This week, my past and my future collided in such a way that completely stopped me in my tracks.  I received an e-mail on Monday night from my friend and talented event planner, Eliana Baucicault of EllyB Events and President of the Atlanta Chapter of Wish Upon A Wedding.  She was writing to ask if I would serve with her on the board of Wish Upon A Wedding.  Wish Upon A Wedding produces weddings & civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing life-threatening illness.

I had read some blog posts and tweets about Wish Upon A Wedding and had considered how I could be involved, but to be asked made it real to me and so Eliana’s request was a no-brainer.  Of course I’ll be involved!

I’ll attempt to briefly explain the whole “past and future colliding” thing without going into great detail.   It is basically my personal story about terminal illness and loss in my own family and how I feel that has equipped me with compassion for future involvement with Wish Upon A Wedding.

I’m no fan of the word “terminal”.  Doctors used that word for my mother when they sent her home shortly after Thanksgiving in 1980.  They said maybe she had a few weeks to live.  She passed away on January 3, 1981, just 20 days before her 48th birthday.  I was 11 years old.  By the time I was 16, after a gradual decline in his mental health, my father was institutionalized.  Doctors called it “organic brain syndrome”.  To me, that was a fancy way of saying he went crazy.  He passed away in 1997, after being institutionalized for over 12 years. 

I know it’s sad.  Sorry for the downer.  After years of looking at it from every possible angle, the one I’ve settled on is the “love story angle” and it works best for me.  My Daddy couldn’t live without my Mama and with his passing, he no longer had to.  He is with his beloved again.

One of my favorite books has these words, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (Ist Corinthians 13:7)  I’m reflective and grateful today.  Grateful for the reflection on my past today of my parents love story.  And grateful to witness in my near future, some wonderful new love stories of Atlanta couples.  I know I will see love endure and overcome terminal illness – it will be a powerful thing to see and feel.

LET’S DO THIS!!  Here’s more on Wish Upon A Wedding and how you can be involved:

As America’s nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, Wish Upon A Wedding produces weddings & civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing life-threatening illness.  By celebrating the courage & spirit of these couples, it is our hope that others facing similar situations will find hope, strength, and the promise of eternal love.

We are rallying our team of Wish Granters across the United States! If you would like to be a part of our Wish Granting Team {or know someone who would} please submit a Wish Granter application.  How To Help :  make a contribution, become a wish granter, become a volunteer, donate airline miles, follow Wish Upon A Wedding on Twitter, become a fan on Face Book, and connect with WUAW on Linked In.  Of course, I will share any updates as they come my way.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.  Be blessed today, ya’ll!