habits, etc., before getting pregnant (thankfully, my job has helped me learn about these and other pregnancy health issues). And I love sharing in the joy of some of our closest friends who welcome their first born babies into the world. But for us, I think there’s nothing wrong with waiting a bit to get a little situated before having our baby. When my husband and I have our baby, we don’t want it to be because we felt pressured or because all of our friends were having babies. We want it to be because it was on our time.

Even though I’m not a parent yet, I can certainly see that it’s no easy role. It’s not a job that ends when junior turns 18 or 21 – it’s a lifetime commitment. I’m fortunate enough to still have my parents here on earth. While I’ve been out of the house for years and live a few states away, my parents are still there to “parent” me. They offer me advice and guidance when I need it, and show me that even though I’m a married woman and out on my own, they still love and support me, just like they did when I was 5. And that’s what I want to offer my baby someday.

But until “someday” comes, we’re making do with the newest addition to our little clan. A couple months ago, we adopted Lola, our new Boston terrier puppy. And someday, when we welcome our first baby to our home, Lola will be there and will undoubtedly become our new baby’s best four-legged pal.

Ivette2

Posted by weerock | Comments: (4) | Permalink

"STAND BY ME"

Jun 15, 2009 12:16pm (EST)

Last night I had the honor to attend my step-sons graduation. It was a beautiful event, made even more beautiful by the 240 graduating seniors. It was so amazing to see the hope and dreams on their faces. You could almost see their brains working, some planning the nights festivities, some planning their college years, and some like me at that time already planning their families. The theme last night was Stand by Me...can I say that when they started to sing that song I thought of you all, Share really never is far from my mind but last night as the Senior choir sang that song I got goose bumps thinking of you all.

When I was in High School I was always on the go, always planning something, always wanting to be where all my friends were. I must have driven my father nuts. I can say nothing much changed as I moved past high school and again not much changed when I moved into the working world. I liked to be where things were going on, I had loads of friends and could always find something to do. Even after having my daughter Alex I didn't really lose steam, I just took her everywhere I went, she was a little social butterfly. My friends were having children and we were all moving on with life. On October 27th 2004 that all changed, literally overnight I suddenly felt disconnected from everyone I ever knew. Friends and family suddenly distanced themselves, wether it was intentional or not it still hurt. Over the years I've been able to sit back and re-evaluate my life, my friends, my world.

It wasn't until 2006 when I found Share that I found my "Stand by Me", through thick and thin this site is here...

If your here and reading this, then you and I have something in common, the ache in our hearts may be different but our reasons for being here are the same~our children.

Know this, I'll stand by you all no matter what, on the good days, the bad days, and the ugly days...

Sometimes just knowing that someone will Stand by you is enough to get through the day.

Warmly Kate

Posted by katestclair | Comments: (10) | Permalink

GETTING THROUGH GUILT

Jun 02, 2009 06:29pm (EST)

“Guilt is the very nerve of sorrow”– Horace Bushnell

Recently a mother told me she absolutely knew what caused the traumatic, premature birth of her baby girl. “It was,” the mom stated candidly, waiting it seemed for my judgment and confirmation, “it was because I had a Coca Cola during my pregnancy.” She had been replaying this moment over and over in her mind, wishing she could go back and have an opportunity to make a different choice.

In my near fifteen years as a social worker serving families in the perinatal field, I have heard stories from hundreds, maybe thousands of mothers who blame themselves for a birth gone awry. And whether it was the mom who said her premature twenty-four week twins were born because of an itch she had in the shower that she ignored or the mom that told me that she had insisted on putting up the Christmas decorations that year and that’s why her son came so early, all moms focus on some small detail, or set of details, that they are certain they had done that brought this painful experience upon their family.

In all likelihood, most doctors would say that none of the above things could on their own cause a baby to be born sick or born early, but even with the reassurance of their physicians, mothers feel profound guilt. So, why do so many women and mothers feel guilt because of infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, the birth of a sick or premature baby?

Guilt, as Grief

First, and perhaps most important for all mothers to know, is that these painful, isolating feelings of guilt are normal. They are also incredibly common. It is one of the most acute (and unspoken) emotions of grief.

Women may think “What did I do wrong to deserve this?” or focus on how they think they have disappointed their partners, families and themselves.

