My name is Tina Glover and I was a grant coordinator at Dignity Kids working on the Wishing for Mommy initiative for close to 4 years.
One of the most rewarding experiences during my tenure there was hearing the voice or seeing the face of a child that had just received the great news that their wish was being granted. It would literally send chills down my spine, while at the same time ignite the warmest feeling in the center of my heart. In the same breath, what was heart breaking was not being able to grant every wish. I found myself often wishing I could take away some of the pain and despair that these women were feeling for just a day. I remember the tears I shed while reading those children’s stories.
“Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds. But in my opinion, this definition fails to recognize the inner strength and level of commitment required for us to actually speak honestly and openly about who we are and about our experiences — good and bad. Speaking from our hearts is what I think of as “ordinary courage.” -Brene Brown
Courage… Is the face of each and every child that has written in to us on the behalf of their mother.
If I could leave a message to all the children that we helped it would be this: Never stop believing, and cherish each and every day you have with your parents; because tomorrow is never promised.
For the mommies, it would be to keep God close, for he is the center of our joy.