So when Shawna told us that she wanted to start a blog for the benefit dinner, I have to confess Shane and I weren't exactly sure what she meant. Anyway, for those of you who may not be familiar with our story or for those who are wondering why we are doing this, let me tell you. Shane and I have been married for four years now. When Shane was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma three years ago, we were shocked. He was young and healthy, and we had just barely started our life together. This couldn't be right. But it was.
We have had our share of ups and downs, but through this journey, we have been overwhelmed by God's blessings. (Yeah, I love that song too, Shasta.) While Shane was going through his first round of radiation, I took an FMLA and was able to spend more time with him then we had spent in the entire time we had been together. I think we have a greater appreciation for each other, and maybe a little more patience. Don't sweat the small stuff. Second, the outpouring of love and support that we have received from friends, family and even complete strangers is amazing. It has made both of us more aware of the needs of others who are hurting and made us more ready to reach out and help. We have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl who is the center of our world. How can you help but think how blessed you are when you see your baby's smile? And Shane was able to spend more time with Natalie when he was off for this last round of radiation. All of our needs have been met.
So this past winter, I was surprised when I called home to check on everybody, and Shane tells me he wants to have a spaghetti dinner. We hadn't had spaghetti in a while, so I thought that sounded good. And he want to have a Chinese auction. To benefit the American Cancer Society. I, like many of you, was wondering where all of this was coming from. Who in their right mind just suddenly decides that they want to take on something like this on their own? Shane told me he wanted to give back to the community because they've given so much to us, and he wanted to reach out to cancer patients who really needed the help. After all, we had been so blessed. And that's when I realized how right he was. But I thought that it would be nice for the money to go to an organization a little more local. Friends at work had told me about the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund that was based out of State College. They provide financial assistance to cancer patients in Clearfield, Centre, Huntingdon and Blair counties, right in our backyard. After doing more research and talking to Doreen Perks, the founder, we decided that this was definitely where we wanted the money to go. So here we are. The goal of this benefit dinner is not just to raise money, but also to raise awareness in the community that this is a local resource for cancer patients and their families. After all, they've got enough to deal with. Well, I'd better get going. That little blessing I was talking about is starting to fuss. Holly
