I made a commitment.
I committed to being a friend and being there for my friends in their time of need.
Not everyone can keep their friend commitments. I, even, have fallen in my commitments to people. To friends, to family, to former students, to my children.
I may not be committed to working out on a daily basis, but this time, I’m committed.
Committed to be a life-long friend to my friends.
My friends Heather and Anissa have suffered losses beyond what I can comprehend.
Today is the one year mark of Heather’s daughter, Maddie’s, death.
Incomprehensible.
Heather has told me that she wants to talk about Maddie. She wants to know people remember her sweet baby. Even though I never met Maddie, I have met her mama, and having met, laughed with, danced with, gossiped with, sat in silence with her mom, I know Maddie was a force in this universe. The day she passed, her energy did not continue. It changed.
It changed into a force for her mama to wrangle on the internet and throughout the world. Heather now has the opportunity to share the story of her daughter’s life to raise awareness for preemie babies and their families with Friends of Maddie and the March of Dimes.
It is not the opportunity she ever wished upon herself, nor anyone to wish it upon anyone else. But in the wake of her tragedy, Heather has helped so many other people in their time of tragedy.
I have not forgotten. I have committed to helping my friend, Heather.
I am committed to Anissa.
After Anissa’s strokes and while she was in a coma, I read a post about loss and the commitment to helping in the long term. I’ve thought about the post almost daily by Supa Dupa Fresh, a young widow who knows about surviving tragedy. Please read her post if you haven’t already.
I am committed to my friends. My family.
I will be at Anissa’s home for a week in June, committed to helping her and her family.
I will continue to talk about Maddie and donate to Friends of Maddie and the March of Dimes.
Will you?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
We’re all so short on commitment — bless you for your pledge. I’ve been thinking so much about what we can do for Peter now that the “long haul” has started (“Started, ha!” he’s saying). And good to remind folks to talk about and act on the memory of dear Maddie. This is a good message for the Bloggess Army today, too, no?
Thanks for the reminder and hugs to you and yours!
Supa
.-= Supa Dupa Fresh´s last blog ..Widowed from a May-December Relationship =-.
I’m committed…to my friends…to my family!
I’m committed to remembering Maddie forever. Her legacy will live on within us all.
Thank you for this post…may we all remember what commitments are worth fighting for and committing to.
.-= AmazingGreis´s last blog ..Remembering Maddie… =-.
Always committed.
.-= Aunt Becky´s last blog ..The Rise of the Phoenix =-.
That link is the best thing I’ve read on the internet in ages. Thank you for posting that.
.-= Pammer´s last blog ..Out of Bounds =-.
Goosebumps.
Anissa and the Mayhew family and Heather and Mike and Annie are lucky to have your commitment in their corner.
The love of a good friend goes a LONG way.
I remember reading about Maddie last year. It was heart breaking. I am glad you can be such a good support to your friends. I was just asked to walk in the March of Dimes event out here. You’ve given me some inspiration!
You bet! I’m so excited that Anissa is doing better (and enjoyed your last post about her arm!) and do remember Maddie often. I didn’t/don’t know Heather well, but clearly Maddie was a force in the universe because of all the lives she’s touched. For her, I made my first donation to March of Dimes in a decade.
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