So Overwhelmed with Gratitude

I am not even sure how to write this post.

We have been showered with love since my diagnosis- and we are just overwhelmed with gratitude.

(And so, there will be many memes sprinkled throughout this post. You’re welcome)

Anyway…The love has come in many, many forms.

Texts.

Messages.

Good vibes, thoughts, and prayers.

Gift cards sent from around the world- to help provide us with food from safe places.

Ridiculous amounts of offers to help us pack, move, and unpack. And to help with the kids.

Gifts- many gifts- from all over the country.

A gift card tree from Edda and Emory’s (former) preschool.

A crew of moms- from Edda’s (former) preschool who came and packed up our kitchen, a storage area, and wrapped up art work for safe travels. It was AMAZING what they did in just 2 hours!! A friend of mine also came and packed up a TON, including all of Esella’s room and most of our decor.

Random gifts/care packages dropped at our door- from gatorade to flowers to candy to other goodies.

One of the first gifts- my Chemo blanket from my sweet friend Ashley. It is SO SO cozy and my kids steal it, lol. You can see it here-

A Medi Teddy from my friend Lindsey to take with me to my treatments. All the nurses LOVED HIM and wanted to know where to get them (they don’t see many peds patients in my infusion center so many hadn’t seen them before).

My extended family gave me an entire basket FULL of glorious beanies so I can stay stylish and warm this winter and spring with no hair.

My friend Somer immediately sent me some kick ass stickers to help motivate and cheer me up and was my “chemo date” for #2- where she brought decorations made by her and her niece and nephews and daughter that were hung up my my chair.

My friend Haley gave me an amazing necklace with this little piece- borrowed from Jen Hattmaker’s IG:

“See, in the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama cannot even be seen in the middle. They stomp and kick up dirt and soil to throw attackers off the scent and basically act like a pack of badasses. 

They surround the mama and incoming baby in protection, sending a clear signal to predators that if they want to attack their friend while she is vulnerable, they’ll have to get through 40 tons of female aggression first. 

When the baby elephant is delivered, the sister elephants do two things: they kick sand or dirt over the newborn to protect its fragile skin from the sun, and then they all start trumpeting, a female celebration of new life, of sisterhood, of something beautiful being born in a harsh, wild world despite enemies and attackers and predators and odds. 

Scientists tell us this: They normally take this formation in only two cases – under attack by predators like lions, or during the birth of a new elephant.

This is what we do, girls. When our sisters are vulnerable, when they are giving birth to new life, new ideas, new ministries, new spaces, when they are under attack, when they need their people to surround them so they can create, deliver, heal, recover…we get in formation. We close ranks and literally have each others’ backs. You want to mess with our sis? Come through us first. Good luck.”

I wore it to chemo #2 and will wear it…forever? I’m not sure. But it symbolizes all the amazing people who have come forward and supported me during this time- my elephant Mamas- if you will. And Papas too.

Another friend- Jenn- who is a breast cancer survivor herself- sent me an amazing bracelet that I have not taken off since the day I got it. On the outside- it appears to be a simple silver band. But inside? There’s an important message engraved: Fuck Cancer.

A dear friend, Sarah, from my childhood send me some homemade earrings and a handmade sign that says BRAVE on it.

A blogging friend Nikki sent me my very own cancer themes Dammit Doll– which is amazing.- along with some aroma therapy for chemo.

Money was went to my PayPal to help pay for food & gas from friends afar.

We have TWO meal-train type things set up to help us with meals which have already helped us a few times- plus the gift cards have helped tremendously. Those who sent gift cards? THANK YOU!!! There were too many of you to count!

A family friend of Justin’s dropped off like 8 BAGS OF FOOD for us the other day- from crackers to oatmeal to cookies to pasta and pasta sauce…we will be well fed for a MONTH thanks to the love of generosity of life-long friends.

It’s all too much.

We even went to the movies to see the new Star Wars the other day thanks to friends sending us a gift card to Cinemark (where I wore a mask because I was just a few days out of chemo. The masks suck but I am thankful to have that extra protection. And hand sanitizer. Thankful for it during this time too!)

Yes- our friends and family are amazing and we are so so thankful.

I know there is more that I am forgetting- please forgive me. Having just moved two weeks ago some things are packed- but ultimately I wanted to share some of the amazing things people have blessed us with during this time. We are eternally grateful for all of you. In fact- the simple act of checking in? PRICELESS. I love the texts and messages just checking in. It means more than you’ll every know.

And Memes. I love me some funny memes.

And if you sent me something and I didn’t personally thank you yet- Please forgive me! I have been trying my best to thank everyone individually.

So again, THANK YOU!