Being a mom is such a wonderful journey of love, laughter, tears and fears. I find the scariest part of being a mom is the unknown. Not knowing what lies ahead for my kids, whether good or bad it’s definitely my biggest challenge. Not that I am obsessing over this daily, but I can’t help but consider these things in moments of reflection.

When I hear stories of seemingly healthy children being diagnosed with a life altering illnesses or babies born with diseases that threaten their longevity, my heart aches for them. Although, at the moment, I have three healthy children I have always felt a tug toward organizations that support research and fight these terrible illnesses and diseases that devastate so many families. Recently, I was called upon by the MDA to join their Lock-Up campaign. It would have been so easy to say: “No, sorry I just do not have the time”. But this happened in the wake of the election season and I needed something to remind me of the goodness in people. So I agreed. “What do I do?” I asked. Basically, I needed to commit an hour of my time to be “locked-up” and use that time to raise my bail in the form of donations.

My time in the joint was not so bad, it went amazingly quick! As you can see from the photo, we got to have a little fun with it and wear black and white stripes and pretend handcuffs. While locked up I reached out to friends and family and asked for support on behalf the MDA for bail in the form of donations. I was so surprised by the reception and it ended up being a great excuse to catch-up or plan to catch-up with friends I have not reached out to in a little while. After the hour was up I was in awe of how they supported me (really the MDA) to the tune of $365.00. It may not seem like much, but as I looked around the room to the other 10-12 inmates, I thought if we all did that in an hour’s time and knowing they had two more 1 hour groups after us it becomes a great impact on the organization. I felt proud to be part of it and contribute what I could.

So, thank you to my friends and family that made a donation, took the time to respond to my emails, texts or phone call and make a pledge for a donation. You are all wonderful and gave me a much needed reminder of humanity and goodness I am surrounded by everyday… I value you all.