Hope

My stomach hurts from laughing last night. 

My throat hurts from talking too.  The band was loud and I was shouting and at one point, my husband leaned over and said, you haven’t stopped talking all night. (Of course, he didn’t mean this in a bad way…) I guess I hadn’t been out in awhile.  I had a lot to say. 

I was at a fund raiser for Epilepsy Research.  I am so inspired by the women who started this group.  They are neighbors and they both have children with epilepsy.  They decided to start a fund to raise money for research to help families that are dealing with the devastating effects of this disease.  They started with a block party to raise money and over 400 people showed up.  Check it out at www.rocktheblockforcure.com.

These women are amazing.  I don’t know them personally but I see their passion and I can feel their power.  They are amazing as mothers and friends and advocates and fund raisers. They are not going to sit around and wait for a cure for epilepsy. They are out working and willing it to happen. 

The love and support they are receiving for this cause is overwhelming.  Everyone wants to help because no one wants to see a child suffer.  We watched a video of some of the families that are dealing with this disease and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  Every person there felt the pain of these parents and cried in solidarity with them. 

But hope was there too. 

That’s the thing.  Pain doesn’t show up alone.  If you accept it, it brings hope along. 

Here’s what I saw last night:  Pain, hope, worry, faith, fear, courage, doubt, certainty, sadness, joy, laughter, love, encouragement, support, friendship, humility, and power.

It was a full night.  It was like life.  A little bit of everything wrapped in Hope and Love and Friendship.  I feel full.

I’m praying for a cure for Epilepsy.  I hope you will join me.   

Oh, and for all the women out there who are changing the world. 

There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
Washington Irving