I don’t know where to begin with this one.
While on vacation in Tucson I received an email from my friend, Jeff Giles, who writes the excellent blog, jefitoblog.com. I have never met Jeff in person. We have a relationship based solely on writing and a shared love of music. A couple of years ago I responded to one of his posts about a Radney Foster song, “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)”. It is a poignant, loving testament to fatherhood that I immediately related to. After a couple of emails, I wound up sending Jeff some Springsteen bootlegs and a friendship was born. The two of us have exchanged music regularly and last year I even wrote a guide to the albums of Journey. Jeff has been a big supporter of the blog and has regularly promoted the site. All this, mind you, through his own kindness.
Because he’s been a reader of “Thunderbolt”, he knows about our family and our struggles with cystic fibrosis. This year, he decided to pitch in on our efforts to raise money. Unbeknownst to me, Jeff went out and contacted many of his favorite bloggers and together, they have created a website, Bloggersforacure.com. Together, through their separate websites, they are linking donors to my CF Great Strides webpage. Additionally, many of these folks, most of whom I do not know, are offering some nifty prizes to the highest donors. It is quite a wonderful thing they are doing.
Like I said, I don’t know where to begin. To have strangers take up a cause in your name is so humbling. But there are no words to describe how touched we are in the Malchus family at having these people take up the cause because of Jake. You often hear about the kindness of strangers and the inherent goodness in people. My friends, this is a prime example of what “they” are always talking about. I wish… I WISH I could somehow express better the gratitude I have pouring out of my heart. Sadly, the best I can do is post links to their blogs in hopes that the 10 or so of you out there reading this little old blog will click on their sites and read what they’re doing.
As Julie and I begin our push to raise money for this year’s Great Strides, I can’t tell you how overwhelmed I am by the heartfelt gesture of Jeff and his buddies. Actually, I guess they’re my buddies, too, now.
Last week, Sophie and I began working on a family tree project for her class. One of the things she was researching was what our family motto is. Apparently, my mother’s side of the family, which hails partially from Scotland, actually does have a motto. But Soph and I didn’t know that at the time. So, I thought of the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t give up.”
“I like that, Dad”
Then I thought a moment longer and added one more word.
“Don’t give up hope.”
It’s because of good people like Jeff Giles that I have hope. Despite my sometimes sad entries about my personal struggles being a parent, I will never give up hope.
Thank you Jeff.
Aloha
While on vacation in Tucson I received an email from my friend, Jeff Giles, who writes the excellent blog, jefitoblog.com. I have never met Jeff in person. We have a relationship based solely on writing and a shared love of music. A couple of years ago I responded to one of his posts about a Radney Foster song, “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)”. It is a poignant, loving testament to fatherhood that I immediately related to. After a couple of emails, I wound up sending Jeff some Springsteen bootlegs and a friendship was born. The two of us have exchanged music regularly and last year I even wrote a guide to the albums of Journey. Jeff has been a big supporter of the blog and has regularly promoted the site. All this, mind you, through his own kindness.
Because he’s been a reader of “Thunderbolt”, he knows about our family and our struggles with cystic fibrosis. This year, he decided to pitch in on our efforts to raise money. Unbeknownst to me, Jeff went out and contacted many of his favorite bloggers and together, they have created a website, Bloggersforacure.com. Together, through their separate websites, they are linking donors to my CF Great Strides webpage. Additionally, many of these folks, most of whom I do not know, are offering some nifty prizes to the highest donors. It is quite a wonderful thing they are doing.
Like I said, I don’t know where to begin. To have strangers take up a cause in your name is so humbling. But there are no words to describe how touched we are in the Malchus family at having these people take up the cause because of Jake. You often hear about the kindness of strangers and the inherent goodness in people. My friends, this is a prime example of what “they” are always talking about. I wish… I WISH I could somehow express better the gratitude I have pouring out of my heart. Sadly, the best I can do is post links to their blogs in hopes that the 10 or so of you out there reading this little old blog will click on their sites and read what they’re doing.
As Julie and I begin our push to raise money for this year’s Great Strides, I can’t tell you how overwhelmed I am by the heartfelt gesture of Jeff and his buddies. Actually, I guess they’re my buddies, too, now.
Last week, Sophie and I began working on a family tree project for her class. One of the things she was researching was what our family motto is. Apparently, my mother’s side of the family, which hails partially from Scotland, actually does have a motto. But Soph and I didn’t know that at the time. So, I thought of the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t give up.”
“I like that, Dad”
Then I thought a moment longer and added one more word.
“Don’t give up hope.”
It’s because of good people like Jeff Giles that I have hope. Despite my sometimes sad entries about my personal struggles being a parent, I will never give up hope.
Thank you Jeff.
Aloha
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