When something goes contrary to what we expect – especially something we place so much importance on, like the birth of a child – we grieve. We grieve for what could have been, we grieve for what we have lost. And grief has a number of common feelings and stages including shock and denial; sorrow and depression; anger and rage; guilt and blame; and ultimately, for many – not closure, as it was once called (who can have “closure” on the loss of a child?), but instead integration or the weaving of a loss – the tenderness, the pain – into a person’s heart, into their very being, into how they live their lives and how they move forward. And so guilt comes as part of this powerful and very natural process.

A Strange Medicine

Something else happens when things go wrong, when a baby arrives too sick or too soon. We feel out of control and helpless. In a desperate effort to regain a sense of control over the world around them, people often feel guilt or self-blame. It serves as a painful way to place order back in the universe when everything seems so arbitrary, senseless and chaotic. If I blame myself for my baby’s premature birth, if I can identify the reason I believe this happened, then at some very profound level, I can make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. In this way, guilt is a strange medicine we give ourselves.

“It’s not your fault”

One mother I met told the story that when her baby was first hospitalized in the NICU, a nurse found her crying by her daughter’s bedside, and told her “You did not do this”. For her, this was the beginning of healing. Many mothers talk about someone who helped relieve their guilt – an obstetrician, a neonatologist, a trusted nurse, spouse, or dear friend – who reassured them “it’s not your fault”. It doesn’t usually take all the feelings of guilt away, but it is comforting when someone you respect tells you it’s not your fault. Let these important people in your life know what you need. Tell your doctor what you blame yourself for. Tell your spouse, your mother, your best friend what words would be helpful. Even those that love us don’t always know.

Guilt, When It’s Confirmed

There is a lot we do not yet know about what causes premature birth and birth defects – what risk factors cause some women to give birth early, and not others. March of Dimes dedicates itself to finding the causes and ways to prevent pre-term birth. There are things we do know about however. For example, we know that there are risks of smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, and folic acid deficiency during pregnancy. And this information can be found in books and on the internet. So what do you do if these are the behaviors that you feel guilty for? You can share these feelings too, know that you are not alone, acknowledge these concerns to a friend, family member or healthcare provider who is trusted and compassionate. Remind yourself that no matter what happened before, you never intended for your baby to be born early or sick. And remember that what you do now, how you love, nourish and protect your baby, your children and/or future pregnancies is most critical.

Moving Through Guilt

So when does the guilt end? How does one move through this heart-breaking emotion? Healing begins with revealing this feeling – sharing it with others who understand in the NICU, with a caring therapist, in a support group, on ShareYourStory.org. Speak about it, write about it. Allow others to normalize this feeling for you, as you can normalize it for them. And then get informed – discuss with your doctor what you think caused things to go wrong to get clarification and to develop a forum to process these difficult thoughts. Rather than retracing your steps, stay present. Learn and explore what meaningful things you can do for your baby now – whether its kangaroo care, reading to your baby, keeping your child away from cigarette smoke, integrating his or her life or memory into your heart and your future. And finally, most importantly, allow yourself to move forward, to smile, to laugh, to forgive, and to find light and hope again.

Liza Gene Cooper, LMSW Director, March of Dimes NICU Family Support

Posted by weerock | Comments: (12) | Permalink

MILESTONES

May 18, 2009 12:08pm (EST)

The Middleton Kidlets will be graduating from Kindergarten in just two weeks. Caps and gowns, rehearsed songs, and video nostalgia will be relished by their parents. Punch and cookies will festively follow the program.

Six years ago, my quadruplets were born at 25 weeks. It is not possible to remove myself from that truth. While three of our children (Benjamin, Callie, and Donovan) will energetically transition into summer vacation, our Alex will not. He died inside the NICU at just 3 weeks old.

This lovely Saturday morning, Ben’s vision teacher called. She tells me late Friday evening she received a note from the school psychologist. There is need for me to attend a meeting, and give parental consent to test Benjamin. I am told this is a common requirement for children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

A few months ago, Benjamin and I traveled two hours away to the school for the blind. There Ben participated in several other tests. Left on my own during testing, I peeked into a future window of how life might be like for my sweet boy. Upon receiving the evaluation a few weeks later, I learned Ben will need to use a cane after all.

Donovan read the morning announcements over the school intercom on Thursday. The word of the week was tolerance. I glowed with motherly pride that my child was able to share with other children what the word tolerance means.

Callie is always concerned about our new family member, a rescued kitten. He was in terrible shape when he came into our home. After getting antibiotics, eye ointments, and regular feedings, he is a feisty cat. Callie loves to mother him.

Six years ago, I wondered if my children would survive. I did not allow myself to dream to far into the future, and certainly not about Kindergarten graduation. How far my one pound babies have come! They read, write, and kick soccer balls. Summer used to feel like an ending to me, but now …it feels like the future spreading its wide arms.

