The two most inspiring people I know...

Have you ever reached a point in your life that you felt helpless and lost? It felt like there was no way out and so you sat, sulked and soaked the moment in. This is that fight or flight moment that can make or break the direction that you go in. In some ways these moments are vital so that you can feel all the feels and think through all the thoughts and it’s a part of the process to find your path.

I reach out to you today because a dear friend and client needs this time. Cheryl and her husband Mark need this time to reflect, to dig deep into what the next path is for them without the pressures of finances crashing down and forcing irrational and rushed decisions. They are trapped. They are trapped by Cheryl’s cancer that requires constant trips from their home in Idaho to the closest viable medical facility in Salt Lake City. They are trapped by Mark’s chosen profession to educate the youth and future of our country; a profession we all know doesn’t pay nearly what it should or is worth. They are trapped by his profession as it’s the only means to insurance to pay for Cheryl’s medical needs. They are financially trapped as the money has run out and may possibly miss their May Mortgage payment.

Cheryl and Mark aren’t asking you for help though. They are content to simply garage sale every last possession they have, sell their house and live in a travel trailer because they have each other. They are content to simply let it all go because her life is more important. I am not reaching out and asking for your help because they want it. I want it for them. I want them to be able to take their time and keep the sentimental items and try to get value for the items that aren’t. I want them to have the time to go through the process of deciding whether downsizing is something they really want to do. They don’t require your help but they deserve it!

Cheryl and Mark have faced this thing head on with a smile and a laugh. At every turn there has been disaster. Her cancer was regressing in September and came back with a vengeance in November and nearly killed her. She shattered her right arm at the same time which prevented her from baking which kept her mind busy and her heart full. They started to run out of money, again, at the beginning of this year because two and three day trips to Salt Lake City alone are expensive. Then the realization that the money is gone, there isn’t enough to pay the mortgage. All the while, looming, was a federal tax bill in the amount of $6,500 was about to come in the mail. What now?

This is where I enter the story. I helped Cheryl and Mark take money out of their home last September to consolidate debts and get them back to even so they can fight the good fight without the financial pressures that were pilling up. When things started to pile up again they called me to see if we could do it again. We can’t. There isn’t a refinance or equity line of credit option that we can make work. And here I am, asking you to help me ensure that these amazing people don’t have to sell off everything they own simply to be able to fight the good fight. I wish you could hear them speak, to hear the love they have of each other and how any tiny little thing to help take their mind off or ease the pain means the world. They aren’t asking you for anything, they don’t need anything from you. But I am, they don’t need you but they deserve you. You deserve to know that you can help some of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of speaking to. I’ll leave you with this. Try to open your mind to the idea of being envious of their situation. To have all of life’s belongings to now be worthless, to have one singular vision each day that is so involved that you no longer worry about much of anything. There is passion and direction in the fight they undertake. Let’s not let them fight alone. Thank you, if for nothing else, for reading this. This is a wonderful love story about two amazing people that you can be a part of. You don’t need to give much, but please pass this story along. Thank you.