This fall, my heart was broken, not once, but twice in the same week as two of my friends were taken from their families. My heart broke as my friend, Ashleigh, a mother of 4 very young children lost a short battle with colon cancer. Later that week, I received word that Clint, the husband of Jackie (one of the Mom Time TV moms), had died suddenly, leaving behind 6 children.
When someone dies, we feel vulnerable, we miss them, and we want to do something to help those who are left behind, but often our efforts seem inconsequential compared with the magnitude of what they are experiencing. In both of these situations, I felt their deaths so keenly, mainly because of who they left behind. It is hard for adults to lose the ones they love, but it just doesn’t seem right for children to have to learn to live without a much-loved parent.
Since that week, I have been trying to figure out a way to help. I remember last year, when so many of us in the blogging community came together to raise funds and prayers for Stephanie and Christian Nielson. As tragic as their story was, the love and the big hearts of friends and strangers alike, was as compelling to me as the drama that was unfolding. It restored my faith in humanity, and that people are generally good, and want to help where they can.
So in that spirit, I am dedicating my blogging over the next few weeks to these two families, in the hopes that many of you will want to make a small (or really big, if you can) donation to either or both families. At the end of those weeks, I will take whatever funds have been raised and use them for gifts and needs for those families, to help them through, what I’m sure will be a difficult holiday season. I have some specific ideas of what I would like to do for each family (which I will outline in upcoming posts), but the end result will depend entirely on what money is raised. I think, more than the monetary amount, the families will be moved to know that lots of people care about them, and the trials they are going through.
So spread the word, and help me do something special for these families this Christmas! You can click on the buttons on the right-hand bar to pay through paypal. Leave a comment and let me know if you would like your donation to be anonymous, or if you have a special message for the family, you would like to have delivered with the gifts. You can also email me at kendrascreations {at} gmail {dot} com, with your message, or if you have a non-monetary gift you would like to send. Please put something about “Big Hearted Holidays” in the subject line.
I love this idea. So so wonderful!
XOXO
Jen
What a beautiful gift to your sweet friends. I too am encouraged by the way that strangers come together in times of need to help. Thank you for this. I look forward to watching it unfold.
My prayers and thoughts are with your friends who have lost spouses and parents much too early.
Thank you for sharing your love.
XO*Tricia
What a beautiful gift to your sweet friends. I too am encouraged by the way that strangers come together in times of need to help. Thank you for this. I look forward to watching it unfold.
My prayers and thoughts are with your friends who have lost spouses and parents much too early.
Thank you for sharing your love.
XO*Tricia
What a beautiful gift to your sweet friends. I too am encouraged by the way that strangers come together in times of need to help. Thank you for this. I look forward to watching it unfold.
My prayers and thoughts are with your friends who have lost spouses and parents much too early.
Thank you for sharing your love.
XO*Tricia
What a heartfelt gift! This will undoubtedly be a blessing to these families in the upcoming holiday season.
I love your idea and I would even like to give, however, we have a family in my nearby town that the mom passed away unexpectedly 3 years ago leaving the dad with 4 children at home. Just this past week the dad died very unexpectedly! What a tragedy for these kids. All of our community is hurting for these children who have so much to face in the coming days and months. My church has been trying to come up with ways to help. We will at the very least be taking up a special offering for these kids. Life is tough and it sure isn't the way God intended it to be with all this suffering. May you continue to be a blessing to these two families through these tough times. I hope that you have many people that will help you out with this project. It will be so worth it.
Thanks, ladies for your sweet comments! I'd love it if any of you are able to help spread the word for me! Lisalyn, best wishes and prayers for the children in your community!