June 9, 2011: Tired...

Heaveno!

Good news, we went to see the OB today and Ang is measuring exactly normal and Julian's heartbeat was strong!

Last night, we had another flyer night fundraiser for PUCK.  Once a week for the 4 weeks following Bella's Bash, we set up local flyer nights where if you bring in our flyer, 15-20% of your bill goes to PUCK.  We anticipated a bigger turnout at Bella's Bash, so in turn, hoped for bigger turnouts at these flyer nights, but some tried and true supporters have shown up every time:  Ang's parents, and Sara Cooper and her family (even if only to pick up take out).  Thank you, grandma and grandpa for driving up from Huntington Beach through rush hour traffic to share a meal with us each of these past 3 weeks.  You have always been there for us in so many ways since babysitting Ali the day Bella was born.  And thank you, Sara, your support has been unmatched.  We are constantly gifted by your creativity, passion, persistence, and presence in our lives.

In addition to Bella's Bash, the four flyer nights, and Time to Fly, I am also raising money for the charity golf tournament I am playing in two days after Time to Fly benefitting the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis we called home while up there.  That facility is absolutely magical.  I've told you about the chimes they sent on the 6 month anniversary of Bella's death... did I tell you about the birthday card they sent her which arrived exactly on her birthday, May 27th?  They even have snail mail figured out to the day half way across the country!  That is how thoughtful they are as an organization.  I posted a chip in, and if you have been able to resist my 47,682,396 other requests for money, here's another!  LOL.

http://www.timringgold.chipin.com

I think after June, we don't have any more fundraisers planned for a bit.  We actually have a lot of internal organizational planning to be doing, so that will most likely fill the remainder of the summer.  Come a year from now, we want people to say, "Wow, that PUCK, they have their s%#t together!"  Sorry for the colorful language, but the non-profit sector is replete with organizations run like the way we've been running these past 6 months... no plan, just a giant heart and will to do good.  The real stars in the non-profit world these days (see charity:water as a case study) have really taken themselves seriously as a brand, bringing entrepreneurialism and the venture capitalism philosophy into the organizational culture of the charity.  This is what philanthropists, foundations, and major gift donors are looking for these days, and as the Director, this is what I see as necessary for PUCK to accomplish its goals of turning EB from incurable to curable over the next ten years.

We just figure that if we were to mobilize a small army of people behind the idea of being part of curing a devastating incurable childhood disease, we'd leave the planet better than we found it.

There are so many important causes doing vital work in the world, and luckily we live in the richest, most generous country on the planet; a place where almost a billion dollars A DAY is donated to charity.  (Donations have topped $300 billion the last 4 years despite the economy).  Folks, I can't even begin to pretend to wrap my little brain around that number.  We con ourselves individually and collectively that money is scarce, that it is hard to come by, that people are selfish and greedy, that there isn't enough.  I know that the bubble popped a couple of years ago and the inflated dollar withered back to where it more accurately belonged, and I know that many of us are feeling the sting of that correction.  Nonetheless, we still find a way as a country to circulate $300 BILLION of our own volition?  That is inspiring to me, I don't know about you.  Generosity is in our DNA.

Be generous.  You benefit twice, your recipient benefits once.  Happiness is increased THREE FOLD.  Why twice for you?  You experience the good feeling in your heart the moment you decide to be generous, then you feel it again when you experience the deed in real time.  That's why it's better to give than receive; when you receive, you only get to experience the moment in reality, whereas your benefactor got to experience it in the moment they chose to do it, and even perhaps again during the planning of whatever the gift was, and again when they gave it to you.  (That also assumes you aren't someone who gets all confronted when given to and bestowed generosity upon.  If that applies to you, then in your case, it's WAY better to give! LOL)

Thank you for the opportunity for me to share all of this, and to know there are people who care to read it.  Your generosity of your time, attention, prayers, thoughts, intentions, cards, comments, gifts, money, and love have been simply too large to reciprocate.  We receive your gifts with gratitude, love, and respect.  Thank you.  Have a great weekend, and see you Sunday.

God night.

Well, here we go... the last pictures I took before leaving for MN almost exactly 1 year ago to the day...