Friday, June 13 might seem like a day for bad luck, but ours was good that day. After dropping two of my kids off to see their dad, Carl and I continued on down I-85 into South Carolina. We pulled our Jeep into the Comfort Inn. We were on a mission. A mission with forty bird houses.
Debby Stephenson, a.k.a. Flash, greeted me and introduced me to many of her Courageous Kidz, staff, and volunteers. The group of nearly 100 were waiting to load the buses for fun, a.k.a. Carowinds! Our job had nothing to do with riding roller coasters, our job was forty bird houses.
Debby ordered these bird houses from our business, Carved By Heart, after seeing a photo of a carved bird house that I had posted at my home away from home, a.k.a. Facebook.
When it comes to her non-profit cancer organization, Courageous Kidz, Debby is always full of ideas. The group goes bowling, on picnics, to festivals, and yes, annual trips to Carowinds. Debby's 70 years old, and yet you'd never believe it. She has the energy and joy of a child. The love in her eyes for "her kids" is heart-warming. And when one of them is near death, Debby sends out fervent requests for prayers.
My son Daniel never got to meet Debby or have her give him a nickname; my path found Debby years after he died from cancer treatments. But I have benefited from knowing her and being called one of her cancer kid "moms". Debby's love and generosity makes any bad-luck day, a good one.
Debby plans to have kids decorate these unfinished bird houses at a Halloween event later this year. We look forward to seeing those pictures.
