Learning From a 5 Year Old–Maddie James
So, today I was feeling sorry for myself…it’s been a hard year. My father died after a two year battle with cancer, suffering a great deal in the end. My dog–my constant companion for the last nine years as I worked from home–died suddenly, a total shock to my system. My beach house that I bought 13 years ago, the home I bought all on my own and was my little slice of heaven, caught fire, destroying the entire top floor. And my financial problems just seem to get worse each day. It’s all taking a toll on my marriage. It’s been hard being me lately and the depression is sometimes overwhelming.
But then I heard about Maddie today. Maddie is a little girl out in California who has an inoperable terminal brain tumor. In January, her doctors gave her six months to live. Unimaginable, right? She’s an only child, a child her parents fought to have, going through in vitro to conceive. She’s 5 and a half years old.
My daughter is 5 and a half years old. I cannot even imagine what her parents are going through. I do not know how they cope each day. I am ashamed for complaining about what I’m going through when they are facing this. Yet, they’re taking their grief and using it for something positive. They’ve created the Maddie James Foundation to help build a Seaside Learning Center at the Ocean Institute in California. Maddie loves the water, so it’s a great way to honor her. Their community is behind them but they’ll need the rest of us to help make this possible. You can find out more by going to www.MaddieJamesFoundation.org. They have a Facebook page where you can follow her progress. There’s even a movement to get her on the Ellen show.
My thoughts are with Maddie and her family, and I wish them strength and peace. Meantime, I’ll certainly be hugging all of my children a little tighter tonight.
March 8, 2011 @ 6:34 am
Love you my friend!!!
March 11, 2011 @ 11:48 pm
Sometimes we do find something that makes our own issues seems small, but it doesn’t help you when you are living the moment. Reach out to friends when you need to. That is what they are there for. You would be surprised how many are also having tough years (me included). Sometimes misery loves a little company to get through it easier and move on.
I’ll be thinking of Maddie and counting my own blessings tonight.
March 12, 2011 @ 1:08 pm
Thank you Karen and Michelle. You’re both really incredible people. I think it’s wonderful that so many are rallying for Maddie. I hope others out there in similar situations know they are not all alone.
March 12, 2011 @ 9:38 pm
Thanks for helping to spread Maddie’s story. We need to get to $1.3 million to make the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center happen…and I know it will! The best to you for a better year. It’s all about finding rainbows after the rain as Maddie and her parents teach us everyday. http://www.maddiejamesfoundation.org