My client’s daughter has leukemia. She’s only twenty-two. Let me say that again: she’s only twenty-two and has leukemia. I could get caught up in the downward spiral of ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’ because this family, the Days, are good people. But I don’t need to. The miracles of love in action that have been manifested by her family, friends, healers, caretakers, and complete strangers are awe inspiring.

Sharon’s living in an empty home that a friend arranged for her near Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. When Marina’s not in the hospital they live with friends nearby in Greenwich, CT and they can borrow a car but really wanted to have their own economical little red Prius handy. Marina posted her ‘outrageous loving wish’ on her Facebook LoveFest page: for someone to drive her mom’s car up to visit her! I read it and instantly thought I’d love to do that!  The synchronicities of actualizing the trip are amazing themselves and will be a whole ‘nother post.

My dear hubby came with—yay! Double yay as he did all the rainy driving on the interstates! I connected with Sharon and Marina’s friends in Atlanta which was deliciously motivating (more on that in another post, too!) We took our time and visited friends in Maryland (Hotel Artiz actually!) for a few days, met up with two of my clients, and found some long lost family in Annapolis—Jeff hadn’t seen his estranged uncle in over forty years! We arrived in Boston a week after leaving Atlanta and delivered the little red Prius (beep, beep!) safe and sound.

Here are my awareness’s from this journey: I really needed to get out and see the big ole world in action. People are OUT there living their busy lives and loving and ranting and moving forward all the time. I’d forgotten. My life as a caretaker and while traversing the grieving process had shrunk to a pinpoint of visibility.  My eyes were opened and I ‘got’ that the world is ready for me to jump back in when I am—this realization smacked me on the forehead: I am ready.

Boston

I’ve only met my client Sharon once a few years ago and so of course I was looking forward to hugging her in person and connecting with her and her husband Mike. But for me meeting Marina was the pièce de ré·sis·tance (Marina’s learning to speak French) and I was honored to be welcomed into her sacred space at the hospital and peek at who she is, how deeply she is loved and loves in return, her zest for life and laughter. By inviting and creating a community of family and friends around her to be an intimate and intricate part of her healing she has become, and inspired others to become, love in action and it is truly a beautiful thing to witness and participate in.

Here’s where you come in Dear Reader. Marina’s dear friend Beth Clay wrote this letter to their friends at Up With People to ask that they write and stay in touch with Marina. They’ve both given permission for her LoveFest Community members to share the letter and request with their communities and share the love. I could not have written a better entreaty on Marina’s behalf so here’s Beth’s moving message which I hope you won’t be able to resist and join the love in action movement (Please send your support and best wishes to Marina knowing that she will be so deluged with love and busy healing that she won’t be able acknowledge your thoughtfulness but will truly appreciate hearing from you and making a connection.):

Update on Marina: ‘Dock’ (Marina’s Up With People nickname) is currently finishing up her recent round of Chemotherapy at Brigham & Womens/Dana Farber Hospitals in Boston Mass, she is getting ready to take a little break from the medicine and see how her white blood cell count reacts, but …her stay is the 'extended version' at this point. The bone marrow/stem cell transplant is currently on schedule to begin preparations the 25th of March, and will require another month (approximately) stay following the procedure. Huge things happening, for the better! 

Special thanks go out to Dave, who magically made some connections flow and now Marina is receiving a bonus Reiki (healing energy) treatment each week. Through the network of love and care around Marina there are sooo many miracles and blessings taking shape every day. I know we're spread out around the globe, with busy lives and a million distractions, but I would like to invite you all to become a part of the journey, again. Send letters. 

Marina is in a time of relative uncertainty and getting ready for an exhaustive and intense progress in treatment. She needs everything we have to give her, in the form of mail. I've been fortunate to have spent a great deal of time with Dock in the last several days, and she has just one wish… mail. Real. mail.  Notecards, photographs from around the world, letters, postcards (with return addresses), anything tangible that she can read and react to… she called it "tokens from the outside world"… In long conversations she has mentioned that sometimes she feels cut off from reality, confined almost exclusively to her hospital room. Yeah, she can catch up through the internet, phone and occasional visitors, but she has requested things she can decorate her hospital room with.  She has asked for as many letters as we can send.

I think we can do this, in a brilliant fashion. 

So, here's the deal… send something!! Photos, letters, whatever it might be… and flood Marina with love, laughter and light. 

Tangible tokens of connection to the outside. 🙂 We can!

(Please email me laura@wowva.com for Marina's mailing address)

You're the best! And I miss you all greatly, as blessed as I have been to spend all this time with Marina, the giggles and memories we've recounted, it has definitely reminded me of that unit that was Cast A, in clear form. I hope life is treating you all very well & I send my love across the miles.