My mom, Carla, and I have dreamed of going to Ireland for years!  We read the books, listen to the music, know the history, appreciate all the natural beauty and have the occasional pint 'o the black stuff.  Every year we say we're going to go, but something always gets in the way - work, family, lack of work, cancer treatments and recovery, moving (5 times in the last 2 years) and a multitude of other things that took priority over our dream vacation.  So that's how it remained, a dream.  A resolution that never was fulfilled, year after year. 

This year is different.  This year it's happening!  I found an amazing tour package, I worked out a way to afford it and I couldn't wait to tell my folks, even though I knew it would kill Mom to not be able to go with me as she couldn't afford to.  With both parents on Social Security, there just wasn't enough left over to make a trip like that happen, but they were ecstatic that I was able to go.  Later that day, Mom was talking to her friends about the trip, bummed she couldn't go, and said, "All I need is $4000 and I could go."   The very next day she got word that she was going to be getting some money from a life insurance policy.  The amount...$4000!  The cosmos had spoken and they wanted her to go to Ireland with me.   After talking it over with me and my Dad, she realized she would probably never have another chance like this, decided to seize the moment and put down her deposit. 

I could not be happier to travel Ireland with my Mom, my best friend. 

  About a week after the deposit was made, she received word that she would NOT, in fact, be getting the $4000, it would only be a fraction of that and it definitely wouldn't be enough to sustain the household AND go to Ireland.  We were devastated.  My folks are trying to think of ways to supplement what was lost, but I fear it won't be enough, in time.

As a last ditch effort to help get my Mom to Ireland, I appeal to friends, family and whoever else is willing to make this dream happen to help us out.  Anyone that knows my Mom and I know how much this trip means to us, the Italian girls with the Irish hearts.  I know times are lean out there, but hopefully, this will work and Mom can have her vacation of a lifetime.

Thank you for your generosity, support and love!
Slainte!
~Rosa, Carla & John Laucci