Posted by weerock | Comments: (3) | Permalink

PRAYER, GRATITUDE AND ACTION

May 07, 2009 01:49pm (EST)

By Meghan Sheriff

When I learned that our twin boys suffered from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, my heart broke into a million pieces. It would be the first of many times it shattered over the course of 2008, the worst being on April 1st when we said goodbye to our amazing fighter, Michael, who battled on in the NICU for twenty-three heart wrenching days. Three months later, we left St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, VA with his identical twin, Matthew, in our arms. Like everything else last spring, it was bittersweet.

There is nothing that fills the void of losing a child. However, for me prayer, gratitude and action are the only remedies for a broken heart.

Our hospital does not have a NICU family support team in place, so I decided that needed to change. In February 2009, Baby Steps came into fruition at St. Mary’s Hospital. With a team of volunteers from our church, Shady Grove United Methodist, we began a NICU family support team, an antepartum team and helped collaborate with Bon Secours to create a prayer vigil called Blessings for Babies.

Once a month, we gather with NICU families to offer support. Activities range from scrap booking to post-natal yoga. Local businesses sponsor the events by providing refreshments and occasional talks. Weekly, our volunteers visit mothers on the antepartum unit. We bring gift bags, lend a listening ear and offer encouragement to these moms. The Blessings for Babies program will kickoff in May. We are partnering with Bon Secours to provide a forty-five minute prayer service for families of NICU and antepartum families. With these services families can congregate and pray for their children with others who understand their anxiety and worry.

Two years ago I would have never imagined I’d be where I am today. My oldest son, Charlie, was born at 40 weeks weighing nearly nine pounds. My pregnancy was “textbook.” I never dreamed that we would be blessed with twins only to learn that they suffered from a debilitating fetal distress syndrome. I would have never been able to comprehend delivering two babies weighing in at one and a half pounds each, and I could have not imagined that we would say goodbye to one of our tiny boys before we barely said hello. These are the stories of people in magazines- not ours. Only this time, we are the family in print- that is our family in the photograph.

In August, our family will welcome a fourth baby boy to this world. It is my greatest prayer that he will be healthy and full-term. I vowed to a friend the other day not to complain when my feet throb in the heat of the July sun. Now I know what true suffering is- I have been there. As I visit moms on antepartum and then walk through the hospital doors to my car, I will not complain about the long walk to the parking lot. This time, I am able to walk. I am not bedridden- I have been there. As we support families in prayer, we will lift silent prayers for our tiny angel and our amazing miracle. We know what it feels like to be in these parents’ shoes. We have been there. Nothing will change what happened to our family. Nothing fully eases the pain, but I am confident that prayer, gratitude and action bring our son closer to us and remind us that his life, though short, was extremely powerful.

Posted by katestclair | Comments: (6) | Permalink

THIS YEAR I WAS FACED WITH REVISITING MY WORST MOMENTS AS A PARENT

Apr 29, 2009 08:37pm (EST)

by Lori Gunther, Manger, NICU Family Support

This year I was faced with revisiting my worst moments as a parent. In January my son had facial reconstructive surgery to repair his birth defect. He is 6 and for the past five years we have had the blessing of moving on with our lives and moving past the difficult experiences we had as new parents with a sick newborn. Thinking back to that time has never made me feel good. I always regretted certain aspects of how I behaved. I always wished I had done some things differently. When we had to go back to the hospital and sit in the surgery wing, hand him over to strangers and wait for him to go into recovery I realized how much my husband and I have changed. I think we have grown into being parents. Ethan has taught us so much. I can say that watching, listening and learning from families who have experienced premature birth I always felt different. Ethan wasn't premature. He didn't have a life threatening diagnosis. He was simply a baby who was born looking different. Because of this somehow I felt like we deserved less support. I felt like I couldn't relate to families who had been through so much more then we had. I have a hard time telling people what Ethan was born with. I often say he was born with a hole in the center of his face. Telling people he has a cleft somehow in my mind diminished what he and we as his parents went through. I think this relates to peoples comments to us after he was born. Everyone wanted us to look on the bright side. Be happy with our baby. We should have been thankful that he wasn't near death. I never felt like I met someone who truly understood our experience. Don't get me wrong people sympathized but I have always felt alone. Over the years our pain has dulled and our perspective about our son and his birth has evolved.

