The Power of Human Connection
I believe that we are all connected in some way. I believe there are no coincidences in this life we get to live. And for damn sure, I believe in the power of human connection.
When my journey to summit Kilimanjaro through a partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) began last September, I knew it would be full of twists and turns and adventure, and I was confident that it would prove to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. When I committed to giving back $30,000 to LLS…and then upped that to $50,000…I didn’t have a solid plan of how I would get there...but I knew I would. I simply believed in myself, those around me, and the power of the Universe and I knew in my heart and soul that there was no way I would achieve that level of fundraising on my own. It would take a village…and my God, has a village been formed.
I am so grateful to each and every one of YOU that has supported me on this journey. If you purchased a custom tee shirt reminding you that “you have everything you need to reach your summit”, a hand made MyIntent bracelet, or other items sold to fundraise for this amazing cause, I appreciate YOU. If you attended my Night of Comedy to benefit LLS or purchased a spot on my Flag of Honor to honor a loved one, I appreciate YOU. If you made a straight donation or pooled money together with friends to donate and support my journey and LLS, I appreciate YOU. If you have been cheering me on from the sidelines offering emotional support or offering to do training climbs with me, I appreciate YOU. I appreciate EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU that has supported me in ANY WAY on this journey. Without you, without your support in whatever form it has come, I would not have been able to fundraise $31,284.93 to date to give back and make a huge impact for LLS. And I should add, donations are still rolling in and we have three and a half months to go until I summit this beast! I have a sneaking suspicion that TOGETHER, we WILL reach that $50,000 goal!
All this to say…THANK YOU. Thank YOU for being part of this village.
I had the opportunity to speak briefly at my Night of Comedy fundraising event back in September. As I stood in front of my guests that evening and looked around, I realized that those in attendance represented so many different circles of people in my life. There were new friends like Ron and Millie that I just met this summer in Maine. There was Ana who I had only spoken to on the phone as a result of my job on Sundays as a Registered Nurse with Home Health and Hospice Care. Every Sunday when I would call one of the hospitals that we partner with, Ana would pick up the phone. We got to talking and connecting and then there she was with her family at my event supporting me, us meeting in person for the very first time. There were friends from high school that I haven’t seen in years, friends from my networking groups, some of my closest and oldest friends, and even new friends that had heard of my event because of social media. My friend Janet that I met on a plane ride to Bermuda back in early March attended and she brought her friends. I stood on the stage that night speaking and in that moment I realized once again the sheer power of human connection. I was reminded that, as Hellen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” I felt myself take it all in. Take in that all of these individuals had chosen to jump in on this journey with me, had chosen to support a cause that I believe so strongly in, and in their own way, had chosen to become part of this “village”. I realized that they were all connected to me and that I was connected to each of them. The power in THAT was nearly overwhelming. It was a moment I will never forget.
I could not have imagined back in September when this all began the number of individuals that would step up to support LLS and this amazing adventure that I am on. I could not have imagined the connections that I would form along the way. And I surely did not imagine getting to become a small part of someone else’s journey as a result of my decision to dive in head first and commit to summiting this mountain without even knowing where it was located at the time. (True story!) I simply had a feeling, trusted my gut, and went all in. Thank God I did because had I not, I would not have experienced what I did this past Tuesday evening.
A friend of mine from high school, Dianne, had reached out to me a few months ago when I announced my Flag of Honor fundraiser. She had two special individuals that she wanted to honor. Several months back, I had shared that I will be carrying my Flag of Honor on the 45 mile hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro. The Flag gives you the opportunity to handwrite a message in honor of a loved one that has passed from cancer of any kind or who is fighting or has won their battle with cancer. Some individuals have simply written names, others have written quotes, and others have written a special message. When I reach the summit, I will unveil this Flag and read aloud the messages handwritten on it as a way to honor those individuals named that have been affected by cancer of any kind. I will read the quotes that individuals have chosen to include. I will honor my friend Harry that passed away from leukemia eight years ago and all those affected. And now, thanks to Dianne, I will honor Maggie and Sarah, two amazing, beautiful, and brave little girls, ages 6 and 11 respectively, who have both been diagnosed with leukemia and who I now consider part of our village. Two amazing, beautiful, and brave little girls who I will now be forever connected to in this life and beyond. For this, I could not be more grateful.
This past Tuesday evening, thanks to the power of Zoom, Dianne brought together Maggie and her Mom, Heather, Sarah and her Mom, Stacy, and myself so that we could meet and share a little bit about one another with each other. As I type this I am getting chills thinking about this experience. How lucky am I to be able to connect with these amazing humans, these families full of so much love, fighting this battle together, persisting, never giving up even on the hardest of days? How lucky am I to have our paths cross on this journey?
I learned that everyone refers to Maggie as “Mighty Maggie” and I learned that she loves gymnastics and has an awesome dog and the best smile. I learned that Sarah’s slogan is “Sarah Strong” because damn it, she IS strong! I learned that she can’t wait to get back on the ice to play hockey and that she has too many pets to count and that she has the most contagious little laugh I’ve ever heard. I learned that both Heather and Stacy are now connected for life through their beautiful little girls and that they support one another during the hardest times like no one else could possibly do that has not experienced what they are experiencing. I was reminded of the true meaning of resilience and love. And I was once again reminded of how powerful human connection really is.
Toward the end of our call, Heather and Stacy were expressing their gratitude toward me and my fundraising efforts and the work I have been doing with LLS and I sat there and listening and all I could think was MY GOD…YOU are grateful for ME? If you could only know how grateful I am for YOU…for this opportunity to connect with YOU…for this opportunity to honor Sarah and Maggie at the summit of Kilimanjaro. For this reminder to be fucking grateful for this life I get to live.
I write here and now with confidence that come February, as I am hiking and climbing and getting closer to the top, when things get challenging and I am faced with the hardest of the hard mentally and physically, it will be the experience of meeting these families, meeting Maggie and Sarah, and knowing in my bones that whatever I am facing can not possibly compare to what they have faced, overcome, and continue to persist through, that will give me the strength to keep pushing, to keep climbing, to never ever give up.
Thank you Dianne for making this connection. Thank you Heather and Stacy and Maggie and Sarah for letting me into your circle and for giving me the opportunity to honor YOU and your journey.
In this life, we often take for granted all the things that we are blessed with. We often forget that simply waking in the morning is a gift. Too often we get caught up in the shit that DOES. NOT. MATTER. AT. ALL. and we forget what really does matter.
Kindness.
Giving.
Love.
Health.
Family.
Friends.
Faith.
And the everlasting, overwhelming, almighty power of human connection.
…It takes a village. Thank YOU for being part of mine.