10 years later

I remember walking to the mailbox to send off the incorporation papers for Little Pink Houses of Hope.  I remember thinking:

“I wonder if people would even sign up to come” (10 years and over 20,000 applications later….)

“What if the idea of people donating houses doesn’t work- maybe they might not want to share their homes” (10 years and 1,000 houses later….)

“Do you think that people would actually take time off work to donate to complete strangers?” (10 and over 1,000 volunteers and friendships later…)

“I don’t know that I have the right skill set to make this work” (10 years and all of the right people showing up exactly when needed…..)

And the list of doubts went on and on.  It is amazing how self-doubt can creep in and make you question what can be done.  I can say that without a doubt, that none of the past 10 years would be possible without the constant presence of God in the relationships that have been formed, the friendships that have lasted, and the loving embrace placed upon breast cancer families.  It was all God’s idea in the first place!

I am proud of how Little Pink has weathered the crisis this year.  But again, the credit goes to the big man upstairs.  Back in March when Covid started, I remember assembling our staff and saying “Take whatever you know about how things have been done and throw it out the window.  How can we do things differently to help cancer patients?  Covid cannot stop us.”  And they did exactly that!  The Little Pink team created new programming, virtual retreats, and new ways to deliver hope directly to patients through our Boxes of Hope program.  And he has done it again- he has placed exactly the right people in our path to be able to make it work.

When I look back over the last 10 years I am completely in awe and humbled by all of the people that I have met and been able to be just a small part of their journey.  I am blessed to have made life long friends with participants and volunteers along the way.  I am surrounded by an amazing group of women whom I work with that bring daily blessings to so many through their love and compassion.  And at the heart of it all is the blessing of the amazing support of my dedicated husband and my compassionate son. And I am happy to still be among the living. That’s right- I cannot overlook this aspect of the journey.  When you hear that your odds of making it to 10 years are not really worth placing a bet on, getting to that point is a GIFT.

My heart is also deeply affected by the relationships that I still have with husbands who have lost their wives over the past 10 years.  Each passing hurts in a new and different way.  I can try to wrap it up in a beautiful bow about being in a better place, but in the moments when it happens, it never feels that way.  It feels exactly how it is- like a parent has been taken away from their spouse and child way too early.  But I have been doing this for a while now and I am happy to be a witness to families moving forward, husbands remarrying, and children growing up to lead lives of empathy and purpose,  This is the other side of my GIFT.  The chance to walk alongside people on their journey.

Thank you for all of the ways in which you have personally supported Little Pink- you are the reason that we are able to celebrate our first 10 years!  And so we are on to the next 10 years- with God leading the way.

~Jeanine