I had sorta planned on an As He Leads Us post for today, but in all honesty, my heart and head are just reeling in the wake of the news of Gabriella Vega's stroke last week. Every time I type or say that word - stroke - I just cannot believe this is really happening to sweet Princess G.
She is four years old.
I've watched that sweet girl with the blond curls grow from darling little baby to vivacious preschooler, and to see her confined to a hospital bed without words and with little movement overwhelms me with crushing sadness.
My every other thought is of her and her mama Kristi and daddy Paul and little brother PJ.
I've found solace in the practice of gratitude. With every laugh and through all the chatter and amidst the wrestling rough-housing from the girls, my heart stretches and snaps to Arizona, to Kristi at Gabriella's bedside, praying that she'll hear Gabriella's voice again soon.
I'm slowing down to listen and hold close and soak up the rhythms and routines and blessed normalcy of each day.
I'm
17. getting lost in the zen-like calm of snapping green beans at the sink.
19. indulging in a few extra moments with my fingers dug deep in appreciation of that mystical feel of flour and butter which have become one in the moments before the buttermilk splashes and reminds the buttered flour that biscuits need making.
20. happy sighing over biscuits that rise up and come out just right.
22. overjoyed to spend a Saturday afternoon on a quilt under the canopy of a pecan tree whose paternal arms have shielded decades of seekers-of-the-slow. Markers took to journals while the last of the summer cicadas sang.
23. aching heart over the joyful innocence of Dacey's art where the sun shines always and every face beams with smile.
*****
I can never, ever put words to my gratitude for each and every one of you. When I think back on the humble start of SC, I just shake my head. At the start, I was just gonna talk about some cloth diapers a little bit, and now look at this place. Just amazing.
Over the weekend, I hatched a plan. I have been praying unceasingly for the Vega family, but I feel so helpless to help all these miles away. But then I thought maybe . . . maybe I can help. Here's the plan:
I'm going to put together an online raffle to be hosted here at SC. All of the proceeds from the raffle will go to the Vega family to bless them and help ease some of the burden of the many expenses they are accruing in the midst of this circumstance.
To host a really great raffle that honors a really amazing little girl, I need some really big help. That's where you come in. I know there are some wonderfully, tremendously gifted people that hang out here.
Would you like to join me in this by donating a prize to the raffle?
Here are some ideas:
* Anything handmade or created by you - knitted, crocheted, letterpressed, photographed - any kind of handwork or art
* Services you might offer - digital card creation, mama card design, blog design
* Products that you want to purchase for donation
The details are very loose right now. I've never taken on a project of this size, but I've got a team of friends from the mothering community through which we all know the Vegas who have stepped up to help pull this thing off.
So this is our invitation to those who want to be directly involved in the creation of the raffle prize packages. If you want in, leave a comment here or email me at sortacrunchy at gmail dot com.
*****
If your Monday promises nothing but the usual, hold your dear ones close and offer a breath of thanks to God for normal.
You can join others on the path of gratitude each Monday at Holy Experience.
