Many people have asked me how my immediate family feels about what I am doing. Some say it with a bit of disgust, like how in the world could I put our family struggle in the spotlight, others say it with an air of pity, and some just say it with pure inquisitiveness.
To be absolutely honest, I did ask my family, and they, without hesitation, said “that’s a great idea”, helped pick out the name, and then quickly lost interest and went back to their pressing Instagram accounts.
I initially had a few people at my house to share our story and explain what the Facebook page was all about, (I did not have a website yet). I realized after that day the immediate need for people to be able to access information easily and in a non-intimidating way. It was a no-brainer, just simply share what I have learned, bring up topics of conversation and share some stories along the way.
What would it say about what we have gone through if I was not willing to use it as a way to help others? How could I allow myself NOT to share what I have learned so that another parent didn’t have to spend needless amounts of time trying to figure out how to get help for their child?
I hope my family feels proud of the fact that we are helping many people just by opening up the dialogue on diseases of the mind, and by making finding care that much easier. I hope they see my dedication to a cause that I never wanted to be passionate about. I hope they see the joy it brings me when I get positive feedback or a simple “thank you”. Nothing else like it. I hope they see my pride in how far we have come and how well things are progressing.
There have been other things I have done over the years that brought me personal satisfaction and pride. Helping out at fundraising events, getting new playground equipment for our neighborhood park and getting the old rusted equipment out, chasing after the mailman on foot while 8 months pregnant in a snowstorm because he muttered that I didn’t shovel my walkway and crumpled up my mail and threw it in the door- 8 and ½ months pregnant with a 20-month-old and a traveling husband- that was personally exhilarating! But nothing compares to watching a simple command from a friend, “Holly, just DO something! You have been talking about this for months.” take flight into an organization with real purpose.
So, the takeaway from all this is ….my family is ok with me doing this, I am ok with me doing this, and if anyone is NOT ok with me doing this, well then, I feel extremely sorry for them!
Holly