I received my Giving Key from a beautiful woman who had survived breast cancer and had just finished her chemo and radiation therapy. With her peach fuzz hair and wide smile, she told me that the word Hope gave her strength to endure the severe radiation burns, hair loss, fatigue, and many other health issues in her cancer journey. She told me how much she has been blessed through having cancer - her family's faith in God has grown, she feels free of what people think of her, she sees the good in people instead of being judgmental of others, and has so much joy in her life now. By giving me her necklace, she made me believe that hope can be found in the darkest places. After waiting five years to get pregnant, last week my husband and I got the devastating news that I miscarried our first baby. After I had the D&C procedure done, I was in disbelief. I had never felt such sorrow and loss. I did not understand why my baby wasn't given a chance. This easter we had planned to announce the pregnancy to our families, so my heart was heavy that day. As I thought about the miscarriage and easter, the word hope kept coming to mind. I actually almost bought a necklace for myself that said hope on it shortly after. When this dear woman gave me this necklace on easter, I started crying because I realized that God does know our sorrows and often gives us small reminders, like this necklace of hope, that He has been by our side all along.
-Melissa
