An object in motion....

At mass recently, a volunteer parishioner (You rock, Jessica!) used the concept of inertia in her appeal to encourage more participation in a very important initiative at our church. Remember Newton's Laws? (And if you've been faithful followers of Salsa Mama, you may remember a past email about my wacky science teacher, Mr. Carroll, who was often very "par-TIC-ular" with us, young, silly,  unpredictable 7th graders?? Yes indeed, he was very excited about Sir Isaac Newton. But I digress....already!?). Ok, back to the point... We know that objects in motion stay in motion, and objects at rest stay at rest. Importantly, a force must either propel or stop the motion. For me, Jessica's words were just what I needed. The perfect catalyst, so to speak. I had been waiting for just the right message to "propel" the next sale forward, then voila (!) it was handed to me in the form of a parishioner humbly delivering a pulpit talk.  My biggest takeaway from her message? Giving prompts more giving.  Love begets love.  Pretty simple. Pretty profound.

Regardless of your church, or school, or neighborhood, daily opportunities abound for helping others. Here in the Shawnee bubble, there are teams of friends and neighbors rallying around mighty cancer warriors. There are driveways filled with neighbors in prayer.  There are meals, meals and more meals being lovingly prepared. There are hugs and tears and everything in between. It is so inspiring. This community continually proves that we can turn suffering into something beautiful by extending our love and (here is the most important part!!) RECEIVING the love from others. 

Knowing that receiving is difficult, I am so very happy that the Weathers family humbly and happily accepted the offer for Salsa Mama help for their son, Jackson! This important "YES" opens the door for us to join them on this road. 

Now, let's get to know this little man with the big heart! 

Meet Jackson!

Let's pause for a moment and check out this picture. Don't  you just want to grab this kid and tickle him???

This Royals tee-shirt wearing, thumbs-up, smiling cutie pie is the son of Nikki and Jason and little brother to big sis Isabella who is in kindergarten this year.  Jackson loves playing with construction trucks/cars, riding bikes, playing Ninja turtles, swimming, hiding in his "bear cave," giving big hugs, talking and meeting new people. He especially loves anything that allows him to be outside and MOST especially, anything that involves getting dirty! So basically, he is a typical 3-year old boy!!

This August, Jackson was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare form of cancer that affects 1 in 200,000 people. His particular case is an inoperable tumor in his sinus cavity but thankfully, chemo IS an option. He has finished two rounds of already and will continue chemo/steroid treatment for the next year along with other biopsies and scans. 

From now until January 1, the Salsa Mama community will be helping Jackson's family with medical bills. Every pint sold automatically contributes to their fund. Any extra donations are welcome and greatly appreciated. The last sale for HappyBottoms was a huge success and I know the inertia will carry the Weathers family forward with gratitude and appreciation! 

If you would like to follow Jackson's progress, you can find his updates on Facebook under Jackson's Fight or follow him on Caring Bridge.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving, Advent/Christmas, and New Years, let me know if salsa fits in to your menu and most importantly, keep the Weathers' in your prayers! They are so grateful for your help, and I know that we are grateful for their allowing us to walk with them on this journey!