Something important

I need to take a break from my updates on little Kate to pass along a story that really touched my heart. I have been participating in the Cake Wrecks $1 charity drive for the Christmas season, which is how I came to learn of this life altering event in a Michigan family's world.

To copy John's wording from Cake Wrecks:
"Today's charity is something different, so I hope you'll bear with me. You see, on Tuesday night 27-year-old Amanda Buckland lost her husband, her 4-year-old son, her 8-month-old daughter, and everything they owned in a house fire. (The house they'd recently begun renting had no smoke detectors.) She and her 12-year-old stepdaughter only escaped thanks to a quick-thinking neighbor with a ladder."

I cannot even imagine what that level of loss feels like. Having a child of my own has instantly forced me to put myself into these stories and situations when I hear about them on the news now in a way that I never did before. I guess that is true for everyone. To lose everything, not just your home but almost your entire family...I can't even find words to express how that feels. I'm not sure I can fathom it without going through it, God forbid.

It touched me enough that I gave more than just my dollar for the day. I wanted to post this on my blog too because I'm hoping that you too will feel compelled to help this family. I know that donations will not help bring back the precious loved ones that were lost, but it will help Amanda to rebuild some sense of home, however slowly that process might be.

You can click here to donate via PayPal to the Buckland Family Trust. Click here and here to read news stories regarding the fire. There is an address listed that enables you to mail a donation if you do not have a PayPal account.

Even if you do not have funds to contribute, I know you can join me in praying for this family. Christmas is about giving and loving...so make your gifts count this year.