Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a state full of cheese. (Wisconsin, for the non-knowing state crowd) and a girl who lived in a state full of buckeyes (you guessed it, Ohio). Separated by miles between them, okay approximately 420, neither one knew the other existed. Well, why would they? They didnt grow up together, didnt attend college together, their families had no connection. Little did they know their lives would be intertwined through some social media craze called Facebook okay and a horrible, inhumane disease called ALS. The buckeye girl, Beth Popa Castelvetere found some cheesy girl, Trickett Fewell Wendler, on Facebook (October 25th to be exact but whose keeping track?) Unbelievable. Another young mom with ALS. An immediate connection. There is someone who knows how I feel!! Not just physically or in an ALS way but in a mommy way, the purest of loves way. See there is something about a mothers love that is undeniable, unmatchable, truly unconditional. (Well, at least we have been blessed with that love, I hope all mothers reading this honestly feel it) We both understand what real loss is, because we love them more than we love ourselves, or anyone else. We both understand our young children will face this unknown world without us. We both understand our husbands, the only other person in our lives who has witnessed everything with our children, will be left alone to raise our children and share memories with, alone. We both understand our ending is very real and in our faces. We write letters, take videos, take pictures for those when I cant be there moments, we advocate and try to stay strong for them, their futures, for the future patients with ALS. Guess what? The letters, the videos, the picture is not even close to the real thing. We get that, were moms. As a mother we are innately programmed to protect, to teach, to love, unlike another. I could write for hours about our feelings as moms. Trickett and I, in my eyes, share a most precious, rare friendship. Only saw each other two trips, talked on the phone a handful of times, but she is part of me, my soul, Im not me without you Trickett Wendler. ALS is a nasty, f-ing thing but it gave me you. We will fight harder, last longer, love stronger, together. Our children are the true faces of ALS, we have to remember this. I cannot write anymore, so this is one of my letters to you. And yes I want the whole world to read! So everyone feel free to share, a true love story out of the horror of ALS. My post started out like a fairytale, but lets all be realistic, there is no true happy ending. You text last night and said, upon us coming for a visit if its doable, I want you to stay with me forever. My friend, that is our happy ending, I will have forever with you. Even if we pull a Notebook. Real life. Real facts. Real me.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 01:18:34 +0000