Talisman Philanthropy

Responders by Sarah A. Jolie

My dear friend in Chicago, Sarah A. Jolie posted this to her Facebook timeline today. I asked if I could share it, she agreed.

Today friends lay to rest their son/godson/brother/friend who lived 24 of his 25 years with cancer. He was an inspiration. Not just because of his survival, but because of the joy, humanity and resilience he embodied.

As I try to process all that is happening today, the theme has been RESPONDERS. Those who are keeping us safe, those who kept the cancer at bay, those who gave their coats to the runners even though they were cold themselves, those who brought meals to Andrew’s family so they could focus on being well, those who ran to the hospitals to give blood on monday, those who opened their homes in Texas because a neighborhood was gone, those who called to make sure everyone was okay (either on Monday or after one of Andrew’s many moments of battle), etc.

We are all (or can be) responders. We all must be. There are bad things that happen, but as Patton Oswalt said so well,

Just look it in the eye and think, ‘The good outnumber you, and we always will.

Peace to you Andrew, to Boston, to Texas, to all of us and those in Boston in my life who are too numerous to name. Peace.

April 19, 2013 at 5:31 pm Barbara Talisman, CFRE Leave a comment