The Ending of the #SharingStreak

The #sharingstreak was so much fun wasn't it? Over $690 was raised in 10 days! Incredible! Families lives will be changed forever! I am so blown away by the generosity and by the stories that were shared here.

Also--
it was incredible the amount of stories that came out in the news and on my Facebook feed during those ten days of incredible heartache, loss and joy through cancer, sickness, research and triumphs. My heart has been so tender to the ups and downs of others through this process. Wanting to hear and see what others are going through tends to make you more attentive! WHO KNEW?!

With that, on my anniversary...my sweet husband was chopping up some firewood in our front yard and ended up accidentally putting an axe (actually a mawl) into the top of his foot. We threw our kids at our neighbors, called a friend (Thanks AMY NOLL!) to come and grab them whenever she could and we went Urgent Care. Matt sliced through a part of a tendon and needed 12 stitches but it could have been soooo much worse (like losing a toe so much worse). We were thankful!

But his mobility was drastically reduced.  He was limited to the couch for a few days and he was in a pretty good amount of pain.

I realized that I am not the most patient caregiver in the world. I tried.
I really did.

Because I really wanted to be nice, thoughtful, caring, giving, LOVING.
But I got over it.

Quick.
And I like help. I like not doing life on my own. And I like my husband doing the things that I hate doing.

And when he wasn't doing them, I got grumpy. And not so servant-like. And I was sorta annoyed that he put the axe in his foot. I was blaming him. FOR AN ACCIDENT! In case you are wondering, I am an awesome wife. Everyone should want to be married to me.

UGHHHHHH.

The reality of what it takes to go through life with a terminal illness hit me like a ton of bricks and I saw what a brat I was. So I tried again. And I failed again. I asked for forgiveness. And I tried again.

Then it hit me, this is really why people need a vacation from THEIR PROBLEMS (like Bob says in What About Bob). Because caregiving (even with Jesus by your side) is hard dang work.

Now Matt is up and about and totally fine and we are back to normal. It has taken all of 11 days out of our lives. That is nothing! I have a hard time imagining 9 months, 16 months, 3 years. The rest of your days together.

And I am so glad to get to run to give this time to these families. Thank you to all of my supporters who have donated and those of you who have read. I am nearly 1/2 way to my goal. Feel free to donate and help me get there! I won't make you share!

Click here to donate! 

Day 10: #SharingStreak Trey Sloan and National Running Day!

Matt's cousin and John Mark's brother Trey Sloan made a donation to keep the streak alive yesterday but he wanted to keep the sharing to a minimum so to honor his wishes, I wanted to encourage all of you to go out and move your bodies for those you love today!

Stay healthy. Make good choices today. Fighting cancer and terminal illness first starts at home!

And to give you a good visual reminder of one of the reasons I am so excited to run the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25th, here is a video about the marathon:



Marine Corps Marathon "The People's Marathon" from PCI on Vimeo.

I am ALMOST 1/2 way to my fundraising goal. I have only $60 to go to reach $750. Will you donate and join in the #sharingstreak?

Click here to donate. 

End of Grade Testing

I just came back from proctoring at my children's school for the first day of End of Grade Testing.

This year is a breeze compared to the amped up atmosphere of the 3rd Grade Read to Achieve Testing we had to experience last year.

Still, Asher is understandably nervous since it is a measuring stick to see how he has progressed this year and today is the first of three days of testing.

Lucy wrote him this note to encourage him along:

The classic "Check your earwax" encouragement. Where would we be without little sisters?

I was lucky enough to proctor a class taking their exams and man, it made my heart go out to all these little guys. It in INTENSE in there. And yes, our school did a little music video to get everybody excited about the day. It was cute. All the words were rewritten to Megan Trainor's song, "All About That Bass" but the words were changed to "All About That Test-No Trouble"

Then I watched this video and wondered when the dancing monkey was coming! (sometimes John Oliver uses salty language. You've been warned)

I love our teachers and our kids. But this high stakes testing to penalize teachers or to "hold them accountable" is nonsense. They aren't given the resources they need to do anything more in the classroom. In fact--they are asked to do more with less than is acceptable. This isn't a Common Core issue, this is a common sense issue.

