This is a bit complicated, but that’s what makes it so neat :)

I never much enjoyed running. And I’ve always found it uncomfortable meeting new people. I was completely content to take a class at the Y and then drink my coffee until my Child Development time was done. So, the fact that I ever joined the run club is, in itself, a glimpse of God at work.

I have no idea what made me decide to take such a risk and run that first day. But, I really hit it off with the girls and to this day, every single one of them has enriched my life and has inspired me over and over. I quickly became known as the ‘talker’ of the group and was the one that people ran with if they forgot their music. It wasn’t long before they all knew Rhyan’s story. Within a month or so, we were all out on a beautiful spring day when one of our “Fierce Friends”, Stephanie, mentioned that she had a friend, Chris, who had a friend, Debbie, with a hearing impaired daughter.

After Rhyan’s diagnosis 6 years ago, I became a recluse. Whether it was denial or self-pity, I didn’t want to hear other children talking and meeting milestones that we didn’t think Rhyan would ever meet. It took a long time before I put myself out there to develop friendships. It’s my desire that no other Mommy out there ever feels that way. So, when Stephanie told me about Debbie, I said immediately that I wanted to meet her. Debbie and I met the following Monday with our girls, and Debbie told me that she wanted to help in our mission with Rhyan’s Hope. Like every other Mommy of a HI child, our bond of friendship was instantaneous and I was thrilled to have her support. The support, however, was beyond anything I could have imagined.

It didn’t take long before I realized that I wanted Debbie to be on Rhyan’s Hope Board of Directors. Her energy and motivation was exactly what I needed to keep moving forward. One afternoon this past fall, Debbie called me and said, “Are you sitting down?” A dear friend and client of hers wanted to donate the remaining funds for Jillian’s implant. And you know the rest of the story. :)

There are no coincidences and fate is a farce. God directs our paths and places people in our lives to bring us to the place He wills. This life we live is about relationship. First will always be our relationship with our Father, but second is our relationship with each other. We’re here to love, to lean on each other, to lift each other up. We’re here to inspire and to be inspired. Relationships, whatever they may be, are a risk. But, they are a risk that will always be worth it. No matter what, we can gain wisdom and knowledge from every person that leaves an imprint on our hearts.

Tonight, I’m meeting with Stephanie’s friend, Chris for the first time. What I didn’t know last year when I first heard her name is that Chris is an event planner. And after nearly a year, even though we’ve never met, she has a desire to help us plan our first annual Rhyan’s Hope 5k. How grateful I am that I believe in something bigger than Coincidence.