Gathering a Harvest

Last week, armed with 17 car activities, coffee, a cooler full of snacks, and a DVD player, I buckled Oliver into his carseat and we drove east to Madison, WI.  We were visiting friends, a very remarkable set of friends I might add.  Gin and Geoff along with their amazingly adorable kiddos Ella (2) and Ephraim (4) made the drive from Madison to our place just this summer to participate in our Relay for Life. Laps walked around the track in celebration of survivors and in silence of sadness were made especially poignant with Gin and her family beside us.  She was diagnosed with a cervical cancer relapse not long ago, and her physicians have given her disease a poor prognosis.  And so we walked together in recognition of the journey, in the complicated feelings of grief, and in the joy of being together. 

Gin told me about another walk that would be happening in September and taking place in Madison, one to raise awareness for women's cancers.  Without hesitation we marked the calendar and waited in excitement to walk with them again, this time in their state.  Oliver did fairly well in the car, thought we were glad to arrive at their home later that day after driving quite a few hours in the rain.  Within minutes, the kids were bouncing on trampolines, looking out for pirates off of the swingset, and playing superheros and Legos.

Gin and Geoff are the most generous kind of people you could hope to meet.  Oliver and I were meeting up with other friends later that night, and they were also all invited over to Geoff and Gin's for a dinner of homemade pizza and apple crisp.  There were pumpkins waiting for us to pick out to bring back home, we had great conversation over wine.  Gin had gathered up Hilights magazines and made her own activities to occupy Oliver on the ride home.  They are the most gracious hosts, the most gracious friends.

You would never know how much they're balancing.  Gin is working hard to finish her midwifery degree, a plan that has been interrupted too many times with things like cancer.  She's also working as much as she can to help pay the bills, and Geoff is working hard at two jobs.  Gin's getting chemo every week.  These same people, the friends that are kneading the pizza dough, generously giving hugs, picking pumpkins for you and inviting your friends to come to the table too, are making plans for work and school and on-call shifts and preschool and childcare and medical appointments and side effects, week after week. 

It's time to show them what their generosity feels like.  Finances are getting extremely tight for Gin and her family, and they need our help.  This Sunday, October 13th, Michael and I will be driving around the Twin Cities to collect money to help our friends.  In exchange for a donation at your doorstep, you will be invited to choose a treat off of our travelling dessert plate. 

If you're interested in donating, please leave me a comment and let me know if we can come to your doorstep on Sunday. (By mail is just fine, too, though you'd be missing out on some tasty seasonal deliciousness). Please help us in gathering a harvest for Gin and her family.  We just love them so much.  Thank you.

http://www.evite.com/event/031EGMKTKSIODQKX6EPDFLTKR3UPCE

You can read more of Gin's story at:
www.cisnotforcookie.blogspot.com