April 27, 2015
Dear Jesus:
What a wonderful weekend this has been. Two different families. Two different events. One common link. Two families that have soared high in spite of the pain of losing a child. Two families that have chosen the path of keeping their child's memory alive by helping others.
The first event took place on Saturday. It was in memory of Danny Pino. Danny was one of Alex's best friends in middle school. He joined You in heaven last September. Danny's dream was to join the army to serve his country. Since he was not able to fulfill his dream, his family is keeping his dream alive by helping troops that are now serving our country overseas. Over 600 soldiers have received a care package in Danny's name through an organization known as HeroBox.
The second event took place on Sunday and it was in memory of Nico Hernandez. Nico passed away just three months after he was born. His family has created an organization, "Nico's Promise," to help family's that have lost a child find help and support in their grief. Yesterday they had a fashion show and a luncheon to raise funds for their cause. Over 300 people came together to support this amazing family in their mission of love.
Many people, when faced with grief, tend to isolate themselves from the world. The Hernandez and the Pino families have turned their grief into kindness and they have been able to soar high above their sorrow. They are walking, as a family, in a journey of love and service for others.
I pray for them all. Jesus, please continue to give them the strength and courage to keep going, and to keep making this world a better place in spite of their pain. I know there are two angels in heaven smiling today.
I love You, Jesus!!!
May 2, 2017
Dear Jesus:
This past weekend was also wonderful. The Key Clubhouse had its second fundraiser and it was quite a success. I have seen this organization grow from a dream to a reality, from a living room hope into a full fledge organization that is helping hundreds of people living with mental illness achieve stability in their lives.
I feel very humbled, Jesus, that You led me to help out this cause back in 2009. When a person gets diagnosed with a mental illness, it not only affects the person, but the whole family. That is why this year, the theme for the event was: "A Family Journey: Facing Mental Illness Together." It was an inspirational and emotional event. But most important, it left us with a sense of hope. Mental illness has always been misunderstood, stigmatized and misjudged. A lot of people were educated this weekend. Mental illness is not a choice. It doesn't discriminate. It can affect the rich as well as the poor. It attacks all races, all nationalities and all genders. The onset can start in early childhood, in adolescence or in adulthood. Even though it's supposed to be genetic, I have seen many in this generation be affected by mental illness without having a history in their family. Mental illness can be triggered by lack of sleep, by drugs or by trauma. But there is hope because today there are organizations like the Key Clubhouse sprouting everywhere. And there is a gamma of new medications that are helping people living with a mental illness be able to live normal, independent lives. I met a psychiatrist back in 2009 who told me: "Mental illness is never good, but if you are going to be diagnosed with it, better in this century than in the last one."
May is mental illness awareness month. Let's all make it a point to reach out to someone that we know that suffers from this illness. One of the testimonies we heard this weekend was from someone that is dealing with both mental illness and cancer. She said that people always tell her: "I'm praying that you get better from the cancer." But no one ever tells her: "I'm praying for your mental illness." Today, let's pray for all those people that we know that suffer from mental illness. Let's push the stigma aside and let's connect with someone that has become isolated because of this illness.
We also need to educate ourselves about what mental illness really is. I used to think that when someone said "he or she is bipolar" that it meant they had two personalities. Nothing can be further from the truth. Being bipolar means that the person suffers from an illness known as "manic-depression." They have mood swings caused by a chemical misbalance in their brain. It is treatable, but it can only be controlled with the proper medication. There are many articles and books written on the subject. Before we judge someone, let's find out what is really happening in their lives. And let's get involved. One person can make a difference in someone's lives. Thousands can change the world.
Jesus, please give me the strength, the courage and the means to continue helping this wonderful cause and any others that You place on my journey.
I love You, Jesus!!!
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