The Birthday Fight

Fly free and happy beyond birthdays  and across forever, and we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the one celebration that never can end.   ~ Richard Bach

     Today is my grandson Will's first birthday!  It is hard to believe this sweet baby is almost walking and talking and doing so many things more independently. I remember well the day he was born, as I was driving from Indiana to Maryland to be there to care for his older brother while he and his mommy were in the hospital. It is a 10 hour drive, and Will being a second child was going to arrive quicker than his brother did. I got "the call" from Daddy when I was only about 15 minutes from their house. Driving on the DC Beltway while talking on the phone at 5 pm is tricky business-- doing it while learning of the birth of a grandchild is almost impossible. I think I soared the rest of the way to the house!

Newborn William Edward Schoch

Grandma Barb with Newborn Will, Mommy, Daddy and Big Brother Sam

     Meeting Will was a joy that is hard to describe... just as meeting his brother Sam and his cousin Addison was. There is a special love between grandparents and their grandchildren that is quite different than that between parents or siblings or anything else.

     Will was born on a special day... not just because it was his birthday. He arrived on his maternal grandmother's birthday. Linda Jacobus, my daughter-in-law's mother, was born on this day 58  years before Will arrived. I had the pleasure of getting to know her when my son married her daughter. We were bonded by their union, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Linda better.

My daughter0in-law Amanda with her mother, Linda Jacobus

     Linda Jacobus never knew any of the joys of being a grandmother like I have because she lost her battle with breast cancer right before Sam was born. She was deprived of all the thrills of loving a new generation of family, and these darling children were deprived of knowing their wonderful grandmother.  Her daughter, Amanda Schoch, has decided to respond to this tragedy with action-- she has formed a team of friends and will be walking in a 3 day, 60 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer research. As Amanda has told me, the pink ribbon "awareness" project has worked very well, so it is time now to move beyond awareness and start funding the research needed to finally tackle this disease.

     I wish I could walk with them-- for Linda, and for my grandbabies. Since I can't, I will be contributing monetarily. If you would like to help Amanda fight this disease, please go to her website here:

http://amandaswalk.blogspot.com/2012/02/birthday-wish-for-my-mom.html

 She has been writing some wonderful blogs that have inspired me, and will you too. And it will tell you how you can help. Today, as I think about Will and all the growth we have seen in him this year, I will also remember Linda. And honor my mother, who fights this disease every day. And scores of friends and former coworkers who have fought it. And to bring hope for those who will fight it in the future. And to finally, FINALLY eradicate it...