In January I sat tense and scared and waited for him to be finished. He was so strong. He was sick for a while afterwards and we held him and held it together. We advocated for him and I was proud of my own strength and knowledge I have because I work for the March of Dimes. Working here has taught me how to be a great patient advocate. It has taught me how to accept and validate everyone's painful experiences. I am always proud to be Ethan's mother, regrets and all. I am always proud to work for the March of Dimes.

This past weekend our family came together and we congratulated Ethan for how far he has come. We are his army of support. On Sunday we marched beside him at March for Babies. Our team name is Ethan's Army. Ethan is proudly our team captain. During the walk he was asked countless time how premature he was. I think people just associate the March of Dimes with prematurity. Ethan proudly tells them he wasn't. A father pushed a stroller along side us and asked if Ethan was premature. I told him no he had a birth defect. He and I talked for a while. His son was born with the same birth defect as Ethan as well as a brain malformation. His compassion and understanding was amazing. As we spoke and shared stories, I felt so connected to their experience. Even though his child will have a different road to travel he understood the hardship parents who have children like Ethan have endured. It was the first time I felt validated in my own regrets and pain. His time and compassion was a true gift to my spirit.

I have to say 6 miles is a long haul in 90 degree heat with two kids and a truckload of out of shape adults. It was worth it, though, because I have been waiting 6 1/2 years to meet and connect with another family, and I have the March of Dimes to thank for making that possible. On Sunday, I wasn't just proud to work for the March of Dimes I was grateful.

2009 Ethan's Army1

Posted by weerock | Comments: (8) | Permalink

LOOK WHO'S WALKING...

Apr 21, 2009 03:15pm (EST)

A number of celebrities have joined us or are joining us at March for Babies this year...

On Sunday, April 19th Nicole Kidman and Kelly Clarkson joined Nashville, Tennesseans at March for Babies.

You can view Nicole’s interview on “Entertainment Tonight” online, or tune in on the evening of Tuesday, April 21st and watch on TV. Ms. Kidman says she’s “absolutely honored” to be helping this very important cause.

Ms. Clarkson also gave a boost to walkers of all ages when she and her team did the entire route with umbrellas and smiles.

Jennifer Lopez is also walking this year. I am not allowed to say where...except that it might be the one near you.

Hugh Jackman , who tweets as @RealHughJackman, has offered to give $100,000 to the charity of choice of the tweeter he feels makes the strongest, most heart-felt case. In 140 words or less that is.

Thousands of people have already sent their tweets - among them many March of Dimes supporters. Hugh’s announcing the winner on April 24, so get your tweet in now!

entertainment_tonight___nicole_kidman_promote_march_for_babies_4

Posted by James SooHoo | Comments: (0) | Permalink

ASK A SHARE MEMBER!

Apr 14, 2009 12:48pm (EST)

Here it is - another highly anticipated edition of "Ask a Share Member"! This time - it's our very own Jackie Gurwin, otherwise known as Jackie G.

1. You’ve been a member of Share for a long time – what makes the site so special to you?

Share is filled with people who are not only understanding but very knowledgeable as well. When I first came to Share, I was alone. I had just spent a year dealing with the guilt and confusion that went along with having my daughter, Kimberly, at 25 weeks. I did not know anyone else who had been down the "preemie road" and I finally found a place where other people had walked in my shoes. I was welcomed immediately and found it was a great place to curb my fears and ask questions without feeling like I was being judged. But what really got me hooked was when I became pregnant with my son. I found another group of women who were all going through that terrifying 2nd pregnancy after a preemie and we learned to lean on each other. These women became true friends of mine and I can't seem to go a day without Share because I have to keep up with how they are all doing!

2. Tell us something about you that we’d be surprised to know.

I am a "Jackie of all trades" so to speak.

I am pretty handy around the house, if I do say so myself. I will do a bit of carpentary, replace sinks and faucets, minor electrical work, fix appliances (if it's not too major), there is very little that I am afraid to tackle. I basically draw the line on anything that could burn the house down or flood it. I also love to sew, do arts and crafts, and bake as well. I have a lot of those "old fashioned" woman traits, but I am very tomboyish and not afraid to get dirty either. I used to work as a quality engineer at an automotive company and the men all used to laugh at me because I would not be the least bit afraid of crawling under a car to have a look at a problem. It's always fun to show people that they might have the wrong impression about you by doing something surprising.

