Four years and eight months ago Lindsay brought home from her office a large glass Ball canning jar. It was decorated with a purple ribbon and held squares of various shades of purple note cards, each folded middle school note style and stuffed inside. The jar was never opened because I knew it was filled with hopes and prayers and well wishes from Lindsay’s WWP workmates and truthfully, I could’t move myself to read them…until today.

I knew the day would return when I would need to find a boost of courage and hope and today was the day.

What I found tucked inside that jar today was just the medicine I needed.

Lindsay’s career with Wounded Warrior Project began during her internship her final semester of college. She absolutely loved her time there and shared with me that if would be her dream job when she entered the job market. She loved serving with the warriors and her fellow teammates during that time. And apparently, they saw her value and offered her a full time position shortly after she graduated. She was thrilled to be back on the team handling communications.

Several years later she reached out to her team when she learned of my diagnosis of pancreas cancer. One of her bosses had recently lost his own mother to the disease and she immediately turned to him to share her fears. This boss now family friend shared that he held Lindsay in his arms as she told him the news. You see, everyone who works at WWP belongs to the family. He calmed her fears and assured her he was walking beside her thru all of this. (For that I am eternally grateful.)

Today I opened and read each and every note. Some were to Lindsay, some were to me. But all were heartfelt messages from deep within their hearts.

I was so moved and happy I had waited to reveal what was awaiting inside that big purple jar.

There was even a message from The Cookie Monster…

One was from the internet entitled “What Cancer Cannot Do” Cancer is so limited…
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.

But, the best message of all was from the entire WWP family..

Today, as I read the messages from our WWP family, I am filled with hope, courage and love to know that some people who may never have even met me would take a moment to write, pray and encourage me. We live in a world that some would have us believe is filled with hate. I know better.

1 John 4:12: No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Love one another………