Three Little Princesses

I am no stranger to the daunting task that is fundraising. This year marks the fifth year my team has participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. In order to participate in the event, every rider must fundraise a minimum of $2,500. Let me tell you, this is no small feat. Especially because our team is comprised of primarily friends and family and we are all dipping into the same donation well. As a result, we have had to learn how to extend our reach – “knocking on doors” so to speak, which is not the easiest thing to do. So, a few months back when I received a request from a neighbor to donate my services to a silent auction, I jumped at the chance. Childhood Cancer, a cause near and dear to any mothers heart. I was an easy target.

This particular session has been on the books for quite sometime. In the days leading up to it, there was a small flurry of emails. Jen’s youngest, Lucy, was under the weather. As we all know, there is no way to control these things, but a last minute decision was made (helped by a dose of Tylenol) and we decided to give it a go. When Jen and her three little princesses showed up to meet me at Brae Island, I knew instantly which one was Lucy. Glassy eyes, pale skin, and flushed cheeks, but still dressed like a princess with a crown perfectly perched on her little head. Jen gets mega points from me just for getting a cranky little one that far.

I had such a great time with these little girls, partly because I love a kid that is not afraid to get dirty. And kudos to Jen – even though she had them dressed so perfectly, Jen was all for getting messy. The session felt like a trip to the beach with my own kids. Our time was spent throwing rocks in the water, running up and down the dusty hill and wading in the chilly river waves as the boats sped by. Lucy may have given us a run for our money, but I think we managed to get some really honest moments with these little people and that’s what I’m all about.