Hey y'all! On June 17th James should have been celebrating his 36th birthday, instead he is forever 24. I had intended to do this leading up to his birthday but to be honest, I just couldn't. This year seemed a little rougher than others have been. I don't know why but grief has it's own way of showing up year after year.

As many of you know, after James died I joined The Compassionate Friends. It is a peer-to-peer grief organization that helps support families after the death of a of a child, grandchild, or sibling at any age for any reason. I cannot state it enough how much this organization SAVED me!! I truly do not think I could have made it through those early years without the love, support and compassion I found with my fellow bereaved families.

Anyway, the reason for the fundraiser is to donate a gift basket to The Compassionate Friends' 48th annual National Conference's silent auction in James' memory. My plan is to compile some items that reflect who James was. A few things from Key West, maybe a McDonald's gift card, a tech gadget....you get the picture. I am also planning on make sure that the donation card includes that it was lovingly donated by his friends and family. TCF (The Compassionate Friends) uses the money raised at the auction to further their mission of helping families who are experiencing the unimaginable.

Thank you for considering helping in this endeavor and to allow me to do one small thing to honor and remember my son.