An Amazing Night

In September 2004, I wrote about the death of a good friend of mine to cancer. She was an amazing woman. One of those people who just naturally brought people together, and was always aware of those who could be perceived by others as "less fortunate". She was a great equalizer. She worked in the disability community, and in fact really lived in that community, and had many many friends.

She also had an amazing family that she had raised pretty much on her own. An incredible daughter, who is actually my age, and a gentle, loving son. And then came the grandchildren.

Her first grandson entered this world and not surprisingly, stole her heart. She doted on him, and spent amazing amounts of time with him. And she was the first to notice that perhaps not all was it should be with her beautiful grandson. In the early years of his life, it was determined that he was living with autism.

It is always boggling to me how the people who are given these situations have been equipped. This entire family had spent most of their days supporting others, and now one of their own could be perceived as a person with a disability.

This family rallied round. They have put an incredible support system in place that maximizes this young man's ability to be a citizen in our world. And his grandmother's greatest wish for him was that he would have a companion_dog .

So last night we held a benefit in her memory to assist with raising some of the funds necessary to make this wish become reality.

A group of our friends came together with members of her family, shortly after her funeral, to begin planning what turned out to be an amazing night. There was not one person who was approached to be part of this in some way, who said no. I am constantly and consistently heartened by the generosity of people.

We sat and served 140 for a dinner, which was graciously prepared by staff at a club who donated their time. We had an amazing silent auction; sold tickets on a backyard bash which included a bbq (donated), steak (donated) and the necessary cold beverages (donated); and realized profit from bar sales (donated). Two bands donated their time and talent ... HB's band and a former roomie of mine's husband's band...who have an amazing rock/blues sound going on.

I don't know what the final tally for the night was, but I know that we all had a blast. We honoured our friend's memory and came a bit closer to making her final act of selflessness come true. Her daughter and son-in-law travel to Ontario to train with the dog in May, and then the dog will be coming home to enrich the life of their son.

The world seems just a bit brighter to me today.