3. What do you do with your time when you’re not on Share?

Well, since I am a stay at home mom, my days are mostly filled with taking care of my kids. But I figure that's kind of boring and not really what you are looking for. So the things I do to unwind are arts and crafts projects and baking. They are things I can do in my own little world and they let me forget about everything else. Not that I get much "me" time with 2 young kids! We also moved into a new house about 6 months ago so I am really enjoying trying to fix it up... now if only my pocketbook would let me really dig into the home repairs! LOL

4. If you could be any superhero…who would you be and why?

Hmmm... tough question. My answer isn't one of your normal comic book heroes, but I think I would want to be like Hiro Nakamura on the show Heroes (only less nerdy!). I would love the ability to stop time, speed it up, or slow it down whenever I saw fit. There are days I want the world to slow down so we can all stop and smell the roses. My kids are growing up so fast and I feel like I need to have more time just to spoil them and enjoy watching them absorb everything around them. And then there are days where I would love to have the ability to speed through the rough patches. I think there are times we all feel like that but wouldn't it be nice to be able to do something about it?!?

Thanks, Jackie, for being such a good sport!

IMG_2730

Posted by weerock | Comments: (6) | Permalink

PERSEVERANCE IS NOT A LONG RACE; IT IS MANY SHORT RACES ONE AFTER ANOTHER. ~WALTER ELLIOTT, THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Apr 01, 2009 02:24pm (EST)

by Kathy Farrey, Director, National Promotions & Events

Where to start, since this is my first blog on Share, let me start by saying how much I have enjoyed meeting some of you! You are so amazing and truly inspirational. I only wish there was a Share for my parents nearly 50 years ago. As some of you know, I am a person of short stature, what you don’t know is my brother is also. My parents are both of average height so as you can imagine this must have been quite a surprise back in the early 1960’s. Back then doctors were not even sure of our diagnosis, so both my brother and I were diagnosised as the most common type of skeletal dysplasia at the time, only for my brother to be re-diagnosised when I was born, a year after my brother was born.

While I have enjoyed a wonderful and rewarding career with the March of Dimes for nearly 30 years my brother has had a much more difficult life. I have had the opportunity to meet wonderful people such as all of you on Share and I have had the privilege of learning about all the great work the March of Dimes has done and continues to do to ensure all babies are born healthy. My brother did not; he can not walk and has limited learning ability. I have had the opportunity to travel the country and see all God’s beauty, my brother did not; he is legally blind. I have had the chance to talk with many volunteers; my brother can not speak anymore, as he now has a tracheotomy and requires oxygen 24/7 (which I know many of you are all too familiar with).

While life growing up was challenged, my wonderful parents made it all appear “normal.” We traveled on vacation to The North Pole, Disneyland in FL, Land of Make Believe in NJ, Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN and so much more! We built snowmen in the backyard; we went swimming in pools and lake (Lake George, NY). To my parents I owe an enormous amount of gratitude and appreciation. I could never re-pay them for all they have done, all they have given up and continue to give up as they are the primary caregivers for my brother today.

In March of 2003 my brother aspirated and was hospitalized for 9 ½ months. Due to his skeletal issues it took nearly 3 weeks to locate a doctor that would perform a tracheotomy which was needed to keep my brother alive and breathing. My parents spent every day during those 9 ½ months in the hospital with my brother, some 2,700+ days 10 – 16 hours in a hospital room then home for 5-6 hours rest.

Long story short, our lives changed forever. My parent’s home then turned into a mini hospital room and has been for the last 6 years. My father has slept in a reclining chair next to my brother’s hospital bed (whether in a hospital or now at home) for the last 6 years. My brother is on a vent all night and a few hours during the day. The most remarkable thing is my brother’s phenomenal ability to persevere. He is the most loving, the most generous, and the most giving person you would ever meet. He loves talking (well, we read his lips so good he believes he is talking to us) and playing game shows on television. He looks forward to me stopping by on Friday nights and Sundays for dinner.

During these last several years life keeps going on, keeps you on your toes, I have had to undergo spinal surgery and my parents had to juggle caring for my brother and assisting me. My mother has been diagnosised with lung cancer and had to undergo lung surgery and chemo; thankfully she did well and is cancer free for nearly 3 years! My father suffers from emphysema but continues to persevere.

In the end I believe that is all any of us can do, persevere. My mother also told me – I cried because I had no shoes, until the day I met the man who had no feet – so I and my family persevere as all of you do. So I would like to thank you all for all that you do to support the March of Dimes. We all face challenging and difficult times now and then but I ask you all to persevere.

Kathy
Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
--Galatians 6:9

me Art Easter 2004-2

Posted by Kathymaf | Comments: (7) | Permalink