Creating A Pathway For Good

One of the things I love most in life is paying attention to the unexpected delights of random encounters with strangers. That is precisely what happened recently while on a beach getaway with my husband. The sun and rhythmic waves of the ocean always offer opportunities to create space for awareness. It’s within this setting I met some pretty inspiring people.

While hanging out amidst the rise and fall of the ocean waves, we got to talking to another couple. We chatted about this and that. You know how it goes with “first meet” conversations. The woman, Marcie, was pleasant and engaging. After a while she happened to mention she was head of a foundation.

Curious, I asked her what kind of foundation. My hunch was a deeper story. People usually don’t create a charitable organization unless there is a personal connection. And in this couple’s case, there is a very deep personal connection. On Easter Sunday, 2000, their 27 year old son, Michael died after a difficult bout with a very aggressive form of leukemia. I could see in their faces and hear in their voices the pain they still carried after losing him. Their grief was palpable.

I asked about Michael. His parents smiled as they remembered. He was adventurous. His curious and seeking nature took him all over the world in search of soul expansions and full-throttle life experiences. He sounded like a young man full of zest who lit up a room and enriched others’ lives. I felt their loss profoundly.

Marcie then went on to describe her foundation named Boredom Busters, Inc. It is a family run organization that provides bags filled with toys and games for kids in hospitals. She works closely with Ronald McDonald houses and children’s hospitals all over the country. I could see the light in Marcie’s eyes as she reported over 35,000 bags have been delivered for kids who are sick and in need of a healing touch. I could also detect how this outreach to support others is like a healing balm for their heartache. In particular, Boredom Busters targets outreach for children with cancer. Marcie and her husband know what it’s like to navigate the all-encompassing challenge of having a child diagnosed with cancer. This knowing drives them. Although my heart broke hearing of their Michael’s passing, my heart also swelled at their resilience and tangible efforts to make good rise from their sorrows.

Marcie inspired me. She also told me of Boredom Buster’s connection to Ohio as they send packages to the Flying Horse Farms in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. Founded by Paul Newman, this facility gives children with serious illness the opportunity to experience camp life. I envisioned so many little faces lighting up as they received packages letting them know somebody from far away was sending them just a bit of joy and fun.

Our waterlogged conversation with Marcie and her husband about Michael’s legacy reminded me of how healing it is to resist the temptation to contract yourself amidst grief. Creating a pathway with outstretched arms after loss isn’t easy, but the exercise is a sure way to breathe new life on the spirit of those who will forever remain alive in our hearts. Marcie and her husband honor their Michael one package at a time for children who need some joy.  And that is good. For more information, email boredombusters2004@gmail.com, or find them on Instagram, @bordombustersinc.