Gotta Have Faith

Today on my drive to preschool, my favorite radio morning show took a few minutes to talk very seriously about suicide (in response to the news about Owen Wilson). The DJ told a story about how suicide had touched his life, including the death of his nephew. He quoted his brother as saying 'no father should outlive his son'.

Bring on the tears for me.

Even as hormone riddled as I am, I would have begun crying anyway. Losing one of my children has got to be my biggest and most real fear. So much so that I can't even really discuss it further here, because I'm about to cry as I type.

On the way to work I compose myself and prepare for the next few hours until the weekend. Until I fire up my computer and read an email from Karen. Yesterday was the three year birthday of her twins Gavin and Colin. Unfortunately, yesterday was also the three year anniversary of their death (baby Gavin and baby Colin were born so early that even the sons of two Army Captains couldn't soldier through).

Karen writes:

"Today was the first time in a long time that Gavin & Colin's birthday did not consume me in grief. No. Instead, I decided to remember them, and what could have been. I decided to join the Fight To Save Babies. Together, we can make sure that another family doesn't grieve over the loss of their baby."

Did I mention that I started crying again? After my waterworks earlier, my eyeliner didn't stand a chance. I followed the link and donated to the March of Dimes in honor of two wonderful little boys that I never knew.

In the time since September of 2004, Karen's husband got deployed for another tour in Iraq, she joined my boxing class and became my partner, got pregnant (gotta love those 2 week R&R breaks!) and had an adorable baby girl. Who they aptly named Faith.

In honor of Karen and her family, who have endured my own greatest personal fear, I am trumpeting her cause here. If you have a few extra dollars that you would like to donate to the March of Dimes in memory of two little boys who would have surely been Ella's boyfriends, click here.

Perhaps you have personal experience with a baby being born prematurely. Or perhaps you were one yourself. Or perhaps you have children that made it to full term and are very grateful. Or, even better, you had a wonderful labor and delivery nurse (which Karen is, btw) that helped you or your wife through one of the toughest and most rewarding experiences of your life.

If you don't feel your mouse moving over to the very fast, very easy link (click here!) please keep my plea in the back of your mind the next time that you see a March of Dimes bucket asking for your change or the cashier at the grocery store asks you to add a dollar to your bill for a donation.

The Filipino goddess, big K, with her smoldering husband and beautiful baby Faith.