Hope for Baby Bennett: Ella Gives Back!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Ella Gives Back!

Central Coast followers (and I know I have quite a few of you!), I have a really exciting event to tell you about!!!

This Thursday, February 23rd (yes, that’s tomorrow – sorry for the late notice, but, as you know, my life has been a little nutso lately!), from 4-10pm, Guiseppe’s Restaurant in Pismo will be host to “Ella Gives Back,” a benefit for CHD Awareness! Come and share appetizers and drinks, hear awesome guest speakers and meet some of the most inspirational kids you could ever have the fortune of coming across (including a certain little man you may already be pretty fond of!). The event is an open house, so come and go as you please – but please do stop by!

Tickets are $30 and the money will go toward CHD research and helping a CHD family in need! The event is honoring Ella Beckstead, an adorable 5 month old baby girl, who, like Bodie, is beating HLHS every single day. She, like Bodie, has central coast roots – she lives in Arroyo Grande; and Bodie and Ella share not just the same hospital, but even the same surgeon! One of God’s really cool hook-me-ups for me has been meeting Ella and her family. I’ve gotten to know Ella’s amazing parents Melissa and Brady during the past year and can’t wait to help them honor Ella with this very special event. And hey, Bodie and I are driving all the way up from LA – so the way I figure it, if you’re already in the 5 Cities area, you really have no excuse! ;-)

So c’mon over to Guiseppe’s, make your way over to the garden area for a drink and some appetizers, and meet my little man and his amazing heart brothers and sisters – and help raise some much needed funds for CHD research and families while you’re at it! You can purchase tickets here or at the door!

Hope to see you there!

(Oh, and Bodie and I will be there most of the evening, other than right when it starts (since we’ll still be driving up from LA at the time) and at the end (10pm is a little late for me, let alone a 2 year old!) :-)

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The Chosen Mothers by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with life threatening illnesses are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint Matthew. Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint Cecilia. Rutledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint Gerard."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and says, "Give her a child with cancer." The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly" smiles God, "Could I give a child with cancer a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But, does she have patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she will handle it." "I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has it's own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she believes in you." No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"Selfishness? is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take anything her child does for granted. She will never consider a single step ordinary. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them." She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side." "And what about her patron Saint?" asks the angel. His pen poised in mid-air. God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."