Celebrating One Hundred

One hundred weeks of wonderful people getting together and writing what they are grateful for is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t know if this has ever been done but it certainly doesn’t surprise me that Lizzi and her magnificent co-hosts have managed it.

I am certainly grateful to have been a small part of this generous and caring community. For a time, I would sit and write a post about all of the good things that had happened in my life even at the end of the weeks when I couldn’t imagine doing it. I would sit in a bleak state and wonder what in the wide world would possibly end up on the page.

Then the magic would happen. Whatever sparkly magic Lizzi sends out over the interwebs would slither in and suddenly, I was writing. And writing. And writing. Good thing after good thing after good thing. Many people said it over the weeks I spent as a participant, and then a co-host: The best time to write about gratitude is when you really aren’t feeling it. All you had to do was begin…with one word.

The Ten Things of Thankful is more than just a link up. It is an exercise, making each of us dig in and find the good, share it, rejoice in it. It is the movement of a community, built person by person to raise each other up, encourage, support, and celebrate.

Connections have been made here and that is what makes it so very special. It’s not about gaining followers to your blog, Facebook, or Twitter. It is about people…caring about one another, interested in each others’ lives, and invested in friendships made.

It is a living, breathing, and beautiful community.

I have a lot to be grateful for in my life but today I just want to say how thankful I am to have met some of the most fantastic people in my life right here. I’ve never met any of you face to face but I’ve read about your highest highs and your lowest lows and I’ve shared some of the best and worst moments of my own with you. I hope I have managed to support you with the same sincerity and grace that you have shown me.

One hundred weeks! I hope it stays alive and well for one hundred more….times ten.

And then some.

 

 

Photo credit: Gratisography

Sharing Compassion: Thankful to be 1of 20

I remember Kerri and Bridget from my early days of blogging. Kerri is an amazing mom who never, ever gave up on finding a diagnosis for her beautiful daughter. I am sharing her post here today and asking for anyone who reads it to share it, click the links, become part of a someone’s miracle. Kerri’s family got their answer and found their support. Who knows how many more people out there will benefit from this information. Shout it out loud. Over and over. Change some lives.

(Un)Diagnosed and still okay

Today is the very first PACS1 awareness day. A day created by the parents of just 20 children, with the help of fellow bloggers. PACS1 is a rare genetic syndrome. So rare that there are only 20 children in the world that have been diagnosed.

There could be more children. So much more. Sadly there are countless parents out there with children who have unknown syndromes. Unless physicians are aware of the PACS1 malformation they will not know to test for it. Unless parents know that PACS1 exist they will not be able to ask their physician to test for it.

What I am so very thankful for, today, is finding the PACS1 parent community. Together we have discovered that common therapies help our children succeed. We have discussed what has worked, what hasn’t and how our various countries create special education advances. While small, we are making a difference. Not just…

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