Rochester, Minnesota

We had a two day drive from Michigan to Minnesota and in the middle of it all we had to stop in Rochester,MN to give a family a ride.

This was a special ride for my co-worker and I. We had been looking forward to it as soon as we saw it on our schedule.

Once again it was my chance to give back.

My grandfather’s sister Eleanor had ALS , Lou Gehrig’s disease, and passed away–very gracefully, she was a strong woman– not too long ago. I was given the opportunity, with this stop in Rochester, to give a family a break dealing with the same disease.

Ann is the mother of 4, she has a 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old triplets–all adorable blondes! She currently has ALS. Her friend requested our presence at their fundraiser for the family and worked hard to get us there. As we pulled into the grocery store that afternoon we were amazed to see the turnout. There were hundreds of people there in support of Ann and her family.

We were just part of the crowd.

After giving tours and meeting the family we took a few spins around the area. Erin, the oldest, rode everytime–and was a professional by the time she exited! The triplets–although only 2– we amazing passangers,  the boys constantly yelled “TRUCK!” “HELICOPTER!” “FIRETRUCK” as we drove above the town. For the first time they were able to see their hometown from above, a little different from their normal view out of their carseats!

Ann was not able to take a ride, but you could see in her face how happy she was to watch her children wave at her through the window.

I know that this experience was overwhelming for the family of 6–being greeted by hundreds of people at the local grocery store is enough to deal with, let a lone organizing 4 young children as they hopped in and out of a large vehicle that had never been to the area before.

Regardless of how hectic the day was for the family it was all smiles and calmness once the kids and Ann’s husband  were buckled in, as we pulled out of the parking lot. We just chatted, about swimming, about fireworks, about enjoying this experience together.

It really was a break for this family. And it was a chance for me to step back from my job and realize the good we all can do everyday. Something simple enough as stopping for an hour in Rochester, MN allowed me to make a little girl feel special–when she is dealing with more than any child should have to deal with– to give back in honor of my Aunt Eleanor and  to help Ann’s friends show her how much they care about her and her family.

Doing all of that was so, so, so easy.

Another lessoned learned.

I can do that everyday for someone, somewhere—I just have to be willing to.