A Tradition Transformed
Donation protected
Thank you all for sharing a few minutes with me and letting me share a story that is very close to my heart. This is page is created to help plan a special surprise for incredible my mother after an incredibly challenging year. Before I go any further, I want to make sure everyone knows that this is a SURPRISE, so therefore, please don’t share this on social media or anywhere she could find out about it. She’s surprisingly stealthy on the internet, so I thank you in advance for keeping this TOP SECRET.
It’s been a hard year for my mom. On October 2nd, her mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer with a grim prognosis. My mother, having graduated only a few months later to become a nurse practitioner, is an only child and became a primary caretaker for her, balancing doctors appointments, medication schedules, and personal support while she began a new job. On June 2nd, exactly 8 months after her diagnosis, my Grandma J passed away with her family by her side.
My grandma J and I shared a heart in my mother. The amazing gift of being best friends with your mom was one both me and my mother were fortunate enough to receive. Every labor day weekend the two of them celebrated a double birthday girl’s day in the form of spas and shopping in honor of their birthdays falling on either side of the holiday. This tradition was so sacred, even I wasn't allowed to tag along, this was the time they got to celebrate the life they shared when it was just the two of them against the world.
This will be the first labor day birthday weekend that my mother and grandmother won’t be able to share, and my mom said she wanted to have a special girl’s weekend with me. She took time off work and will be flying down to Chicago for what she thinks will be a girls weekend in the city, but I’ve planned a birthday getaway weekend for my mom and I starting in Bakersfield, California where we will visit our beloved Aunt Mary, the wife of her Uncle Steve, then take a train down to spend a few days in San Diego for girl’s days at the spa, local shopping, and taking in the gorgeous views. Finally we’ll end our trip taking a train up to LA where we will visit her Aunt Kelli for a day in the city before heading back home in the evening
This is where I’m asking for your help. Through her compassion, generosity, humor, and her incredibly joyful spirit, my mother is fueled by helping others. This is abundantly clear in her previous professional work as a nurse on the burn ward of a major hospital in downtown Saint Paul and now as a nurse practitioner at a pain management clinic helping those who live their lives in chronic pain find peace. As a mom, her unconditional love and support have been the foundation upon which I built my life. Everything I love most about myself comes directly from her.
I know that money is tight for everyone and in no way do I want any of you to feel at all pressured to financially contribute. However, while I’m contributing all I can to making this possible, I’m going to need additional financial assistance to make this possible.
If you are able, I ask you to please consider giving whatever you are able to contribute to help this incredible woman have an unforgettable birthday weekend in celebration of the love she and my grandmother shared.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I am deeply grateful for the chance to share this surprise with the people who love her as much as I do.
Thanks,
Caity-Shea
It’s been a hard year for my mom. On October 2nd, her mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer with a grim prognosis. My mother, having graduated only a few months later to become a nurse practitioner, is an only child and became a primary caretaker for her, balancing doctors appointments, medication schedules, and personal support while she began a new job. On June 2nd, exactly 8 months after her diagnosis, my Grandma J passed away with her family by her side.
My grandma J and I shared a heart in my mother. The amazing gift of being best friends with your mom was one both me and my mother were fortunate enough to receive. Every labor day weekend the two of them celebrated a double birthday girl’s day in the form of spas and shopping in honor of their birthdays falling on either side of the holiday. This tradition was so sacred, even I wasn't allowed to tag along, this was the time they got to celebrate the life they shared when it was just the two of them against the world.
This will be the first labor day birthday weekend that my mother and grandmother won’t be able to share, and my mom said she wanted to have a special girl’s weekend with me. She took time off work and will be flying down to Chicago for what she thinks will be a girls weekend in the city, but I’ve planned a birthday getaway weekend for my mom and I starting in Bakersfield, California where we will visit our beloved Aunt Mary, the wife of her Uncle Steve, then take a train down to spend a few days in San Diego for girl’s days at the spa, local shopping, and taking in the gorgeous views. Finally we’ll end our trip taking a train up to LA where we will visit her Aunt Kelli for a day in the city before heading back home in the evening
This is where I’m asking for your help. Through her compassion, generosity, humor, and her incredibly joyful spirit, my mother is fueled by helping others. This is abundantly clear in her previous professional work as a nurse on the burn ward of a major hospital in downtown Saint Paul and now as a nurse practitioner at a pain management clinic helping those who live their lives in chronic pain find peace. As a mom, her unconditional love and support have been the foundation upon which I built my life. Everything I love most about myself comes directly from her.
I know that money is tight for everyone and in no way do I want any of you to feel at all pressured to financially contribute. However, while I’m contributing all I can to making this possible, I’m going to need additional financial assistance to make this possible.
If you are able, I ask you to please consider giving whatever you are able to contribute to help this incredible woman have an unforgettable birthday weekend in celebration of the love she and my grandmother shared.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I am deeply grateful for the chance to share this surprise with the people who love her as much as I do.
Thanks,
Caity-Shea
Organizer
Caity-Shea Violette
Organizer
Chicago, IL
