Cassy on the bike that we gifted to her as her (very early) birthday present
There are moments in life, that if you are open and listen, will send you an opportunity that speaks to your heart. As many of you know, this happened with me and my work with Frankie, which carried me to today loving little Joie.
Frankie was a gift from above that opened my heart to discovering the beautiful and gratifying rewards of volunteering and giving back to others. Since her passing, I’ve not done much volunteering, and at times, have felt not quite complete.
This past May, John and I gave serious thought to wanting to reach out and help our dear friend, Cassy who is going through a major life transition. You may recall I’ve talked about her from time to time here on my blog. She is truly a talented and gifted artist. More than that, she and I were destined to become friends. Her joy and love for life is contagious. I often see myself in her and she is a beautiful reminder of what I too love about life.
After thinking about all the “what if’s,” as well as being honorable to what we hold dear to our own values and love of our home and life, we made the decision to welcome Cassy into our home as she moves through her transition. While I know those close to me were concerned this was the right thing to do, and I’m so lucky to have that love and support, John and I knew in our hearts this was right.
As I shared in my memoir, I struggled for many years with feeling “less than” for never having the motherly instinct. At times, I felt so odd and alone. Not until I did my work with Frankie, mentoring young kids with our positive message did it finally help me find peace that this is the “motherly” work I was meant to do. I could finally release the pain of feeling “less than.”
How honored I feel to now have another opportunity to give back, this time in a new and different way, but yet in much the same way. This time helping to nurture and offer guidance to Cassy to help her take a big leap of faith into the life she’s always dreamed of.
Taking someone into our home was a big decision for us. We didn’t make it lightly. It would mean moving about in a new way within our own home– a place we hold sacred and love so much. But, Cassy has made it easier as a young lady who is so conscious of how this would affect John and my life together. Everything we could possibly think of was discussed beforehand, leading us all to ultimately following our hearts, believing this was the right thing to do.
Instead of thinking about all the “what if’s” in a negative way, we have opened ourselves to all the “what ifs” in a positive way. This has led to my relationship with John growing even stronger than I ever imagined. There is an added sweet and happy energy to our home that Cassy has graced us with. There is a fulfillment in each of our hearts that seem to be just what each of us need at this time. But most of all, for John and I, there is this new dimension of who we are as a couple and how this has helped our relationship evolve in a way we never anticipated– a way I can’t yet quite find to describe in words. But it is beautiful.
Cassy is a gift to us as much as I know she feels the same way about us. We honor and hold that as a treasure we each carry in our hearts as we continue to strive to live our lives in a way that is right for each of us. I, for one, am holding this time very close to my heart, enjoying each precious moment. I realize that before I know it, our little bird will fly from the nest into the life she is meant to live. But to know we were a part of helping her along on that journey will be a gift we carry in our hearts for the rest of our lives.