11/15/2025
Since the dawn of time, I have always lived with this need in my heart to do as much as possible to help those around me. One year, my brother and I brought home a homeless man for Thanksgiving--without telling Mom first. She just sent us to get milk but he was all alone when we found him, so we put him in the truck with us. Mom used to send me to school with extra breakfast so I could share it with some of my friends who didn't get to eat breakfast. When my friend's house burned down, my parents opened their home to that friend for as long as she needed. They even bought her a prom dress so she and I could go to prom together. So many of my brother's friends had our parents on speed dial because they were the only people that ALWAYS answered the phone and rushed to help, no matter the circumstance. A friend of mine and his girlfriend had no food in their house so my mom called my Dad, took me to Walmart, and filled up a shopping cart of food that she and I dropped off together. Countless times that we drove past folks on street corners with street signs asking for money, my mom would stop and give what she had in her pocket. She never cared what the circumstance was, she just wanted to help. When our friends were without, my parents showed us that we could share what we had, even if we didn't have much. They never turned anyone away. They never treated anyone any differently based off of what they did or didn't have, because the things people have don't dictate the type of person they are.
I say all this because they are my heroes. The amount of time and effort these two put in to yesterday's Friendsgiving warrants a post of its own, though a post is not even the tip of the iceberg of what they deserve. I am so grateful for everything they taught me and how they helped me understand how good it feels to give and help others. Anyone who knows my mom and dad likely has a story of something they did to lend a helping hand to someone in need. These two put in so much time to make so much of the food we enjoyed yesterday, chock full of love. SO much planning was involved. They were scouting for resources, they showed up first with help to set up the dining room so we could seat as many as possible. I didn't even ask these two for their help. They just jumped in and said "We're doing this, this, and this. Where else do you need us?" These two are the behind-the-scenes miracle workers of Cura's GATE. You may see them in the background or in passing, but just know that they are the heart of Cura's GATE. Thank you for always believing in me, and raising me to be stubborn enough not to settle for anything less than what my heart is set on. You are my foundation, my heroes, my entire reason for being who I am. 💜
