4 weeks & 6 days until LTN Boston!

Just 5 weeks from today the Light the Night Boston Walk 2009 will be a memory - and planning for the 2010 walk will be underway I'm sure.  I received an email update from the local chapter regarding the Boston walk and so far we are 21% of the way to the goal of $498,655.  Already local teams have raised over $100,000 - pretty amazing when you think about what just one local chapter can do.  The email also included a link to a YouTube video about the Light the Night Walk - I recommend watching it if you have a few minutes. 

Team Suzie has raised over $1000!  I plan to resend the request for donations over the weekend to see if we can reach the team goal of $2000.  Our team is holding strong at 6 confirmed walkers, including myself and my folks.  I am getting very excited for their upcoming visit and have activities planned already.  I can't wait to see them!  The other confirmed walkers I want to thank for their time and commitment are:

- Jenn - a relatively new friend with a huge heart 
- Linette - a fellow Ridgefielder that I have been so lucky to get to know over the last year and call my friend - she has raised over $120 so far!  Her personal goal is $250.
- Michele - a friend from my UConn days and someone with whom I have reconnected over the last year


Two other walkers may be joining as well - Chris is the local representative for the Be the Match / National Marrow Donor Program organization.  I have gotten to know Chris and his wife Meg through volunteering at area drives.  Chris was also fundamental in helping me get the Ridgefield drive coordinated.  If they don't have a donor drive that night, they are also planning to walk.

As I go through the day to day and see everything that I have on my plate, sometimes I think to myself that maybe I should wind down a bit, step back from all these efforts.  And then something will jar me back and make me realize I do these things because I want to help and because I can.  Today it is the anniversary of 9/11 that reminds me how blessed I am in this life. 

Despite the challenges my family has faced over the last 3 years and the trials I have seen my mom overcome, we are a strong family with a lot of faith and love in each other.  And at the end of the day, its what it is all about.  Its the people in your lives that create its texture, and even though these three years have been the most difficult in my life, I do my best to not lose sight of what is truly of value for me.