Three to four straight days of testing when it is absolutely beautiful outside and you expect 8-10 year old kids to be fired up? Nope. And then to carry it on for the next 7 years? Give me a break. We are exhausted already.

And I would say, I have a high achieving kid who has nothing to hold him back. We have no fear of these tests and no reason to be grumpy. It's just not necessary. His teachers can adequately look at his work and tell you exactly where he is without these tests.

You know why? Because they are smart, capable professionals who have been tested to death to get to where they are as educators.

It's amazing how that works.

Day 9: #Sharingstreak John Mark and Karin Sloan

John Mark and his wife Karin on Halloween this past year. Their children were the Very Hungry Caterpillar, the Very Beautiful Butterfly and they were the fruit the children had eaten through. I love creative costumes!

John Mark is my husband Matt's cousin and he and his wife have been long-time supporters of my running with Inheritance of Hope. They are doctors at Boston Medical Center and they sent a message to me through Facebook sharing their support for Inheritance of Hope and why John Mark is a specialist in Oncology.  

"Hi Leslie-

In college I would go to church each week and try to figure out which direction my life should take.  Every week, different members of the congregation would request prayers for their friends and relatives with cancer.   One day,  it occurred to me that God was using this to  literally tell me what to do with my life.     My work as an oncologist at a hospital that serves predominantly poor and vulnerable patients is the result of that calling.    My wife Karin works at the same hospital.   Cancer patients who are parents of young children have problems the rest of the world can’t even bear to imagine.    You are running for a good cause."

--John Mark Sloan

I'm so grateful for this message! It was such an encouragement to me in the middle of this running streak and attempt to raise money for families with terminal illness. 

We are once again at the end of the #sharingstreak! I'm always excited to see who will answer the call and decide to jump in to have their story known and shared. 

Will it be you? Click here to make a donation! 

Dear 16-Year-Old Me

Watch it.
Share it.




Then keep watch over your skin and over the skin over those you love.

Day 8: #SharingStreak Michelle Bailey

Michelle Bailey's Father who served in the Air Force for 20 years. He is currently surviving with Leukemia. He has also had cancer in the prostate and melanoma. What a survivor!

Michelle Bailey is another neighborhood friend of mine. Her son and mine hang out together and we all get to play on fun snow days!

Michelle always posts inspirational items on Facebook that make you think and encourage you too look further into the world. I have come to find out that is because she has been profoundly impacted by cancer through the fight that her father has been through. A 20-year veteran in the Air Force, her father is currently surviving with Leukemia. He is also in remission from cancer of the prostate AND melanoma! SHEWWWEE.

Here is Michelle's story:
The person I am honoring is my dad, Rick Bailey. I am honoring him for his service in the Air Force for 20 years. He is also an inspiration and an example of pure strength. He was diagnosed with Prostate cancer first and then Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), then with Melanoma. Prostate was removed and given a clean bill of health. Then the CML, it is chronic, so it is a continuing illness. He is on a chemo pill where it has brought his blood levels back to normal! PTL! The melanoma was removed and again given a clean bill of health. He has shown nothing but strength through all of it. He is "living with leukemia" because you cannot say he is cured from this. My best friend Jessica has been a huge strength to me. Her mom died from cancer a few months before my dad was first diagnosed. I called her crying and she told me she'd give me five min to feel sorry for myself and then I had to suck it up and be strong for my dad! She was right in everything she said. And my God has been someone I can talk to, cry to, and ask why to. I know He will give me the guidance and strength I need to help my dad with what he needs. Psalm 138:3: "in the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul." I want others to find hope and strength in the knowledge that God is there, he is listening. He has a plan, and He will heal, either in the flesh or in the Heaven where there is no more pain. Don't be afraid to be afraid, everyone is allowed to. But show support and strength to your loved one who is in need of it. You are to be there for them, not them for you! My pump up song is "Oceans, Where my feet may fail", or "Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone."


I am so thankful to all of you!
I am now 1/3 of the way to my goal for the Marine Corps Marathon and the #sharingstreak is now in its second week!

I love hearing everyone's stories! It is so good to learn so much more about my friends and their hearts.
Let's keep it going! 

Click here to donate:
Inheritance of Hope