This event became bigger than I imagined. Our Hustle for
Hope 5K- Olivia’s Way not only celebrated her life and raised awareness, it also
helped breathe life back into me. At the beginning of this year, I decided to
nudge myself back into the world. At this point I was now 3.5yrs quarantine,
not because of covid but because of my daughter’s fragile health. I did a tremendous
job at creating a bubble that kept our family safe from illness as long as I
could.
Hope for HIE started looking for “hustle hosts” to host in-person
events this year for their area. So, I made the commitment to become one for
Seattle, WA. I felt like my 7-month-old baby, learning the familiarities of the
world again and taking that wobbly step forward with anticipation and determination.
I soon received an email noting that Seattle Children’s Hospital Neurology
Department wanted to partner with me on the event. Olivia’s first neurologist recognized
that we were behind the event for Seattle, WA and wanted to support us. I was
in shock, in awe, and I felt seen. I looked at the quote taped next to my
bathroom mirror, “Nah, bigger! -God,” so each time that nervous or anxious
feeling would try to arise, I would think, “It’s okay mama. This is supposed to
happen, this is going to happen, so let it happen.”
I am so proud of myself for seeing our event through and not
giving up. The overwhelming amount of love shown for our daughter was reason
enough. This event did more than raise awareness for HIE, it solidified my decision
in letting the world be apart of our lives again (not just virtually anymore). The
next day after our event, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, fully
visible from our backyard. I thought to myself, “it’s okay mama, the rain has stopped,
we made it through the storm and to the other side of the rainbow.”
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